Catalyst Solutions

🏆 Congratulations to Oracle Romania for securing the #3 spot in the Most Desired Employers 2026 ranking.
This recognition reflects a strong and consistent employer brand, built on trust and a meaningful connection with talent in Romania’s competitive market.

“Thank you for this recognition—it is truly important to us, as it reflects who we are as an organization and the trust we have built over time, in step with our evolution in Romania. We receive this distinction with gratitude, because being among the top employers is something we never take for granted. We are proud of this moment, aware of its significance, and motivated to continue living up to expectations.” – Cristina Stoica, HR Director Romania, Oracle

👉 Discover the full Most Desired Employers 2026 ranking: https://lnkd.in/dJQxt-GQ

👀 Looking Back, Moving Forward 👉 https://www.catalyst.ro/project/devtalks/
Last year, thousands of IT professionals, developers, and tech pioneers completely packed the stages at Romexpo, turning deep technical tracks into collaborative breakthroughs—from overfilled AI keynotes to hands-on masterclasses and invaluable tech ecosystem networking. It was an unforgettable celebration of innovation.

And now, we are ready to do it all over again.
As the countdown officially begins for DevTalks Romania 2026, the focus shifts to a new wave of challenges, frameworks, and architectures. Our 14 content stages will feature an outstanding lineup of local and international specialists sharing real-world case studies, including:
🎤 Sushant Rewaskar (Technical Fellow, Azure Core Compute at Microsoft)
🎤 Tomasz Fiechowski (Engineering Manager at Netflix)
🎤 Nico Martin (Open Source Machine Learning Engineer at Hugging Face)
🎤 Brian Vermeer (Java Champion & Staff Developer Advocate at Snyk)
🎤 Beatrice Mihaela Niculae (Data & AI Senior Director at eMAG)
Piotr Wicherski (QA Lead at UEFA)

The stage is set, the community is ready, and the insights are waiting. Will your team be in the room?
💡 Explore the full 2026 agenda and secure your pass: 👉 https://www.catalyst.ro/project/devtalks/

🏆 Google Romania ranks #2 in the Most Desired Employers in Romania 2026.

Earning a top position in such a competitive landscape is a testament to Google’s ability to create an environment where ideas thrive, and individuals are empowered to grow and make a difference.

As Alexandra Dumitrache, Head of HR, CEE, Google, shared:
“Second place in the national ranking of employers is an honor for which we are extremely grateful. This achievement belongs to the entire team and reflects our genuine commitment to putting people first. We aim to continue building an inclusive environment where each of us has the space to grow and bring our ideas to life. This recognition gives us even more enthusiasm to remain true to Google’s values: respect for users, openness to opportunities, and the belief that every individual’s work drives positive change.”

Congratulations to the entire Google Romania team for shaping a culture of impact, innovation, and continuous growth.
✅ Discover the full Most Desired Employers 2026 ranking: https://lnkd.in/dJQxt-GQ

How can employer branding strategies stay relevant in a low-hiring, high-transparency market?
Join us at the next online edition of EBdialogue, where Alexandra Stancu and Dragos Gheban will dive into fresh insights from the Most Desired Employers 2026 survey and what they reveal about candidate expectations, employer reputation, and the future of talent attraction.

Together, they will explore topics such as:
1️⃣ What really influences job offer acceptance
2️⃣ How to prioritize employer brand investments based on candidate behaviour
3️⃣ eNPS and employee advocacy
4️⃣ The gap between employer desirability and consideration

If you work in employer branding, HR, recruitment or people communications, this session will bring you market data you can trust and practical perspectives you can apply.
📅 27 May 2026
🕒 15:30
📍 Online
Register here: https://www.ebcon.ro/ebregister

At Catalyst Solutions, we take Mondays (and tiramisu) very seriously.

This week, we kicked off with a team tiramisu competition — because collaboration and a bit of friendly rivalry work just as well in the kitchen as they do in projects.

And yes, we do things properly: we have an official winner, a trophy, and a prize to prove it. Congratulations go to Silvia Alupului (Magureanu). And we’re pretty sure this is the sweetest way to start a productive week.

Last week, we hosted After Top Talents—an engaging, informal follow-up to Top Talents Romania, designed to bring young professionals closer to the realities of building a career today.
Centered around the theme Beyond the Degree: In-Person Impact, the event focused on what truly makes a difference in 2026: meaningful connections, the right questions, and the human edge behind every opportunity.

The event brought together high-potential students and recent graduates from Business and Tech, creating valuable opportunities for direct dialogue with leading employers.

🙏 Thank you to all participants and special thanks to our speakers and partners from Lidl România, BAT Romania, ING Bank Romania, and JTI Romania for their valuable insights and openness.
We’re already looking forward to the next edition. 💫

🏆 Microsoft Romania takes the #1 spot in the Most Desired Employers ranking for 2026—for the sixth year in a row.
This achievement goes beyond a ranking. It reflects sustained trust, admiration, and a deep connection with the talent Microsoft continues to inspire year after year.

“Being chosen for the sixth consecutive year as the most desired employer in Romania is an immense joy and a strong validation for the entire Microsoft Romania team. This recognition comes directly from those we most want to inspire—candidates and professionals in the market—and that is precisely why we receive it with such emotion. The consistency of this result tells us that the direction we have chosen resonates: we invest in people, in a culture of continuous development, and in a work environment where everyone has the space to bring their authenticity, curiosity, and ambition. At a time when technology, and especially artificial intelligence, is profoundly redefining the way we work, learn, and collaborate, it is a privilege to remain the choice of those who envision a future with impact. We thank Catalyst Solutions for the rigor of the study, and we thank those who, through their vote, have granted us this distinction. This achievement belongs to our colleagues at Microsoft Romania—the people who, through their professionalism and passion, bring our culture and values to life every day.” – Adina Vidroiu, HR Director Central Europe, Microsoft

Congratulations to the entire Microsoft Romania team for setting the standard in employer excellence.
Discover the full Most Desired Employers 2026 ranking: https://lnkd.in/dJQxt-GQ

A small step for a career. A big step for the future of work. 🚀

This week, we celebrate interns and the companies investing in the next generation of talent.
Happy National Intern Day!

✔️ Yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting first-year students from the Faculty of Administration and Public Management for an interactive session on employer branding.

Denisa Matei and Madalina Boicu led a discussion on Employer Branding—why and how marketing principles are shaping the world of HR. From attracting the right talent to building authentic employer identities, the session explored how communication, strategy, and candidate experience come together in today’s competitive landscape.

It was great to see the curiosity and openness of students at the beginning of their academic journey as they engaged with real-world perspectives on careers in HR and marketing.
💫 Thank you to everyone who joined—we’re always excited to support the next generation of professionals.

🤩 Here is a recap of how we shaped the future of talent attraction over the two action-packed days:

Day 1: The VIP Masterclasses
We kicked off day one with deep-dive, interactive masterclasses focusing on Strategy and Activation. From learning how to ditch default creative concepts to architecting distinct content and turning employee advocacy into a team sport, the insights shared were pure gold.


Day 2: Inspiring Keynotes & Panels
The main conference day was packed with high-value keynotes, panels, and real success stories. We tackled critical topics like Employer Branding in the age of AI, the midlife talent gap, building culture by design, and navigating a low-hiring, high-transparency world.


A Massive Thank You to Our Speakers! An event is only as good as the minds behind it. A huge thank you to our phenomenal local and international speaker lineup who took the stage to challenge convention and share their expertise: Ken Callebaut, Britta Blanski, Kersti Vannas, Cecilie Milenkovic, Robert Iancu, Ileana Alexandru, Sally Higham, Flavia Bucerzan, Phillip Lane, Georgiana Gotia, Ioana Moldovan, Nathalie Adam, Sabina Bărbulescu, Daniela Amzoiu, Clare Tomkins, Consultantu Cristi, and our very own Dragoș Gheban, Alexandra Stancu, and Mădălina Boicu.

🏆 The Grand Finale:
Most Desired Employers Gala.
We wrapped up Day 2 in style! After a brilliant stand-up moment by Consultantu Cristi, we hosted the Most Desired Employers Gala, celebrating the companies setting the gold standard in talent, culture, and employer branding excellence across Romania.

🤝 AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE:
The Launch of the Employer Branding Alliance (EBA)
Beyond the incredible insights, EBCon 2026 marked a historic turning point. What started in 2019 as the European Association of Employer Branding Agencies has officially evolved into the Employer Branding Alliance!
This new phase reflects a broader international footprint and a shared mission to push employer branding forward, challenge convention, and solve complex, multi-country talent challenges.
For Catalyst Solutions, as we celebrate 20 years of employer branding in Romania, this marks an exciting new chapter—combining our local expertise with European collaboration to deliver true "feet on the ground" impact across markets. This is a working alliance built around shared expertise and real ex*****on.

See you all next year!