Page 23 - Nearshoring to Romania

Companies normally pay the costs of the training, while employees invest their own time if they need
time to study.
Additionally, Romanian labour legislation stipulates certain minimum training requirements on the part
of the employer.

3.5 Organizing your branch or company in Romania

3.5.1 Leadership
Starting up a new division or department of your company in another country requires strong
leadership, clear organization and a medium- to long- term vision. The manager who will be responsible
for the branch office will need to be a strong intermediary between on one hand the home office and on
the other hand the new local employees.
Especially at the start-up phase it makes things easy to have someone physically present all the time.
The role of the so called “administrator” in a Romanian company is important for fulfilling all
formalities (signatures, etc.), but also when conducting first job interviews, hiring employees, dealing
with the landlord, the leasing company and the bank it is useful to have the administrator around.
Basically you have two options for this manager: either you hire a local Romanian manager, or you send
out a Dutch employee. A combination of the two (i.e. Romanian employee from your Dutch office or
external Dutch manager living in Romania) could obviously have benefits.

Tips on how to start with a local Romanian manager:
Ø Build up a local network in Romania first (for instance by attending events aimed at your work area)
and find somebody through this network with strong expertise and experience.
Ø Note that foreign companies planning to start up a branch office might attract a very wide spectrum of
interested potential managers. Good communication, professional (high) salary demands, an excellent
CV and enthusiastic references are no guarantee for a good match. Make sure you double-check that
someone fits your organization, the CV is according to reality and the second and third impressions are
as good as the first.
Ø Important to build up trust between home office and local manager. Get him/her for the first month(s)
to the Netherlands for training and building up relations with your Dutch staff.
Ø Have a clear hierarchical and formal organization structure; your Romanian manager must have no
doubts as to whom he is reporting to. Dutch organizations are normally far less hierarchical than what
Romanian employees are used to.
Advantages: local expertise, access to local labour market, result driven (if rewarded
accordingly), knows local language and culture, potential long-term commitment.
Disadvantages: risk for making wrong choice, more distant span of control, communication,
trust and transparency might be difficult, risk of leaving.

Tips on how to start with a Dutch manager to Romania
Ø Needs to be open-minded, and prepared to learn something about Romanian culture, language.
He/she should be stable and serious while open for new ideas.
Ø Send out someone who alreadyhas a broad experience in your company and who can get things done
in the home office. He/she should be able to be directive and strict to his/her local employees.

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Nearshoring to Romania, NRCC 2013