A recent study has explored seven defining dimensions for how employees relate to work, health, society and diversity. This complex analysis results in four distinct typologies of employees, the “four Romanians”, who coexist today in the Romanian professional space.
“At each job there are four Romanians”
The Responsible Romania Barometer – diversity and inclusion, launched by the Open Minds Association next to Cult Research and GRF+ shows that Romania is gradually open to inclusion: 65% of employees say that they respect the individual differences, increasing from 57% in 2024.
However, the opening is not uniformly distributed: 1 out of 7 employees is silent from the collaborative space, losing the confidence that his voice matters. They are part of the segment identified as “socially disconnected” – people largely in execution roles, with low revenues and exposed to marginalization.
“The study emphasizes that polarization becomes one of the biggest threats for team cohesion, trust in leadership and organizational performance. The essential question for today’s leaders remains: what do we lose if we do not reconnect colleagues who choose to shut up? Inclusion does not mean only presence, but the actual participation will be in the process. of which they have the most need”Says Mirela Tanase, vice -president of the Open Minds Association.
The “four Romanians”
The barometer Bares D&I 2025 has explored seven defining dimensions for how employees relate to work, health, society and diversity. From this complex analysis results in four distinct typologies of employees, the “four Romanians”, who coexist today in the Romanian professional space, but concern the inclusion in radically different ways.
The most involved and influential are Inclusion avant -gardists – One third of the respondents. They are emotionally balanced, civically active and often in management positions. For them, diversity is a fundamental value, and inclusion an objective they actively support in their organizations.
To the opposite pole, Social disconnections13% of the respondents, feel marginalized and devoid of support in any dimension of professional life. They not only do not benefit from inclusion initiatives, but they do not trust that their voices matter in the organizational space.
Between these extremes, Social spectators, which represents 30% of employees, does not show a clear interest in civic or social causes. Although they do not oppose the inclusion, they do not actively support it and do not intervene in the face of discriminatory behaviors. Most also occupy execution functions.
Finally, Centrats on themselvesa segment of 27% of the respondents, concern the work through a deeply individualist lens. Many are leaders, but they are reluctant to adopt inclusion policies when they threaten their comfort zone, being possible blockages on the road to an open and equitable organizational culture.
“The study of the four Romanians in the workplace draws attention to an essential aspect: we cannot talk about a real progress of inclusion without understanding and reconnecting these worlds that coexist, but do not yet collaborate enough”Concludes Mirela Tanase, vice -president of the Open Minds Association.
Behaviors change visibly
Beyond the statistics, the 2025 edition of the barometer tells a clear story: more and more employees consciously choose to respect, include and collaborate. The professional space begins to reflect the values of a lighter society. More and more employees take the step from silence to involvement, compared to 2024:
• 64% of employees choose to use a respectful, discrimination, growing language by 6% vs. Bares D&I 2024 – a simple gesture, but that redefines the culture of a team;
• 65% – more than 10% compared to last year – declares that they respect the individual differences, meaning that diversity is no longer only a concept, but a lived reality;
• 39% (+10% vs. 2024) is actively involved in inclusion initiatives – whether they support colleagues, participate in trainings or propose ideas, change becomes collective.
It also increases an essential category: the avant -gardes of inclusion – influential employees, emotionally balanced and civically involved, who set the tone in the organization. Already represents 33% of employees, with an increase of 3% compared to 2024.
“The Bares D&I 2025 data show that professional Romania moves in the right direction, but at different speeds. We have an increasingly involved category, but also one that is disconnected accelerated. This polarization is not only a culture problem, but especially a business: it affects the cohesion, the decision and the productivity”, Says Paul Acatrini, Managing Partner, Cult Research.
“Social disconnections” are rarely expressed and are preparing to resign
The barometer Bares D&I 2025 also reveals a worrying reality: behind these gains the tendency of polarization is hidden. The group “social disconnects”, representing 13% of the employees, seems to have given up expression, confidence, participation. These employees, especially those in execution roles, traditional industries, with low incomes, feel the least positive changes. And the figures of 2025 confirm the decline:
• Respect for individual differences decreased by 4 percentage points (from 53% to 49%);
• the support of marginalized colleagues decreased by 7% (from 54% to 47%);
• the ability to collaborate with any colleague, regardless of the differences between them, decreased dramatically by 16% (from 59% to 43%);
• Participation in inclusion initiatives is only 25% – twice as low as among the “avant -garde” (51%).
Disconnects not only no longer participate, but I don’t think they have a place in the organizations they work in:
• Only 32% say that they work in good conditions, compared to 79% of the employees in the group at the opposite pole – the avant -gardes of the inclusion;
• Only 28% feel that they can express themselves freely, compared to 75% of colleagues at the opposite pole;
• 74% feel compliance pressure on the majority opinion – 12% more than the avant -garde;
• And the most serious: 22% do not feel comfortable to say what they think, compared to only 5% among the most connected employees.
In a period when retention and organizational health become vital, these employees are preparing to leave: almost 1 out of 3 intends to change their jobs in 2025.
“The data from 2025 indicates a deepening of the gap between the active civic employees as citizens of the organizations and those who remain isolated. We believe that this phenomenon is fueled by the macro context: an extended election year, marked by polarization and exclusion speeches, emphasized the feeling of mistrust and insecurity among the already vulnerable. If we add the economic pressure and social uncertainty, it is clear why many of these employees choose silence instead of participation ”stresses Paul Kasprovschi, research & evaluation director GRF+.
