Employers who truly care about their employees
To better understand what most influences the attractiveness of employers, we asked respondents to highlight up to three key factors that, in their opinion, an ideal employer must possess.
The largest number of respondents (50%) highlighted quality relationships and fair treatment by superiors as crucial characteristics. This was followed by job security (43%) and good interpersonal relationships in the workplace, which was chosen by 41% of participants.
In addition to these most prominent factors, the company's reputation, opportunities for professional advancement, and work-life balance also stood out, further illustrating the complexity of employee expectations in today's work environment.
To change employer or not?
More than half of respondents (50.4%) who chose a tourism company as their first choice employer often consider changing employers, which is significantly higher than the average for the overall sample (46%).
An additional 39% of respondents say they sometimes consider changing their work environment, while only 10% do not consider changing employers at all.
Interestingly, respondents who already work for their first-choice employer in the retail sector are significantly less likely to consider changing jobs than those who have not yet had the opportunity.
Namely, almost half of them (47%) are not even considering leaving their current job, while only 8% of the total sample of respondents do. This data clearly shows how working in a desired environment has a positive impact on employee loyalty and satisfaction.
In terms of benefits, respondents who choose companies in the wholesale and retail sectors as their first-choice employer place the highest value on: bonuses for exceptional results, reimbursement for travel expenses, flexible working hours, training opportunities, paid health services, and additional vacation days.
On the other hand, they consider covered expenses for cultural and sports activities, referral bonuses, and a mobile phone for personal use to be the least important.
About the research:
The survey on first-choice employers was conducted by Alma Career Croatia via the portal portal on a sample of more than 34,000 respondents during 2024. The survey has been conducted annually for the twentieth year in a row.
It is important to note that the survey is based solely on the respondents' perception of the companies themselves and their free choice (the survey did NOT offer company names in advance). The aim of the survey was to find out which, and why, employers on the Croatian labor market are the most attractive to the general public and to highlight those that have progressed the most.
Respondents were asked to name (in order) their three first-choice employers (i.e., their 'first', 'second', and 'third' choice employers). Scoring was such that 'first' choice employers received 3 points, 'second' choice 2 points, and 'third' choice 1 point, and the overall ranking of employers was calculated based on this.