Public opinion: ZABA, PBZ and Erste are the most attractive employers in finance and insurance

Their secret? Numerous opportunities for professional advancement, job stability and security, as well as quality interpersonal relationships that contribute to a pleasant working atmosphere, were confirmed by this year's First Choice Employer survey.

According to the First Choice Employer survey, in which more than 34 thousand respondents participated in 2024, the most desirable employers in Croatia in the financial and insurance sectors are:

Zagrebačka banka, Privredna banka Zagreb and Erste&Steiermärkische Bank!

This ranking reflects the wishes and preferences of workers and shows the companies where employees, if given a free choice, would prefer to continue building their careers.

Numerous opportunities for career advancement

To discover the little secrets that make the difference between employers, we asked respondents to choose up to three factors that, in their opinion, the most desirable employer must possess.

The majority of respondents (53%) indicated opportunities for career advancement as what attracts them to the most desirable employers in this industry. Second place was taken by job security (44%), and third by good interpersonal relationships in the workplace (37%).

Other factors include work-life balance, good treatment of employees by superiors, and the company's reputation.

To change employer or not?

Almost half of respondents (47%) whose first choice employer is a financial or insurance company often think about changing employers. This is in line with the results from the overall sample (46%). Just over a third of people (36%) sometimes think about changing employers, while 16% of respondents do not think about changing employers at all.

However, respondents who already work for their first-choice employer in the above industries are much less likely to consider changing jobs than those who do not work for their first-choice employer. In other words, almost every second person (45%) who works for their preferred employer does not consider changing jobs at all, while only one in ten workers (10%) often considers this option.

Of the benefits, respondents who chose companies in the financial or insurance industries as their first-choice employer, to a large extent, choose bonuses for outstanding achievements, flexible working hours, employee training, reimbursement of travel expenses, and paid health services above the basic package.

Weekend socializing organized by the company, referral bonuses, and covered costs of cultural and sports activities are the least important benefits.

About the research:

The survey on first-choice employers was conducted by Alma Career Croatia via the MojPosao portal on a sample of more than 34,000 respondents during 2024. The survey is 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 does 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 done so that 'first' choice employers received 3 points, 'second' choice employers received 2 points, and 'third' choice employers received 1 point, and the overall ranking of employers was calculated based on this.