German retailers are the most desirable employers in Croatia, owing to good work environment, job safety, promotion opportunities, and high salaries, according to a survey by the MojPosao job-hunting website published on Tuesday. The most desirable employer this year was the German chain store DM, followed by Lidl, and Mueller.

Nearly 25 percent of some 10,000 respondents said that the crucial factor determining how attractive an employer is are good workers’ relations in the workplace, while 23 percent cited job safety as the primary critera. One in five respondents cited promotion opportunities, 18 percent salaries, and 11 percent the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder.

The DM retail chain was the most desirable employer, regardless of education, age or place of residence of those polled. Another retailer, Lidl, is the second most desirable among those with high school education, while the Rimac Automobili electric car maker is the second most desirable among those with university degrees.

Over one third of all respondents said they wish to work for a privately owned foreign company, one in five said they wished to work at a Croatian state institution, while 16% percent would choose a foreign institution, and only 14 percent said they would prefer a state-owned company.

DM is the most desirable employer among both men and women. The company is attractive to one in five women and 7.7 percent of all men polled. The second most desirable employer among women is Lidl, followed by Mueller, which did not make it into men’s top ten choices. Men have opted for Rimac Automobili as the second most desirable employer, followed by Lidl.

Men’s top ten employers included local subsidiaries of Microsoft and Google, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, and consumer good company Atlantic Grupa. Women’s top ten included pharmaceutical company Pliva, retailer Kaufland and IKEA.

The Valamar group which operates hotels appeared among the 20 most desirable employers for the first time, while Atlantic Grupa jumped from 14th to 9th place compared to last year’s survey.

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