Employer 2026

Rivo Sarapik
Head of the Employer of the Year Category and Communications Manager at the Estonian Employers’ Confederation
[email protected]

Objective

The aim of the category is to recognise companies that create high value-added jobs, promote a better working environment and quality of management, and contribute to the development of future talent and the professional growth of young people.

Who can apply?

We are looking for companies from different sectors that have created high value-added jobs in the last three years and foster a positive employer reputation among both adults and young people up to the age of 24.

Evaluation criteria and process*

The following economic indicators are evaluated (comprising 30% of the final result):

  1. Compound sales growth 2023-2025 (10%)
  2. Compound growth of value added per employee 2023-2025 (10%)
  3. Number of jobs created 2023-2025 (10%)

The enterprise must show a significant achievement in the following areas over the last three years (comprising 70% of the final result):

  1. Quality of management and working environment.
    The company invests systematically in its management practices and the quality of the working environment, including processes, management culture, and measurable outcomes (e.g. being recognised as an employer of choice, family-friendly employer, etc.). (20%)
  2. Employee development and creation of higher added value.
    The company invests in developing the skills of its existing employees, contributing to an increase in the added value of their work. (20%)
  3. Engagement and development of young people.
    The company has a systematic approach to recruiting and developing young people, including internship programmes, training opportunities for those with little or no prior work experience, and cooperation with educational institutions to support youth entry into the labour market. (15%)
  4. Cooperation with research and development partners.
    The company engages in meaningful cooperation with universities and/or researchers. (15%)

* the management quality of the finalists will be additionally assessed using the PARE Management Barometer.

 

Definitions

Value added per employee = (operating profit + expenditure + labour costs) / number of FTEs

Compounded growth = (2025 result / 2023 result) ^ (1/2) – 1