The mission of the Employer Partner Certificate from its foundation is:
• to promote the importance of quality Human Resource Management in business and other organizations, and at the same time awarding the best ones
• to promote departments/functions enrolled in Human Resource Management
• to improve the processes and increase the standards in Human Resource Management
• raising awareness among the broad public of the importance of the Human Resource Management

In order for the project to develop according to its mission and to additionally emphasize the organizations which are the best among the Employer Partner Winners compared by the excellence in Human Resource Management, we will regularly announce the Top 5 winners of the Certificate for the last calendar year.

According to the analysis, the Top 5 Employer Partner Winners for 2008 in order are:
1. Vipnet d.o.o.
2. Coca–Cola HBC Hrvatska d.o.o.
3. Microsoft Hrvatska d.o.o.
4. Zagrebačka banka d.d.
5. Avon Kozmetika d.o.o.; Valamar hotels and resorts (for 2008 these two companies share the 5th place)

Within the methodology of the Employer Partner project, 41 processes in Human Resource Management are rated (from the areas: Strategy, Recruitment and Selection, Performance, Motivation and Remuneration, Training and Development and Employee Relations) and are ranked by a project’s ranking system. This year’s Top 5 Employer Partners have collected the highest points in the group of Certificate winners for 2008.

The Employer Partner Certificate is awarded to the organizations that, regardless of their size and publicity, meet the quality standards in the area of Human Resource Management.

Ivana Zekić, Employer Partner Certificate Project Manager, in occasion of the Top 5 Employer Partner Certificate Winners for 2008 Announcement stated: „The Employer Partner Certificate is awarded for the quality Human Resource Management, and the companies which are winners of this Certificate show that they systematically reflect and manage their human resources according to the general business strategy and continuously invest in their human resources. This year we have decided to emphasize the companies which have particularly developed their human resource processes and announce the Top 5 Employer Partner Certificate Winners for 2008. The Top 5 Employer Partner Certificate Winners have been excellent from the beginning of the project regarding their practices in strategic Human Resource Management, employment, monitoring and motivating the employees, education and development and communication with their employees, and also offer their employees and management various programs and practices which represent the best practices in Human Resource Management at our but also world market within these areas. For the 4th year in a row we have been tracking their results, continuous investments and aspiration towards excellence and quality. Innovation, knowledge, effort and results they achieve represent inspiration for improvement and rising standards, not only in the Employer Partner project, but also in Human Resource Management at the whole market and they represent examples of successful business models which other companies in the market want to reach. Despite exceptional results which clearly separate them from the rest of the organizations on our market, the Top 5 Employer Partners still invest in their knowledge, time and assets, and as years come they continuously improve in the mentioned areas.“

Statements from the companies which were ranked in the Top 5 Employer Partner Certificate Winners for the year 2008:

Manuela Mudrinić, Head of Human Resources Management, Vipnet d.o.o.: „I am very happy that Vipnet is one of the best Croatian companies in Human Resource Management because it shows that we truly have a partner relationship between the employer and employees, and I am particularly glad that we have achieved all 100 percent of the overall score in scoring for the Employer Partner Certificate. By this we are confirming that we are not only the leading company in innovations in Croatia and on the telecom market, but we are also, by choosing our employees and creating working conditions and benefits for them, constantly rising standards on Croatian labor market. We believe that we will in the future also attract young experts who can develop a successful career in Vipnet. In the end, without excellent employees we would not have excellent results or this Certificate.“

Zdravka Demeter Bubalo, Head of Human Resources Department, Coca-Cola HBC Hrvatska d.o.o.: „Entering the Top 5 Employer Partner Winner Companies confirms that between employees, especially young ones, we are recognized as a company which constantly invests in the education and development of the employees and improvement of working conditions. This is not surprising because we have received the Employer Partner Certificate among the first companies in Croatia and we have managed to keep it till this day with the highest scoring in all areas of the certification process. Entering the Top 5 Employer Partner Certificate Winners also obliges us to keep the high level of quality in the future, and to keep developing our human resources. When we are talking about the business sector, we wish that this will be the encouragement for a stronger exchange of experiences and excellent practices with other Employer Partner Certificate Winners.“

Venesa Schütz, Director, Microsoft Hrvatska d.o.o.: „Microsoft is a company which has set up and overgrown on the intellectual capital. Our technologies, solutions and products are products of innovation, ideas and work of our employees. This is why we say that people represent our greatest values and main driving force of further progress and development, and this we truly mean. This is why it is not surprising that the best possible Human Resource Management is of the strategic importance. We are proud and especially glad that we have, as a part of the Employer Partner Certificate, won the acknowledgement for our efforts in creating a modern business environment in which people love staying and working in. The affirmation that even people who are outside our company recognize and acknowledge our efforts is very important because with it we receive a more objective and a higher quality picture of our work.“

Andrea Mimica, Director of Human Resources Management Division, Zagrebačka banka d.d.: „We are extremely satisfied that our practice in Human Resource Management puts Zagrebačka banka in the very top of the best Employer Partner Winners for 2008. This acknowledgement is even more relevant for us because it is not based on general perception, but on results of our activities by which we demonstrate that our professional development and business progress of our employees is the core of our sustainable success. Next to the specificity of our educational programs for our new employees, different focused educations for further development of their careers, transparent program for scoring and awarding work efficiency and continuous social dialogue, we are one of the rare Croatian employers who each year conduct a research of organizational climate in UniCredit Group. This research of dedication and affiliation gives each employee the possibility to express anonymously his/her opinion in which way should the Bank additionally improve working and managing conditions, and all this with the goal of keeping their leading positions and desirable employers position.”

Andrijana Filipović, HR Business Partner, Avon Kozmetika d.o.o.: „Avon has been certified as an Employer Partner for the third year in a row and in that way became known as one of the best working places in Croatia. This is why it is extreme honor for us to be among the Top 5 Employer Partner Winners for 2008. To be on the very top, along with great and established Croatian and world brands is only one more evidence that our processes of Human Resource Management are of extremely high quality.“

Gordana Fabris, Human Resource Director, Valamar hotels & resorts: "Analysis which show that we are the best Employer Partner among hotels in the Employer Partner project and among Top 5 Employer Partners in the country have shown soundness of our investment strategies in human resources."

Actual Employer Partner Certificate Winners are: Atlantic Grupa d.d., Avon Kozmetika d.o.o., Belupo lijekovi i kozmetika d.d., Carlsberg Croatia d.o.o., Chromos boje i lakovi d.d., Coca-Cola HBC Hrvatska d.o.o., Coca-Cola HBC B-H d.o.o., Dalmacijacement d.d., Erste & Steiermärkische S-Leasing d.o.o., Gradski parking d.o.o., Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak, Hrvatska Lutrija d.o.o., Istraturist Umag d.d., Jamnica d.d., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Končar – Elektronika i informatika d.d., Ledo d.d., Microsoft Hrvatska d.o.o., Milenij Hoteli d.o.o., Orbico d.o.o., PBZ Card d.o.o., Solaris d.d., SOS - Dječje selo Hrvatska, Sunce Koncern d.d., Tele2 d.o.o., Valamar hoteli i ljetovališta d.o.o., Vipnet d.o.o., Volksbank d.d., Zagrebačka banka d.d. i Zvijezda d.d.