This year, 12,000 students participated in the TOP Employers Survey 2022 to determine which companies were the most attractive to work for. For the third time in a row, CEZ Group has been nominated Top Employer in the Czech Republic. Photo credit: Freepik
Czech Republic, Feb 18 (BD) – The TOP Employers survey provides annual data for the Czech higher education sector revealing the best employers for university students and where future graduates should apply to build their careers. At the same time, it also informs companies how they are perceived by students, and what they need to improve in order to become a better employer.
“What is interesting is that there is a strong emphasis on work-life balance, meaning that there should be a strong division between work and time off,” said Jakub Hořický, director of the TOP Employers study. “The job market is now overheated, and in some sectors there are just no candidates, because they have the possibility to change their field if they want, meaning candidates have much more power nowadays. In the past, there were 30 or 50 candidates for some positions in companies, but today there may be only five.”
“The starting salary is already starting to be decisive,” he continued, “which means students want to negotiate good conditions right away before they start and not expect to work their way up. However, flexible working hours are absolutely essential for them, working anytime and from anywhere so that they can combine their work with further studies, and there is also a growing emphasis on working in a team.” Hořický added that young people no longer want to work in teams in “lower” positions, such as researchers, but directly to help people in higher positions and do “more adult” work.
This year’s study, which received responses from over 12,000 university students, found the highest number of votes for ČEZ Group for the third consecutive year. The company thus confirmed its reputation as the most desirable employer from the perspective of university students. ČEZ also scored points in two other categories: for the eighth time in a row, it was voted in first place by the best technical students, and it also won the Energy, Gas and Petrochemical Industry category by a clear margin.
“We consider long-term cooperation and personal contact with students to be crucial,” said Josef Lejček, HR Director at ČEZ. “We have been meeting many of them since high school through our various programs and internships. This openness pays off. I am pleased that they perceive ČEZ as a promising employer.” The company has long been successful in attracting young people: last year the share of new hires under 30 was 38%.
“As an international group with headquarters in the Czech Republic, we offer a unique opportunity to influence the current transformation of the energy sector towards a cleaner future,” added Lejček. “In addition, for more than 12 years we have been intensively building a network of partner secondary schools and universities and, through a number of programs, showing students how many attractive job opportunities the energy industry offers.”
