Survey methodology

The creation of the list of the best employers “TOP employer” is based on a quantitative data acquisition method – an online survey that is organized on the website www.topdarbadevejs.lv. The survey takes place at the beginning of the year, usually for 6-7 weeks. The survey is prepared in Latvian.

The main goal of the survey is to find out the best and most desirable Latvian employers of the previous year in 12 different categories, where most employees would like to work.

Respondents are first asked to identify the employer that spontaneously first comes to mind as the best and most desirable workplace. This question is mandatory for each respondent in the survey. According to the number of votes obtained, the rankings are determined and a TOP 50 list of the best employers is created which can be entered by any company, regardless of the industry represented, the number of employees or other criteria. This is the main top category, and the first place winner gets the title “TOP employer – Top-of-mind”.

The employer, which has risen in the TOP 50 for the most places compared to the top of the previous year, receives the title “TOP employer – Growth of the Year”. In case of an equal increase in places, the title belongs to the employer who is in the highest position in the top.

If a public sector institution or body or a 100% state-owned capital company in the field of health care, education or culture has entered the TOP 50 of the best employers, then the organization in the top position receives the title “TOP employer – Public sector.

In addition, respondents are asked optional questions about employers in specific business sectors – trade, IT and telecommunications, finance, production, transport and logistics, global business services, HoReCa, as well as employers in the regions of Latvia – Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Latgale.

When evaluating employers in business sectors and regions, pre-selected companies are offered to vote. In addition, it is possible to enter your variant in the category specified for the best employer, if the desired company is not included in the variants offered in the questionnaire.

Selection criteria for companies included in the proposed answer options:

1. Employers in business sectors – trade, IT and telecommunications, finance, production, transport and logistics, HoReCa, and regions – Vidzeme, Zemgale, Kurzeme, Latgale:

• the company’s main activity corresponds to one of the above mentioned six business sectors or the company’s head office is located in one of the four surveyed regions*;

and meets one of the criteria below:

• the company ranks among the TOP 500 largest companies in Latvia by net turnover and employs at least 50 people (for the last year, for which audited financial data are available according to data by Firmas.lv);
• the company is in the top ten of the respective category in the previous year’s “TOP employer” survey;
• the company has published at least 100 job advertisements on the career portal www.cv.lv during the previous year.

2. Employers in the business sector – global business services:

• the company operates as a shared services center, business process outsourcing provider, research and development center or center of excellence (according to the data by business services industry association ABSL Latvia).

* The Vidzeme region category does not include companies whose head office is registered in the bordering districts of Riga and in Jūrmala.
 

“TOP employer” partners in data acquisition: