Transparency, Data, and People: What We Learned at the HR Time Gathering in Zagreb

What does it really take to attract, compensate, and retain talent in today’s market? At the latest HR Time Gathering in Zagreb, more than 100 HR professionals came together to tackle the big questions: pay transparency, data-driven hiring, and employee retention. With the EU’s new Pay Transparency Directive around the corner, the message was clear — employers need to act or risk falling behind.

One of the key topics was the upcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive. Starting in June next year, candidates and employees will have the right to clear information on pay grades and ranges. Employers will be required to carry out analyses and corrective measures if gender inequalities are identified.

“In our region, we’re starting from quite a distant position when it comes to pay transparency. For example, the French are much more open, and the Scandinavians even more so. Employers who fail to start working on their pay systems in time expose themselves to reputational risk,” said Lara Šubić Šuša, Employer Partner and Equal Pay Champion Project Manager & Senior HR Consultant at Selectio.

Mirna Mimić, Product Manager at Alma Career Croatia, emphasized the role of data in building fairer, more competitive pay structures — especially through tools like MojaPlaća, which can help employers align with the new directive.

“Currently, only 8% of job postings on MojPosao include salary information, which is a very small number and will need to change. By simply displaying the salary, you’ll make your selection process easier, because you’ll attract candidates who genuinely want to work for you,” Mirna stressed.

Another hot topic was attracting passive candidates — people not actively job hunting but open to the right opportunity. Martina Potlaček, Senior Recruitment Consultant at Alma Career Croatia, shared strategies that have helped employers broaden their reach.

“Our experience has shown that investing in additional services really pays off,” she said, backing her presentation with real-life examples.

Some quick results she shared:

“Ads that previously went unnoticed suddenly became visible to thousands of new people thanks to MojPosao’s additional services,” she explained.

To close the event, the focus turned to retention — and how to keep people engaged before they’re out the door. Antonija Bušić Crnković, Marketing Manager at Alma Career Croatia, stressed the importance of regular surveys and one-on-one conversations.