The leading HR consulting group SELECTIO Group, which has conducted more than 20,000 evaluations of HR systems in some of the most successful organizations, has gathered the renowned HR community and fifty HR directors and CEOs to present the first Equal Pay Champion certificates in Croatia. Nova TV has also found itself among a total of 16 companies that have been declared leaders on the long road to reducing the pay gap.

Equal pay for equal work

Equal Pay Champion is the first certificate in Croatia based on the principle of “equal pay for equal work”. The project has been launched with the aim of recognizing employers who are determined to achieve equality, fairness and equity in their organization. This certificate represents a key step in building transparent pay systems at workplaces throughout Croatia.

The certification process begins with an overview of the activities aimed at reducing the pay gap, after which the certification team, composed of experienced consultants, suggests the steps that need to be taken in order for the organization to comply with the new EU directives. The emphasis is on actively fostering an inclusive organizational culture that provides equal opportunities for all.

The certification is carried out once a year. First, the action plans to reduce the pay gap are evaluated, followed by the evaluation of the progress achieved.

Diana Roginić, a member of the Nova TV Management Board, said at the award presentation: “This is a confirmation that Nova TV implements activities aimed at reducing pay gap. Equal pay for equal work is the principle we will apply and have applied so far. Also, it is very important that we are among the companies that implement positive changes.”

The guiding idea is to employ the best workers in the labor market, and the focus is on knowledge, skills and motivation.

Kristina Sanković, HR director of Nova TV, pointed out: “Nova TV employs professionals who care, who want to contribute to their own work environment, but also to the society in which they live. Our recruitment, development, reward and promotion strategy are based on relevant factors such as knowledge, skills, experience, and above all, motivation.”

Women in management positions are paid 23% less

The current pay gap between men and women in Croatia is 11.2%, and the most significant gap in hourly earnings in the EU is in management positions, where women earn 23% less than their male counterparts. Incidentally, the SELECTIO index of women, which has been measuring the share of women in the management boards of companies for 20 years, is 19.4 percent in 2024 and records a decrease compared to 22.2 percent in the same period in 2023. It is also interesting that there is no state organization in Croatia that has women in management positions.

Croatia is again below the European average. Although they are more educated, women are rarely in management positions and are paid less than their male counterparts.

This certificate for Nova TV is a great recognition, and Equal Pay Champion project manager Lara Šubić Šuša points out: “These 16 companies that are holders of the first Equal Pay Champion certificate have actually showed courage and determination to be the main actors of change in terms of equal pay and equality of all genders in business.”