SOFIA, Bulgaria, December 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Aon Hewitt, the human resource solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON) has announced the results of its annual Best Employers study for the Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) region. The top regional Best Employers by category were announced at a ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The research shows a strong correlation between high employee engagement and better business results. On average, CEE Best Employers companies:

1. out-perform on financial targets (108% of EBITDA goal realisation versus 93% for other organisations),
2. have lower staff turnover rates (6% turnover versus 9% for the rest of the organisations),
3. have lower absenteeism (3.5 day/employee versus 5.5 day/employee in the rest).

The study, which Aon Hewitt has run in Central and Eastern Europe since 2001, recognises companies that stand out from their peers through the high quality and effectiveness of their HR practices which have a positive impact on business results. The study looks at both employer and employee perspectives with business indicators to provide a fully objective picture.

Best Employers  study 2012 - the numbers:

1. Eight countries - Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia and Turkey.
2. More than 400 companies 
3. More than 250,000 participating employees, including 41,000 managers
4. More than 2,600 senior leaders
5. 29 Best Employers (three rankings according to size of company)

Rising employee engagement

This year's study showed that the level of employee engagement in the CEE region has increased by three percentage points since 2011, reaching the average level of 58%. The highest level of employee engagement in the region is in Bulgaria (67%), and the lowest in Poland (48%). At Best Employer companies, engagement reaches 80%, 22 points higher than the regional average.

Despite the differences in employee engagement levels among countries, there are common and distinctive qualities that set Best Employers apart. Magdalena Warzybok, CEE Engagement Practice Director at Aon Hewitt, said:

"Best Employers stand out in the way they reward and recognise their employees. That will be by offering adequate pay and attractive benefits packages as well as career opportunities. They have an excellent reputation in the job market and show real consistency between this external image and the real internal working experience of their employees. Finally, the quality of their senior leadership teams and their focus on people is a true differentiator."

Edward Stanoch, Aon Hewitt European Talent Practice Market Leader, said:

"We are very grateful to the participants of the Best Employers study. In continued economic uncertainty, we are pleased to see that more and more companies are acting to keep their employees engaged. It has become a business cliché that an organisation's greatest asset is its employees, but each year this study demonstrates the truth of that phrase. Good HR processes, well designed reward packages and better management do lead to more engaged employees. They, in turn, contribute more effectively and the whole business benefits."

List of Regional Best Employers 

Large sized companies  (>1000 local employees)

1.  Operator Gazociągów Przesyłowych GAZ-SYSTEM    Poland  

2.  McDonald's                                     Bulgaria

3.  Mars                                           Russia

4.  Lidl                                           Bulgaria

5.  DHL Express                                    Russia

6.  Provident                                      Hungary

7.  Lietuvos draudimas                             Lithuania

8.  Tele2                                          Russia

9.  Magyar Telekom                                 Hungary

Medium sized companies  (251 - 1000 local employees)

1.  Tenex                                          Russia  

2.  Microsoft                                      Russia

3.  Dom Kredytowy NOTUS                            Poland

4.  Microsoft                                      Czech Republic

5.  Hilti                                          Russia

6.  Grupa Pracuj                                   Poland

7.  Takeda                                         Russia

8.  Telefónica                                     Slovakia

9.  FGSZ Földgázszállító                           Hungary

10. Red Hat Czech                                  Czech Republic

Small sized companies  (< 250 local employees)

1. ANKOL                                           Poland

2.  JT International                               Czech Republic

3.  Philip Morris                                  Slovakia

4. Tavex                                           Bulgaria

5.  Kecskeméti TERMOSTAR Hőszolgáltató             Hungary

6.  Mars Sales                                     Hungary

7.  Roche                                          Slovakia

8. InterContinental Budapest                       Hungary

9.  Et netera                                      Czech Republic

10. Adform Group                                   Lithuania

About Aon Hewitt

Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions.  The company partners with organisations to solve their most complex benefits, talent and related financial challenges, and improve business performance.  Aon Hewitt designs, implements, communicates and administers a wide range of human capital, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation and talent management strategies.  With more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries, Aon Hewitt makes the world a better place to work for clients and their employees.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit http://www.aonhewitt.com.