Helmes was named the winner of the “Dream Employer 2025” award at Estonia’s annual employer branding competition in Tallinn on 5th of February. The digital solutions company stood out among strong competitors, which included Tallink, Ragn-Sells, Stebby, Lidl, and the public sector category winner, the NGO Estonian Traditional Music Center.
Helmes’ Head of HR and Employer Branding, Maris Viires, said the company strives to create a supportive and developmental ecosystem for its employees – one that is both caring and professionally inspiring. At Helmes, employee well-being and growth are prioritized systematically, and the results are measured and analyzed to find ways to improve them.
The Best Partner for Growth
In today’s job market, being an attractive employer involves more than just offering a competitive salary and comfortable work conditions. The most desirable companies are those whose leaders recognize that their greatest asset is their people.
Helmes’ employer brand emphasizes two main areas: the mental and physical well-being of employees, along with comprehensive personal and professional development programs.
“We take a proactive approach based on the best knowledge and practices,” Viires said. “We know that leadership quality is crucial in creating a great work environment, which is why we invest heavily in supporting and developing our leaders.”
Investing in the Long Game
Helmes is committed to creating a sustainable future built on strong and lasting relationships with both employees and clients. “Employee satisfaction at Helmes is very high, and our employees stay with us significantly longer than the IT industry average,” Viires said. “We also see that employee well-being and professional development provide substantial added value to our clients. Helmes’ clients work with motivated experts who contribute to excellent collaboration, solution quality, and overall effectiveness.”
Strong client relationships also provide additional opportunities for employees. “Because we have many great clients and a variety of products in development, our employees can switch teams within the company, try new roles, and take on exciting new challenges to match their growth needs,” Viires said.
As a company with a stable foundation and a long history, Helmes continuously invests in its people, tools, and processes. Simultaneously, it maintains a startup-like spirit of innovation, constantly seeking new and more efficient ways of working. This unique blend of stability and innovation is what has made Helmes the “Dream Employer.”
The “Dream Employer” award has been recognizing Estonia’s top employers since 2013. The competition is judged based on five key criteria: a clear and focused employer brand positioning, alignment between the company’s internal and external image, employee satisfaction levels, activities that support employer brand positioning, and a structured implementation plan. The Visionest Institute organizes the competition in collaboration with Estonia’s largest job portal, CVKeskus.ee.