This recognition is particularly important to TalTech because developing the next generation of academics is one of the university’s key priorities. “Students’ assessment is especially valuable to us because many of TalTech’s future researchers, lecturers and specialists could come from among them. If a young person already sees the university during their studies as a place where they would like to work in the future, we have created an important foundation for developing the next generation of academics. That is why we want to involve students in university activities as early as possible and show them how rewarding working at the university can be,” says Tea Trahov, Director for Administration of TalTech.

A strong employer reputation starts with your own people

External recognition is an important indicator, but even more important is how TalTech is rated by the people who already work here.

The university’s latest employee engagement and satisfaction survey shows significant progress. The employee engagement index has risen from 68 to 77 points in two years. 81% of employees say they enjoy their work and find it rewarding, 83% highly value flexible working arrangements, and 80% rate the working atmosphere within their institute or unit positively. Ratings of salary competitiveness, leadership and collaboration between units have also improved.

“Last year, our employee satisfaction level exceeded the Estonian average for managers and senior specialists. Meaningful and rewarding work, a positive working environment, flexibility, and inclusive leadership stand out as our key strengths,” says Trahov.

According to her, a strong employer reputation cannot be created through marketing alone. It must be built on positive employee experience, active organizational development, visible professional expertise, and active participation in discussions on issues that matter to society. “The results of the Instar survey confirm that our positive internal culture, proactive approach and visibility are also recognized by our students, sparking their interest in working at the university,” Trahov notes.

In total, students make up 27% of TalTech’s employees, and over 50% are alumni (including those who are currently pursuing their next degree at TalTech).

Today’s student could be tomorrow’s lecturer

For the university, developing the next generation begins with students. The earlier a student has the opportunity to participate in research and development projects, work alongside researchers and lecturers, and gain first-hand insight into what academic work actually involves, the more naturally they may come to see master’s and doctoral studies—and later an academic career—as one possible path for their future.

For this reason, TalTech has in recent years adopted a more systematic approach to introducing opportunities for master’s and doctoral studies, sharing stories of academic career paths with students, and creating opportunities for them to contribute to the university’s work while still studying. The aim is not simply to increase the number of people entering doctoral studies, but to help create a coherent pathway from student to expert, researcher and potentially a future lecturer.

Academic work must be visible and valued

If we want young people to consider an academic career, they need to understand what the work of a lecturer or researcher actually involves, how valuable it is, and why it is worth pursuing.

This goal is also supported by TalTech’s Good Practice for Learning and Teaching, which emphasizes shared values in learning and teaching as well as partnership between students and lecturers. From this perspective, a lecturer is not merely someone who passes on knowledge but someone who shapes the learning process, provides guidance, and supports the development of future experts.

Making academic work more visible helps, on the one hand, to recognize and value those who already do this work and, on the other, to show students that an academic career offers an opportunity to combine professional expertise, research, teaching and societal impact.

An employer brand cannot be built with a campaign

TalTech began systematically connecting employer branding with the development of the next generation of academics in 2023. Since then, the university has analyzed the experiences of employees and students, updated its employee value proposition and employer messaging, presented doctoral studies as a form of employment, and involved employees more actively as storytellers and ambassadors for TalTech.

At the same time, there is still work to be done. Alongside its strengths, the employee satisfaction survey identified clear areas for improvement that require a university-wide effort: employees expect more transparent career opportunities, better collaboration and information flow between units, and greater recognition and appreciation of their contributions. Nor can the importance of continuously offering students work experience and involving them in student life be underestimated. We might also become more relatable to those outside the university if we were better able to demonstrate how our work contributes to the development of Estonia’s economy and society.

This is precisely why the recognition from Instar should be seen as a milestone rather than the destination. An employer’s reputation is shaped by what people experience at TalTech every day—from their first year as a student through to a career as a researcher, lecturer or specialist. If today’s students see the university as a place where they can learn, grow, do meaningful work and help shape the future of their field, they may become tomorrow’s TalTech employees—and even the lecturers who teach the next generation of students.