“Family spirit and unity are rarely seen in large companies”

Zdenko Lovrić came to HELB as a student, and seven years later he talks about his job with the same passion. Although he showed great potential in marketing, he found his calling in the sales department, which would not be the same without him. At first, our Zdena seems like a quiet and serious young man but when you get to know him better, you will be delighted by his wit and sense of humor. Even after a couple of days passed, we still laugh at his jokes.

There is no shortage of fun in his company, but he is also a colleague and friend you can rely on at all times, whether you need help with work or advice about private matters. When it comes to work, he is very responsible, capable and never needs to be told something twice.

What does your job at HELB include and what does your average day look like?

The sales department finds new customers, suppliers, markets and cooperates with existing ones in terms of determining the technical and business needs of the customer. And one of the most complex work processes is making offers. Once our department receives a request from a potential buyer or we have a public procurement tender, the analysis of the inquiry begins. If we decide to offer a specific project, then the director of the sales department forwards the request to the sales officer or professional associate in sales, who collects all the necessary documentation, and to the technical associate in sales or sales engineer. My job, as a technical associate in sales, is to create cost estimates with prices and specifications, create and send offers, and several other accompanying tasks. If the offer is accepted, then the customer sends the purchase order, the project is activated, and it is taken over by the project managers to carry it out.

I start the working day by checking all emails and inquiries. I answer them, then go back and continue where I left off previously. I am finishing the already started cost estimates and offers according to the schedule and priorities. In sales jobs are diverse, sometimes I manage to finish the job in ten minutes, and sometimes I work for 2-3 weeks on one offer, and it is never just one project. A couple of years ago, when there were fewer of us in the department, I used to have 20 projects on average, and today I have 4 to 5, which has increased the quality. But of course, during the day something always comes in, so I never strictly stick to a schedule ?. There is also daily communication with our project managers, customers, and suppliers.

How long have you been at HELB and did you work in sales right away?

I’ve been here for seven years, and this is my first job.

I came as a student on internship, and I started in a workshop, where I did cabinet and wire tags. HELB was still in a smaller space at the time. After half a year, I start working as an assistant to colleagues in marketing. I helped with the documentation for the construction of the new building, in the preparation of presentations, leaflets, and brochures. And then in 2015, I started working in sales.

What are your favorite things about HELB and where do you see room for improvement?

I have a great team, and that is very important in business. I’m good with everyone and we know when it’s time for work and when it’s time for fun. First and foremost, we are friends, and we function very well together. We have freedom and we can always express our opinion. The job is interesting, of course, sometimes it brings you to the edge of your nerves, but it happens to everybody sometimes ?. It’s diverse, and it’s not like I’m looking at the same spreadsheet for 8 hours. Each project is different and has its specifics. When I came, there were about 80 people in HELB, and now there are almost twice as many. Despite so many employees in the company, we have managed to maintain a family spirit, a positive atmosphere, and unity, which is so rare to see in large companies.

Sometimes I do get the impression that we know little about what is being done in another department and I would like to change that. There are a lot of us and of course, we can’t all be informed about everything that is going on, but it would be good if we knew better what our colleagues are doing, how much work they have, and can we help each other. And of course, to be familiar with all of their successes, even the smallest ones. Yes, and I would get new office chairs ?, given that we sit at work for eight hours at least.

What do you do in your free time?

When I have time, I ride my bike. I love it, it relaxes me. I don’t have a specific route, I just start and see where the road takes me. I often go to Maksimir, and once a year to Fužine, to the sea coast. When time allows, I like to play tennis, do something around the house, take a walk with my girlfriend, watch movies, explore new restaurants and delicious food.