Consultancies dominate Top 10 list of most attractive employers

This is the first global index of employer attractiveness by employer branding company Universum, which highlights the world’s 50 most powerful employer brands – those companies that excel in talent attraction and retention.

The ranking is based on a survey of business students from the US, Japan, China, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain, Canada and India. Nearly 120,000 students from top academic institutions chose their ideal companies to work for.

Google is the world’s most attractive employer, followed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, placing the highest among the Big Four firms and boutique management consultancies.

Ernst & Young placed 5th, KPMG 8th, followed by McKinsey and Deloitte 10th, rounding off the top 10.

The global ranking is based on the national rankings that Universum conducts annually all over the world. The companies that are featured in at least eight out of the twelve leading economies were included in the global ranking, and the 50 most attractive employers were identified.

The Big Four accountancy and professionals service firms; financial services companies and management consultancies, still remain strong. They are globally attractive employers and are especially popular with business students.

The Boston Consulting Group narrowly missed the top 10, placing 11th. Accenture was 23th and Bain & Company 26th.

“These companies in the Top 50 really work with employer branding strategically. The Big Four, for example, are all in the top 10 business ranking, as they have employer branding as part of their business strategy. Many associate their corporate brands to people. This is normal for the service industry, but it’s a new approach for other companies” says Michal Kalinowski, Universum CEO. “These companies are in the Top 50 because they are focused, consistent and differentiate themselves in their communication.”

Irrespective of rank, the Top 50 Global Employers for business and engineering students are very similar, showing strong employer brands transcend many skill and industry groups. Conversely, Oracle and Philip Morris make it to the Top 50 for business students, but not for engineering students. GlaxoSmithKline and Alcatel-Lucent appear in the engineering ranking, yet not in the business ranking. Aside from these differences in choice of employers, what the rankings most certainly reveal is that the big multinational brands are favoured.

Due to the globalisation of the talent market, multinational companies are generally recognised as being attractive employers. Findings from Universum’s various student surveys show that students would like a good career reference, an international career and an employer that can offer secure employment.

Lovisa Öhnell, head of research and consulting at Universum, comments, “These multinational brands are globally well-known, they offer relocation opportunities and business travel, interaction with clients and colleagues in various countries, and due to their size and economic strength, they are also seen as being the safest choice.”

Google’s number one position is no surprise. Due to its remarkable brand image, students worldwide see it as a company they would like to work for. What’s surprising about Google, however, is that it doesn’t invest in employer branding much in comparison to other companies that spend massively on branding activities.

Farhad Manjoo, a journalist from Time magazine, recently said it best, “What’s astonishing…is how effortlessly Google has come to earn the public’s affection,” while others “spend enormous sums to stay in the consciousness”. The question remains: will Google be