Google, along with the Big Four accounting firms—KPMG, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte—respectively make up the top five on the 2010 ranking compiled by Universum, a research firm in Stockholm. The list is based on the responses of more than 130,000 business and engineering students in 12 major global markets who told Universum where they dream of working.
The accounting firms fared well among business students in the ranking because their training programs are highly regarded and they have been on a hiring tear when jobs for college grads have otherwise been difficult to come by. Google, which took the top spot among both business and engineering students, benefited from a unique corporate culture that includes free food and haircuts and lets employees bring their dogs to work.
Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, J.P. Morgan, and Goldman Sachs respectively round out the top 10. Finance firms in the banking and investing sectors, management consulting, and oil and gas companies have become less appealing to students, according to the list.
HSBC which ranked 22 in 2009, dropped out of the top 50 in 2010. And Intel Nokia and ExxonMobil fell out of the upper 30 to the bottom of the list. Among companies new to the list, Apple, Bank of America, IKEA, and Adidas broke into the top 30.
Universum asked students to select the five employers for which they would most like to work from a list of more than 120 that was based on Universum's 2009 top employers ranking. Respondents could write in employers that were not on the list. A company's ranking is based on the percentage of business students who designated it among their top five. Of the top 50, eight are Universum consulting clients.
The economic crisis that left fewer undergraduates able to find jobs fresh out of college changed the recruiting game. Employers that continued to communicate with potential hires and promoted both their consumer brand and the benefits of working at their organization scored better with students.
Today's undergraduates are looking for employers who will cultivate their talent and help them grow. Among business students, nearly 80 percent said professional training and development was a priority associated with the Big Four accounting firms. Undergraduates are looking for employers who will keep them attractive in the job market.
Deloitte, which moved up five places to No. 5 on the list, sees itself as a "career accelerator". Deloitte provides hard-working, deserving employees with rapid advancement, training and educational opportunities, and the chance to work with high-caliber clients.
Corporate social responsibility is another top priority. The Universum survey found that employers perceived as having a friendly or creative work environment, such as Google, won points with undergrads, while a positive work-life balance, another millennial priority, helped propel companies such as Ernst & Young up the ranking.
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