Google is the most desired employer for students across Asia, according to a new study.
From October 2013 to May 2014, more than 87,000 students took part in Universum's Asia Pacific Student Survey from regions such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The survey examined career drivers, student goals, desirable employer attributes, and the most common communication channels used to find out about employers.
Among business, engineering and IT students, Google is consistently ranked as the most desirable employer to work for.
Deloitte and Citi follow in 2nd and 3rd place for business students, while engineering and IT students ranked strong brands Apple and Microsoft as their Ideal Employers after Google.
The rest of the Big Four accounting firms also placed among the Top 10: KPMG ranked 6th, PwC 7th and Ernst & Young 8th. The rankings clearly indicate the popularity of banks and professional service firms as they take 11 of the Top 20 employer positions.
However, FMCGs made an impact too, with four key players featured: P&G ranked 5th, Unilever 14th, Nestle 16th and the L'Oreal Group 20th. Across the Top 20 results, 50% are IT employers and seven are car manufacturers. The only FMCG present is P&G, which sits at number 16.
"Engineering students' employer choices are often driven by the innovative consumer products that they experience.”
“Google's continued dominance and Samsung's increase in attractiveness can both be attributed to this: Google's Android software is market-leading and well distributed through Samsung's products," said Rachele Focardi, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Universum.
"Although professional service employers continue to attract management/commerce students, we are seeing investment in the region from FMCG employers who not only understand how to market to their products, but how to build strong employer brands," continued Focardi.
Similar to most student respondents around the globe, students in Asia Pacific reflect that work/life balance is a top career goal, with 54% of respondents choosing this as a priority.
This is followed by "to be secure or stable in my job" (47%) and "to be dedicated to a cause or feel that I am serving the greater good" (34%).
The countries whose students are leading the search for work/life balance are Australia (61%), Hong Kong (66%), China (49%), Indonesia (58%), Malaysia (65%) and Vietnam (53%).
The 2014 survey reveals:
- "high future earnings" is a top priority across Asia Pacific for both management/commerce students and engineering/natural science students. This attribute is ranked number one in Japan, and number two in Malaysia.
- "A friendly work environment" is the second most popular driver for students in Asia Pacific, ranked first in Malaysia and Singapore, and second in Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand.
- The third ranked attribute is "a creative and dynamic work environment," ranked number one in India and two in Vietnam.
- For students in Australia and Hong Kong, "professional training and development" is the most sought-after attribute. This is similar in other regions such as the Middle East and much of Europe.
- With the exception of Thailand and China, the survey results revealed that "a high starting salary" is not among the Top 10 of the most attractive attributes of an ideal employer. This is because a growing number of Millennials across Asia Pacific prioritise employers who offer positive, flexible and creative working environments over a large paycheck.
While students from different regions are choosing a diverse range of career drivers, one theme for future employers is apparent-the Asia Pacific talent pool is increasingly selecting employer attributes, which will provide their careers longevity and diverse opportunities to innovate, lead and succeed.
Most attractive employers for students:
- Deloitte
- Citi
- Apple
- Procter & Gamble (P&G)
- KPMG
- PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
- EY (Ernst & Young)
- HSBC
- Goldman Sachs
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