Worlds Most Attractive Employers | 2018Research from Universum reveals the motivations of university graduates as they enter the global workforce.Content04Key Findings07Preferred Industries11Worlds Most Attractive Employer Ranking17Assessing Students Career Goals23Top Employer Brand Attributes29Communication ChannelsWorlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | Each year, Universum surveys over one million career seekers globally. In this study, we ask: Which employers do students hold in highest regard, and what factors affect that decision?The rankings chart the fortunes of individual companies talent-attraction efforts and document students shifting ideas about what defines an ideal employer.3Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | Key FindingsKey FindingsWorlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | 4Key FindingsKey FindingsPetter Nylander, CEO, UniversumStudents in search of innovation and purpose-driven impact.Amazon and Volvo, two of the fastest risers across our business and engineering rankings share these two important factors in common. They both exude a strong sense of purpose and theyhave both taken high profile steps forward in applying AI-driven innovation to reach their goals.Gen Z students are confident in their future success.The fact that high future earnings continues to be the number one attraction driver across Business and Engineering/IT students underlines the continued confidence of emerging Gen Z students that their talent is in demand and should lead to a healthy future bank balance if they can find the right employer.Young talent stills prefers to be built than bought.The other common factor is that this emerging generation continue to put a significant focus on professional training and development, an attraction factor that has significantly risen in importance over the last 5 years. Both these top 2 factors (development and future earning capacity) suggest that employers that favour a build vs. buy talent strategy continue to be more attractive to student talent.Work environment is key.Given the rising presence of the start-up sector in manyleading countries it is unsurprising to see some of the qualities most associated with these younger, smaller companies influ-encing the importance of creative, dynamic and friendly work environments to students choice of employers, especially thoseengineering and IT students who are generally most aware of the start-up career option.Work life balance is becoming a more immediate focus.While work life balance has been a dominant long-term student career goal for many years, flexible working has tended to be a somewhat recessive factor when it comes to the more immediate choice of employers. However, there are strong signs that this is beginning to change with the importance of flexible working growing in importance year on year for the last 5 years, particularly among much in demand IT students.Over the ten years Universum has produced this study, we see over and over that companies have the power to change their employer reputations among young peoplethough it requires a tremendous commitment to undertake. This year companies like Amazon, adidas and Boston Consulting Group demonstrate that by focusing on the employer value proposition and getting the message out to university students, an organiza-tion can transform its ability to recruit top talent. null5Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | WMAE Study Details & DemographicsKey FindingsUniversum, a global employer brand research firm, surveyed 228,910 business, engineering and IT students in the worlds 12 largest economies. The study field period took place during September 2017 to April 2018. The students were asked: (a) which employer characteristics are most influential as they weigh future employment and (b) which employer brands do they admire most. In order to be considered, a company must rank in the top 90% of employers within at least six of the 12 largest economies in the world. Universums Worlds Most Attractive Universums Worlds Most Attractive Employer report is now in its tenth year. Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK and the US.Research Regions WMAE 2018Engineering/IT(118,067 students)Business(110,843 students)Student Backgrounds WMAE 201848%52%6Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | Key FindingsPreferred IndustriesWorlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | 7Preferred IndustriesPreferred IndustriesWhen asked the specific industries they hope to work in, business students are most drawn to careers in management consulting, financial services, banking, auditing and accounting. Engineering and IT students say they prefer careers in the tech-nology, aerospace, defense, engineering and manufacturing industries. Even though the two cohorts clearly prefer different industries, the research shows they share many of the same ideal employerssuggesting that when it comes to choosing a future employer, a strong employer brand often supersedes any expectations about working in a particular industry. Industries Preferred byEngineering/IT studentsSoftware, Computer Services, Multimedia25%Aerospace & Defence 21%Automotive 17%Technology Hardware & Equipment16%Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing16%Energy 15%Construction & Civil Engineering 12%Management & Strategy Consulting10%Industries Preferred byBusiness studentsManagement & Strategy Consulting27%Financial Services 25%Banks 24%Auditing and Accounting 21%Media and Advertising 15%Arts, Entertainment & Recreation 12%Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure Activities12%E-commerce 9%8Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | Management Consulting remainsBusiness Students Top ChoicePreferred Industries20%25%30%15%10%5%Financial ServicesConsulting Banks Auditing, AccountingMedia & AdvertisingArts, Entertainment & RecreationE-commerceTourism, HospitalityTop 8 industries for Business students to work in 201820179Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 | Software remainsEngineering/IT Students Top ChoicePreferred Industries20%25%15%10%5%SoftwareAerospace & DefenceAutomotiveTech Hardware Industrial Engineering, ManufacturingEnergyConstruction & Civil EngineeringConsultingTop 8 industries for Engineering/IT students to work in 2018201730%10Worlds Most Attractive Employers 2018 |