If you could name your “Dream Employer,” who would it be, and why?
BusinessWeek recently ran a story about Universum USA’s annual survey of 60,000 undergraduates about their picks for “ideal employers.” Candidates coming out of college have differing opinions about what makes an “ideal employer.” For some, an appealing employer is a company that has a lot of prestige. For others, a company that stresses work/life balance is a top characteristic jobseekers value. One common trait more and more people are mentioning, and no surprise in this economy, is stability is a major factor in their top choices for ideal employers.
Top Five Ideal Employers:
surveyed by research firm Universum USA from December 2008 to April 2009
- Walt Disney
- Apple Computer
- U.S. Department of State
- FBI
See a slide show of the top 25 employers. See the full list of 100.
I was thrilled to see two companies with retail operations in the top five. Apple is a shining example of the variety of jobs one can find in retail. Job opportunities at the store-level range from “personal shopping specialist” to “genius,” and the company is growing. Several other retailers placed in the top 50 “desired companies,” and even more in the top 100. Retail is an industry with over 24 million employees (about one in five American workers), and sales of $4.6 trillion (in 2008). It is an industry full of prestigious companies, advancement opportunities, growth, stability, and, contrary to popular opinion, work/life balance. In an earlier blog post, we asked for, and shared, examples about retail being an industry where your passion can be your work. Share your retail story, and let’s continue to spread the word about the industry you love.
Retailers in the Top 50 Listing of Ideal Employers:
surveyed by research firm Universum USA from December 2008 to April 2009
- Nike (#15)
- Coach (# 34)
- Target (# 36)
- Starbucks (# 41)
- Amazon (# 47)
- Macy’s (# 49)
As someone coming out of college, or with many years of experience, how would you define your “dream employer?” What attributes are most attractive, and why? Share your comments below.
2 Comments
Dream job; A smaller company (<$5B), in a cooperative organization (team) where I can have a positive impact on revenue and really love my job. The treatment of people and social responsibility is also important, as is work location.
I found that in the U.S. a lot of companies still do that cubicle thing in their spread out Dilbert farms. Me and 50% of my colleagues have a desk at the window, and we’re looking onto a park.
Also, my company has a low fluctuation. That is nice with regards to intensified cooperation, as you know who you are dealing with in projects without too much bragging.