The 2017 edition of the Randstad Employer Brand Research has placed Google India as India’s top ‘attractive employer brand’. The second position was bagged by Mercedes-Benz India; both the organisations have retained their ranking from last year. This is the third consecutive win for Google India. 

Randstad, the HR services provider, undertakes an annual survey which gauges the public opinion on employer branding. The 7th edition of the same, a one-of-its-kind survey, “covers 75% of the global economy, with 26 participating countries and more than 1,65,000 respondents worldwide. The 26 participating countries are from Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. In each country, 150+ large companies are chosen for the survey. This company list is presented to a representative cross-section of relevant respondents: around 3,500 potential and employed workforce between the age group of 18-65. There is more emphasis on people aged between 25-44 years. Unlike similar surveys, HR officers, staff members or experts are not invited to take part in the survey, which guarantees maximum objectivity. In India this year, the Randstad Employer Brand Research captured the views of around 3500 respondents, who chose the nation’s most attractive employer brand for 2017.”

The following are the important findings of the survey:

• Google India topped the list of the India’s most attractive employer brand, followed by Mercedes-Benz India. Sector wise, the winners are as follows: E-commerce – Amazon India, FMCG – ITC Limited and Consumer and Healthcare – Philips India. 
• Salary and employee benefits continue to be the number one driver among the Indian workforce across all profiles while choosing an employer, just like last year. However, work-life balance, ranked as the fifth most important driver in 2016, jumped to the second position this year, followed by job security. 
• These three factors, namely salary and benefits, good work-life balance and long-term job security, were the same for both men and women when choosing an employer. Interestingly, the priorities change with age, as the younger workforce (18-24 years) leans towards salary and benefits, job security and good training, in that order.
• 31% of the respondents admitted that they were “not loyal to any one industry or sector and were open to shifting industries.” However, compensation continued to be the top factor influencing employee loyalty, as 42% were of the view that they would be open to shifting their jobs to an entirely different industry, provided their pay and benefits are at least similar. 
• The quintessential Indian employee prefers to work in the IT sector (65%), BFSI (63%) and Retail and FMCG (62%). Furthermore, employees prefer job content (56%) over employer brand (44%) while choosing a job. Company websites and LinkedIn emerged as the top sources to verify brand reputation. 
• Although large multinationals are the preferred workplace for employees across all profiles, employees in IT would prefer working for the start-up ecosystem over SME. Engineering talent also prefers working in start-ups over public sector companies.    

Dr. Moorthy K.Uppaluri, MD and CEO, Randstad India, says, “Employer branding continues to be of strategic importance influencing the talent agenda, particularly so in an economy that’s driven by knowledge workers. Organisations have come to realize the value of employer branding and the return from such investments, both in terms of attracting new talent and retaining. A multi-generational and diverse workplace, the new war for talent, swiftly evolving technology innovations and the evolution of new strategic talent solutions – with these disruptive game changers playing in tandem, the job market has undergone a paradigm shift to become extremely candidate focused. Today, it is critical for employers to have a buffet of choices and an employer brand that’s appealing to various layers of this talent strata.”

The survey gives important insights on how employees – prospective and current – view organisations in India, and how much value they accord on employer brand. Google India’s continued winning streak indicates its robust strategies and policies in place that have helped to build its employer brand into a force to reckon with. As Dr. Uppaluri rightly concludes, it is indispensable for organisations today to understand workforce trends, changes and expectations and build their Employee Value Proposition in alignment with the same, to effectively deal with the challenge of talent shortage.