The Top Engineering Employers According to Students

Universum surveyed 185,067 business, engineering, and IT students across nine of the largest economies. The study was conducted from September 2021 to May 2022. The students were asked: (a) which employer characteristics are most influential as they consider future employment, and (b) which employer brands they most admire. To be considered, companies must rank in the top 90% among the most attractive employers in at least 4 of the 9 countries.

Just one Big Tech firm vaulted ahead in the rankings in 2022 — Facebook (Meta) rose 10 points from 34 in 2021, to 24 in 2022.

While the above findings have implications for companies’ overall employer brand positioning, it’s still critical to understand attraction drivers at the local level. The relative importance of key attributes varies significantly by country and target group. For example, among IT students, flexible working conditions rank as a #4 priority in the US, but #28 in China. Global companies must weigh these differences.

Quality of Life Issues Grow in Importance

From a list of 40 attributes, “work-life balance” rose 6 places to rank as #8 most important in 2022, and “flexible working conditions” rose 7 places, landing at #10. This rise was particularly evident among engineering and IT students. The key question: Can employers deliver on the quality-of-life benefits young people have come to expect, even while there is growing pressure to do more with less

Related:Top Engineering Employers That Offer Challenging Work

Looking forward, Universum expects that 2023 will be a year of rebalancing. Over the past 12 months, when talent demand outpaced supply in many regions, employers inflated their employment promises to attract young people. Given the likely reduction in hiring and increased pressure on company resources in the coming year, you can expect a return to more balanced employment deals.

Here are the top 25: