Students from Singapore’s best universities have shed light on their preferred future employers. Which firms stood out and why?
While international firms such as Google, J.P Morgan and Walt Disney Company have been ranked as some of Singapore’s most attractive employers for students, local firms such as Singapore Airlines and A*STAR are providing fierce competition for graduates.
These results come from the Universum Talent Survey and Ranking Release 2016 which surveyed over 12,000 students from four of Singapore’s major universities.
The survey found the top five ranked businesses for each field of study as below:
The survey also examined what the future career goals are for Singapore’s aspiring talent. Work-life balance and a stable job remain the two most important factors amongst local students.
Future graduates are also keen on positions that set them up to become leaders or managers later on. The feeling of serving the greater good and the opportunity for an international career also rank highly on what students are looking for.
“It is now more critical than ever for organisations in Singapore to fully understand the preferences and expectations of their target group, and their perception as an employer,” said Rachele Focardi, said senior vice president of employer branding and talent strategy APAC and global branding advisor at Universum.
“This is the first step towards the development of a strong localised employer value proposition that is attractive, true, credible, distinct and sustainable.”
Focardi warned that local organisations risk further falling behind multinational companies in Singapore if greater effort isn’t put towards employer branding.
“It’s the perfect time since multinational companies are now losing ground to national champions. With a strong employer brand, Singaporean organisations will become hard to compete with.”
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Revealed: Asia’s most attractive employers
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APAC students shed light on region’s most desirable employers
These results come from the Universum Talent Survey and Ranking Release 2016 which surveyed over 12,000 students from four of Singapore’s major universities.
The survey found the top five ranked businesses for each field of study as below:
| Rank | Business/commerce | Engineering/natural sciences | IT |
| 1 | A*STAR | ||
| 2 | Singapore Airlines | Microsoft | |
| 3 | Walt Disney Company | Singapore Airlines | Apple |
| 4 | PricewaterhouseCoopers | ExxonMobil | |
| 5 | J.P. Morgan | GlaxoSmithKline | IBM |
| Rank | Health/medicine | Humanities/liberal arts/education | Law |
| 1 | Ministry of Health | Walt Disney Company | United Nations |
| 2 | A*STAR | ||
| 3 | GlaxoSmithKline | Ministry of Education | J.P. Morgan |
| 4 | Pfizer | Ministry of Social and Family Development | Goldman Sachs |
| 5 | Novartis | United Nations | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
The survey also examined what the future career goals are for Singapore’s aspiring talent. Work-life balance and a stable job remain the two most important factors amongst local students.
Future graduates are also keen on positions that set them up to become leaders or managers later on. The feeling of serving the greater good and the opportunity for an international career also rank highly on what students are looking for.
“It is now more critical than ever for organisations in Singapore to fully understand the preferences and expectations of their target group, and their perception as an employer,” said Rachele Focardi, said senior vice president of employer branding and talent strategy APAC and global branding advisor at Universum.
“This is the first step towards the development of a strong localised employer value proposition that is attractive, true, credible, distinct and sustainable.”
Focardi warned that local organisations risk further falling behind multinational companies in Singapore if greater effort isn’t put towards employer branding.
“It’s the perfect time since multinational companies are now losing ground to national champions. With a strong employer brand, Singaporean organisations will become hard to compete with.”
Related stories:
Revealed: Asia’s most attractive employers
Do you have what it takes to be a best employer?
APAC students shed light on region’s most desirable employers
