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REVEALED: SA’s most attractive employers

Government and parastatals are among the top ranking employers of choice for university students and young professionals, according to research.

Employer branding organisation Universum conducted research to determine the most attractive employers for South Africans in 2018, the report was released on Monday. 

The organisation interviewed over 45 000 university students and about 22 000 young professionals and considered key sectors including business and commerce, technology and engineering, and natural sciences. It provides insights on how talent evaluates employer brands.

The research showed that government and parastatals featured prominently in categories and that having high brand awareness does not necessarily make a potential employer attractive to job seekers.

“The insights have showed that while having high awareness levels is imperative for employer brands, those levels do not always translate to desire to work for an employer,” said Universum research manager Winani Ndlovu.

“Despite the high unemployment levels talent is facing, they are reporting that being aware of an employer and their staffing needs is not enough to drive the desire to work for that employer.

“Employers need to clearly articulate their value proposition to assist them in making an informed decision before joining the organisation.” Ndlovu added that having a strong employer brand is imperative to attract and retain talent.

Things job seekers consider include salary expectations, goals - both short and long term, expectations around training and development and corporate culture, among others.

Rankings

In the category for business and commerce – the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), Transnet and Deloitte and Investec were among the top five employers of choice for tertiary students.

While Google, South African Breweries, Investec, SARB and SARS were among the top five for professionals.

Top 5 employers for business/commerce as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

In the category of engineering and technology – Eskom, Sasol, Transnet, Google and BMW featured in the top five for tertiary students. Google, Sasol, Eskom, Microsoft and Transnet were in the top five for young professionals.

Top 5 employers for engineering and technology, as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

In the category for natural sciences government departments dominated choices for tertiary students - the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Department of Health and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) were among the top five. For professionals the CSIR, DAFF, DST and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform were among the top five.

Top 5 employers for natural sciences, as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

In the category for humanities, liberal arts and education – the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the SABC, the Department of Home Affairs, Media24 and Google were among the top five choices for tertiary students. For professionals the DHET, Google, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Media24 and SABC were among the top five choices.

Top 5 employers for humanities, liberal arts and education as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

In the category for law – the Department of Justice and Correctional Services (DoJ), Legal Aid South Africa, Webber Wentzel Attorneys, The National Prosecuting Authority and law firm Adams & Adams were in the top five for tertiary students. Similarly the DoJ, NPA, Legal Aid South Africa, and Webber Wentzel was popular among professionals, with Google included.

Top 5 employers for law, as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

In the category for healthcare and health sciences – the Health Department, Mediclinic South Africa, Netcare, the NHLS and Discovery were ranked in the top five for tertiary students. The Health Department, Mediclinic South Africa, Discovery, Netcare and Pfizer Laboratories were ranked in the top five for professionals.

Top 5 employers for health as chosen by professionals. (Universum)

* Fin24 is part of Media24, a subsidiary of Naspers.

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