Cadbury in list of top three preferred employers

Cadbury was placed second and Marks & Spencer third in the survey about the UK’s most attractive employer.

The top spot Ranstad Award was claimed by retailer John Lewis, which claimed 53% of the total vote.

Randstad made the award after surveying the views of 7,746 British jobseekers and workers.

The major voting groups for John Lewis were identified as women, university graduates, people from the north of England and those aged between 50 and 65 years.

Strong management​

The retailer was “​​perceived to have strong management and a pleasant work atmosphere”, ​​said a statement from Randstad.

Long-term job security was identified by 68% of respondents as the overall most important factor when seeking an employer.

More than half (54%) identified competitive salary and benefits as being important when selecting a prospective employer.

A pleasant working atmosphere was thought important by 52% of those surveyed, while 48% specified an interesting job.

Less than half (42%) listed a company’s financial health as being an important factor in whether or not to apply for a job.

Mark Bull, ceo Randstad UK, said: “The past few years have seen rapid changes in both job seeking behaviour and recruitment practices. When organisations are in a position to recruit new staff they are all chasing after the top 5% of talent. ​

“It has never been more important to have a strong employer brand to attract the key skills required to meet the challenges UK plc faces. The stronger a company’s employer brand is, the more likely it is to grow and flourish.”​

Bull explained that as the skills shortage continued to intensify, insights from the research could help employers discover why potential candidates choose one company over another. They also helped to reveal what factors determine the attractiveness of a workplace.

The research revealed men looked for financially sound companies with a strong management that offer career prospects.

Women's preferences​

Women preferred organisations that offer flexible working, accessibility, atmosphere and interesting job content.
The survey also identitified that interesting jobs, accessibility and flexible working were greater priorities for older workers. “Younger counterparts look more for career prospects and training amongst companies that have a strong image and reputation,”​ according to the company.
 
The Randstad Award was launched in Belgium in 1999.  This year marks the first time it has been awarded in the UK. 

The firm claimed its parent company’s Randstad Award was the largest employer branding research in the world, based on the views of over 100,000 obseekers and workers in 14 countries. 

To read more about the Randstad Award click here​.

For more about how attitudes vary between countries, click here​.

To view top jobs in UK food and drink manufacturing, visit Foodmanjobs by clicking here​.

What job seekers want ​

• Long-term job security (68% of those surveyed).
• Competitive salary and benefits (54%).
• Pleasant working atmosphere (52%)
• Interesting job (48%)
• Employer’s financial health (42%)