Universum Global and CareerJunction both form part of the international StepStone Group. As such, we work closely together to provide industry leading research, data and insights related to employer branding. Universum advises employers around the world on how to better understand, attract and recruit top-talent by actively promoting their brands to potential future employees.
Each year, Universum conducts a study across 50 markets with universities, alumni groups, and professional organisations, to gather insights from students and professionals, to advise employers on how to attract talent that fits their culture and purpose. This information can be shared with companies to help them understand how attractive they are to potential employees, and to identify which aspects they should focus on in their communications.
The annual survey is revealing, not only for uncovering the most attractive employers, but also for unpacking key market insights about the ever-changing employment landscape in the country. The survey includes 48 industries over 50 different occupational groups.
The findings are important for those keen on attracting talent to their brands of businesses (or clients, in the case of Recruitment Agencies) because Universum helps translate talent insights from research into compelling employment propositions, and create communication strategies that will attract the best candidates or ‘top talent’.
Every company has an Employer Brand – whether they have actively participated in creating it or not. This Employer Brand gives potential employees information about what candidates can expect, gain and learn from working there. A company can only attract current and future employees if it has an Employer Branding strategy in place – one that is true, credible, distinctive and aspirational.
Employer Branding is important because it defines and expresses the qualities that make a particular company (brand) the ideal choice for the talent they need to succeed. If a company cannot attract the talent needed to meet their strategic objectives, it means they’re not utilising their Employer Brand, which affects the business as a whole.
Based on the research conducted with CareerJunction job-seekers and other respondents, here are some of the key findings for employers who are looking to hire and retain top industry talent…
Candidate profile of CareerJunction respondents
The Universum study revealed that most CareerJunction candidates tend to be ‘Go-getters’, ‘Ground-breakers’ and ‘Change-makers’:
Go-getters have a strong performance orientation. They’re ambitious achievers, hungry to make their mark in successful companies with a reputation for top talent. They’re comfortable taking on high levels of responsibility and tough challenges. In return for their dedicated effort and ability to make things happen, they expect high levels of recognition and fast-track career progress.
Ground-breakers have a strong entrepreneurial orientation. They’d ideally prefer to work within a dynamic, team-oriented, start-up environment, with a strong focus on innovation. They’re less interested in working for an established player, and more focused on embracing the latest technologies to create new and exciting products, and lead developments in their chosen field.
Change-makers have a strong purpose orientation. They’re altruistic by nature and seek organisations that serve the common good, through public service or social enterprise. They’re strong believers in diversity, equality and inclusion, and feel most engaged when they’re serving a higher purpose or simply helping people.
Most important Employer attributes
The top three attributes of an attractive employer are Reputation & Image (Ethical standards 53%); Job Characteristics (Professional Training and Development 50%); and Remuneration & Advancement Opportunities (Leadership opportunities 46%).
What are the most preferred industries for CareerJunction students when it comes to career choice?
Banking (30%), Education (29%), and Management & Strategy Consulting (20%) ranked as the most preferred industries for students about to embark on their careers.
The students’ preferences indicate that these industries are viewed as the most attractive areas of growth, and that they are viewed as being most in alignment with students’ aspirations.
Where do experienced CareerJunction professionals learn about employers?
Although LinkedIn is the frontrunner for online usage in finding information about employer brands and information, the employers’ career websites and corporate websites are still relevant in finding the most up-to-date, credible insights.
The most important topics for online channels are training and development opportunities (74%), products and services (70%), and advancement opportunities (68%).
The most engaging employers on social media
The biggest players in the social space include (among others):
In business/commerce –
In engineering/technology –
In sciences –
What else makes sense to Talent?
The desire to change employers correlates with professionals looking to leave their current workplace within the next six months. This impacts TRUST in general within an organisation and the following should be taken into account.
While keeping with the trend, it’s apparent that, over the years, the need to change employers within six months has increased steadily. Trust in organisational leadership has improved, however – there is still room for more improvement. And many respondents noted their trust in leadership helped them determine more readily whether or not to leave their current employers.
Where do South African professionals prefer to work?
62% of all respondents would prefer to work for an organisation founded in South Africa – an encouraging statistic, as the country rebuilds its economy following the pandemic. In alphabetical order, here are the 20 Most Attractive Employers of 2021 in the Business/Commerce Main Field of Occupation, listed alphabetically:
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AB InBev Anglo American BMW Group City of Cape Town City of Johannesburg Coca-Cola South Africa Deloitte Discovery First National Bank |
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Investec National Treasury Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) SARS Sasol South African Reserve Bank Standard Bank Transnet Unilever United Nations |
The data indicates that businesses who have a clear employer branding and communication strategy in place, talk to graduates to reach them early as well as offer internships and graduate programmes are reaping the rewards of their efforts.
For further insights or to gain access to the full Universum Professional Awards report for 2021, visit https://universumglobal.com/.
About CareerJunction:
CareerJunction is South Africa’s #1 quality candidate provider offering insights and data-driven recruitment solutions. Since 1997, we have empowered job seekers and recruiters to find each other using our world class, locally developed recruitment solutions – all based in the cloud.
We provide a professional online space for you to differentiate yourself from your competitors and establish your company as an attractive place to work. Find out more here.
