For the first time ever, Universum presents the most attractive employers in the Nordic region. The rankings highlight the most powerful employer brands in Scandinavia, companies that excel in talent attraction and retention. The results are based on the Universum Student Survey 2011 in which over 34,000 students at top academic institutions in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland chose their ideal employers.

Here are the top research highlights:

• After some tough years the banks and the management consulting industry are now increasing in popularity among business students.
• Management consulting is becoming more popular among engineering students too, as is the construction, software and computer services industries.
• In Norway and Denmark there is greater interest shown in the engineering consulting sector.
• Finally, employers that are perceived as supporting talent to develop their personal brand, i.e. the me-brand, are more attractive.

Curious about which are the most attractive employers? Click here to see the Nordic’s Ideal Employers 2011

As someone that works in the HR field, you probably wonder what challenges other companies face and how are they solving it. At Universum we like to help you with your challenges! Therefore, during the month of May we interviewed some of our employer branding specialists from all around the world to identify which are the most common challenges the companies they meet face and what are their solutions. Based  on more than 500 meetings with leading companies, here are the top 3 challenges and solutions: Read the rest of this entry »

Asia’s booming economy has created a special need for natives with Western experience.

By Fred Cohn

The boom in Asia’s economy has created a corresponding growth in its job market. Companies are hiring not just in established business centres like Hong Kong and Singapore, but in the second- and third-tier cities that are now flourishing throughout the area. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Grazyna Sotta

Does being secretive make your life easier, or get you into trouble? One of the lessons we can learn from recent occurrences related to wiki leaks or the financial crisis is that transparency is a good thing. Corporate transparency makes it easier to discover flaws and correct them. Transparency is healthy.

Companies demand it from employees. We’ve heard about candidates getting their Facebook accounts reviewed during the recruitment process. About employees getting fired for opinions shared in social media. As we’ve heard of  individuals getting signed because of what they do online. As with all practices, there are pro’s and con’s, but think about some of the intrusive questions that may be asked in interviews. Legal or not, is it ethical to dissect the private sphere?

Your employer brand is always observed by the environment. Companies such as Zappos really got it and see transparency in dealing with employees, suppliers, investors and customers central to their business. Over two years ago, Zappos shed 8% cent of its workforce. The CEO, Mr Hsieh, communicated the details through e-mail to staff and on his blog on what was happening and why rather than hiding it under the vague “strategic change”. A client who believes the company is ethical, transparent and treats the employees well will be a more loyal customer who believes in the people behind the product or service they use. The closer individuals get to the core of your employer brand, the more scrutiny you will experience. With that in mind, consider the impression a candidate may have, when they’re asked for their marital status, family and age? It might not mean anything, but asking these questions might have the candidate question YOUR ethics. And share it with the people they know… which in the age of social media is just downright dangerous. At the end of the day, an employee can be terrible at researching the internet at the age of 23 and excellent at social media at 50 – based on factors such as interest or ambitions. Is having children a burden or does it make you more focused, dedicated and loyal? And is making this differentiation ethical?

And it only gets “worse”. Employees watch your every move, observe how you treat them, their colleagues, your partners and clients. They might not tell you, but they see it, take it in and process to the best of their abilities. The more you hide, the more you leave to the coffee break hush-hush and free interpretation.

And before employees start jumping with joy and feel entitled to withhold information – this works both ways. Any company is its people and the culture starts with each and every employee. As a leader, you set the groundwork and introduce it; as an employee, you see it through and implement it. By being open, you set the groundwork for a transparent team, department and organization. Continuing the vicious circle and hiding the uncomfortable truths under the rug is only a temporary solution and there’s always a chance someone will take off the lid. The choice is yours – you’ll either have a Pandora’s box or a clear conscience.

By: Grazyna Sotta

In the 2010 Polish Professional Survey results, the Polish television channel TVN S.A. is the big winner among both business and humanities respondents. Google continues with its strong position on the IT ranking and the Swedish construction company Skanska wins the hearts of engineers. L’Oréal, although ranked second in the business category, has a very strong position with the female public.

Who else is on top? Click here to find out.