Qantas regains title of Australia’s most desirable employer

Qantas has reclaimed the number one spot in the 2019 Randstad Employer Brand Research Awards, being named as Australia’s most attractive employer following a survey involving almost 11,000 Australians.

Qantas was recognised for its high-flying job perks including travel benefits for its globetrotting employees working in the exciting field of aviation, alongside its perceived adoption of technology and consistent financial performance.

Looking specifically at the aviation and travel sector:

• Moving up from third place last year, Qantas was recognised for its many job perks including staff travel, solid financials and uptake of tech.
• In contrast, Virgin Australia slid down the list six places from last year, ranking at number 8.
• Work-life balance remains as the single most important reason for employees to stay in their roles (54%).
• 30% of Aussies plan to change jobs within the next year and Gen Z are set to be biggest movers (40%).

The 2019 Randstad Employer Brand Research is the largest example of employer branding research in the world. The independent survey provides insights from over 200,000 respondents and 6162 companies in 32 countries worldwide including 10,861 Australians.

Following in second and third place respectively in the 2019 Randstad Employer Brand Research Awards is Epworth HealthCare and Apple, also valued for their robust financials, engaging job content in leading fields and strong public reputations.

For the first time, life sciences has emerged as the most attractive industry ahead of early learning which remains in second place and closely followed by the technology sector, down from first place in 2018.

The research also reveals a surprising upwards trend in the popularity of the higher education sector, as five of the country’s universities ranked within the ultra-competitive top 20 most attractive employers nationally.

Randstad Australia chief executive, Frank Ribuot, said companies need to pay attention to their public image and how this stacks up when compared to their employee experience.

“With Australia’s unemployment rate at 5%, competition for top talent is fierce. Business leaders must put their best foot forward with a robust image that truly matches a great employee experience. Closing the gap between expectation and reality is what makes an attractive employer and where Qantas really excels, remaining squarely in the top three for four consecutive years.”

When it comes down to what really matters to Australians, work-life balance continues to be the single most important reason for employees to stay in their roles (54%).

At a time of high employment and talent scarcity, one third (30%) of people are planning to change roles within a year. Here, young workers (aged 18-24) are set to be the most transient (40%).

“Workers are continuing to battle with work-life balance issues, particularly Gen Z. It’s their top reason for leaving a job. We need to listen and do more to retain good employees by delivering the trifecta of work-life balance, long-term job security and a competitive salary. Beyond this, employees want to be stimulated by their job and have a clear career path,” Ribuot said.

Looking at the impact on a business’ bottom line, Randstad’s latest research indicates a direct correlation with a job seeker’s experience and their consumer purchasing behaviour. Here, 39 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that their experience as an employee with a company would influence their decision to purchase a product or service.

“Half of Aussies will share their experience with family and friends, taking it far beyond the four walls of the office and ultimately determining if you’re perceived as an attractive employer or not. The research is a reminder that an employee’s experience can directly impact your business’s bottom line and your brand reputation needs to be maintained at all stages of the employee journey,” Ribuot concluded.

The Randstad Employer Brand Research recognises the top employers and industries in Australia, as well as employee sentiment about attractive qualities in a job, according to a survey of more than 10,861 Australians.

The full Randstad Employer Brand Research report can be accessed here.

Edited by Peter Needham