News & Press Releases

Student Survey 2024 | UK

By Universum, 2024-03-26

Universum has officially released the results of its 2024 Most Attractive Employers survey in the UK, providing key insights into the companies and sectors that are capturing the attention of the nation's students across various disciplines. With participation from nearly 32,000 students between October 2023 and January 2024, the survey presents fresh data, highlighting trends and employer preferences among the future workforce.

Universum's 2024 Most Attractive Employers in the UK Reveals Top Choices Among Students

Key findings:

Google remains the most attractive employer for tech students.
Lloyds Bank is one of the biggest climbers in the tech sector this year.
Rolls Royce remains the top employer for engineering students.
JP Morgan & Chase is the most attractive employer for business students.
Secure employment is a top priority for students across all disciplines.
The public sector is increasingly seen as a safe haven for job security.
Tech students are willing to prioritize secure employment over remote work.

Top Employers Shine Across Sectors

The survey segments responses from students in fields including Business, Engineering, Technology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Law, and Health & Medicine, offering a comprehensive view of employer attractiveness from multiple perspectives.

In the tech sector, Google maintains its leading position as the most attractive employer, reflecting its sustained appeal among tech students. Notably, Lloyds Bank emerged as one of the year's biggest climbers, demonstrating a significant leap forward and showcasing the evolving preferences of tech talent.

Engineering students have expressed a strong inclination towards companies in the aerospace and automotive sectors, with Rolls Royce holding the top spot for another consecutive year. This underscores the company's enduring reputation and the sector's appeal among engineering students.

Business students, on the other hand, have crowned JP Morgan & Chase as their most attractive employer for 2024, ousting Google for the first time, and marking a significant shift in preferences and spotlighting the banking sector's growing appeal among future business professionals.

Emerging Trends and Insights

The survey also sheds light on key trends affecting student perceptions and job market confidence. Secure employment has surged in importance across all disciplines, reflecting a heightened desire for job security amidst a backdrop of economic uncertainty. Interestingly, the public sector is increasingly perceived as a safe haven for job security, particularly among business students.

Another noteworthy trend is the flexibility trade-off, with tech students showing a willingness to prioritize secure employment over the option for remote work, indicating a shift in what young talents value most in their future employers. The average days expected working in the office has risen notably.

"This is a year where some of the most interesting of underlying trends have emerged. Who would have thought we were ever going to see Google knocked off a top spot? But J.P. Morgan Chase achieved this with Business students. Congratulations also to Roll-Royce for leading the way again with Engineering Students, holding off the attention of a cluster of strong brands. Clearly the ever-increasing importance of security, on the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis and tech redundancies, is influencing those coming into the workplace, and we need to be aware of this, as well as some of the evidence in our research implying some perceived barriers and uncertainty entering the workforce. I therefore can’t stress enough how thoughtful we need to be with our recruitment communications right now, with a young talent group that is treading carefully into the workforce."

Steve Ward

Head of Employer Branding Solutions for Universum UK&I

The Rising Importance of Employer Branding

Universum's findings highlight the critical role of effective and insights-guided employer branding and communication in attracting top talent. Companies that understand and align with the values and expectations of their future workforce—emphasizing aspects such as job security, development opportunities, and workplace culture—stand out in the competitive job market. The evidence in the research suggests that the greater proportion of businesses still have some work to do here.

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About Universum

Universum is a research company, specialized and world-leading in Employer Branding. Universum has 36 years of valuable experience in employer branding and is pioneers in the field. Universum is established in over 50 markets worldwide, with physical presence in 20 countries. Annually, Universum collaborates with 1,420 clients, including the majority of Fortune 500 companies, to attract and retain optimal employees. We collaborate with 1,000 universities and partners to compile surveys on career expectations and employer preferences.

For questions or interview requests, please contact:

Steve WardHead of Employer Branding Solutions for UK&I steve.ward@universumglobal.com

Petter GranqvistGlobal Head of Digital Marketing petter.granqvist@universumglobal.com