A survey of almost 600 retail professionals has revealed the most desirable employer brands for which to work. The research, conducted by Together Communications, found John Lewis, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, at the top of the most attractive employer brands.
The respondents were also asked for what they look for in a potential employer and were provided with a list of options, which they had to rate as the most and least important.
- I look at reviews from ex-employees.
- I consider their commercial success.
- I look at whether I like the product they sell.
- I mostly go on word of mouth.
- I look up press reports online.
- I consider what the service was like the last time I was in their store.
Just over half (55%) of those surveyed consider a brand’s commercial success to be the most important factor in it’s desirability as a top employer. This was followed by 43% who were swayed by their love of the products the company sold. 35% said they looked at reviews from ex-employees when evaluating an employer brand.
In contrast, just 18% said they would be influenced by word of mouth and 21% would research press reports of a brand in print and online.
Russell Pidgeon of Together Communications comments: “We have often heard consumers praise John Lewis for its service and the quality of its products, as well as its overall integrity as a brand. However, from an employment point of view, the brand is clearly capturing the imagination of retail workers throughout the UK. This is a critical time for the UK jobs market, mainly down to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its eventual outcome. Employers should have contingency plans in place and be carefully assessing how Brexit negotiations will impact the current workforce of their brand.”
54% of those surveyed are in retail management positions; 21% are in a retail head office position or regional office; and, 10% work on the retail shop floor.
Nice to see the old favourites at the top.