STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Google is the world's most attractive employer, followed closely by its rival, Microsoft, said a recent survey by Universum, a provider in research, strategic consulting and media solutions in the field of employer branding.

Compiled from 11 out of the 12 leading economies, nearly 120,000 students from top academic institutions chose their ideal companies to work for, said a press release.

According to Universum, employers today are faced with a shrinking global workforce, a lack of skilled workers and an increasingly demanding generation of new talent. To secure talent under these conditions, employers must develop true and differentiating employer brands.

NASSCOM too reports that the Indian IT sector expects to face a talent shortage in 2010 of 500,000 engineers.

The employers that feature in this Top 50 all have one thing in common: they successfully appeal to current and future talent, and they are aware of how scarce talent is, said the release.

The global ranking is based on the national rankings that Universum conducts annually all over the world. The companies that are featured in at least eight out of the twelve leading economies were included in the global ranking, and the 50 most attractive employers were identified.

The countries represented in the Global Top 50 rankings are the US, Japan, China, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain, Canada and India.

IT employers are highly placed in the engineering ranking, which can be expected, with Google, Microsoft and IBM in the top three.

The fast moving consumer goods companies and employers in the retail sector are also attractive employers, recognised for their universal appeal as employers in the graduate recruitment market, attracting students from both a business and engineering background.

“These companies in the Top 50 really work with employer branding strategically. The Big Four, for example, are all in the top 10 business ranking, as they have employer branding as part of their business strategy. Many associate their corporate brands to people. This is normal for the service industry, but it's a new approach for other companies” says Michal Kalinowski, Universum CEO.

“These companies are in the Top 50 because they are focused, consistent and differentiate themselves in their communication,” he added.

Due to the globalization of the talent market, multinational companies are generally recognized as being attractive employers. Findings from Universum' s various student surveys show that students would like a good career reference, an international career and an employer that can offer secure employment.

Google's number one position is no surprise. Due to its remarkable brand image, students worldwide see it as a company they would like to work for. What's surprising about Google, however, is that it doesn't invest in employer branding much in comparison to other companies that spend massively on branding activities, added the release.