employer brand research
2021 global report.
 
in a world of change 
some constants remain

contents.
|
executive summary
3
what the workforce wants
10
sector attractiveness
17
job switching behavior
26
appendix
42
employer brand research 2021, global report
2
COVID-19 in focus
32

|
executive
summary.
employer brand research 2021, global report
3

|
executive summary.
The world of work has dramatically transformed in just 
over a year, but some things remain the same in 2021. 
The job benefits that attracted talent to organizations 
before the pandemic continue to be important to 
working-age adults around the world. However, some of 
these attributes are increasingly critical in a more 
remote global workforce.
This was the finding from our 2021 Randstad Employer 
Brand Research — an extensive survey of sentiments 
among 190,000 respondents across 34 markets. We 
know that remote working arrangements — broadly 
expanded since the onset of COVID-19 — tend to result 
in greater talent loyalty. 
employer brand research 2021, global report
4
Overall, workforce allegiance has also improved based 
on the strong handling of the crisis by most employers, 
as the number who approve of their organization’s 
actions vastly outnumber those who don’t. This is good 
news for the employer brand of many organizations. 
Throughout the pandemic, concerns about workforce 
stress and safety, layoffs and diminished job 
opportunities have persisted throughout many 
organizations.

|
executive summary.
Will these forces, exacerbated by the pandemic, affect 
how companies are perceived? How will the global crisis 
change the way employers attract great talent? Will the 
top motivations for switching employment change? 
Questions such as these are increasingly critical as 
growing economies once again grapple with talent 
scarcity.
Surprisingly, despite all the upheaval that COVID-19 has 
thrusted upon the global labor market, talent 
preferences remain much the same. The factor most 
appealing about an employer is its salary and benefits 
offering (cited by 62%), followed by a good work-life 
balance (58%) and job security (56%).
employer brand research 2021, global report
5
It’s no surprise that a majority of respondents viewed a 
proper work-life balance as one of the top attributes of 
an ideal employer, with many working from home and 
unable to easily delineate working hours from home 
hours. This was one of the findings from our 
Workmonitor research released in April. In fact, 
additional research shows that not only are both blue 
and white collar workers in the UK and the Netherlands 
spending more time behind the desk since the start of 
the pandemic, employers are expecting longer hours in 
some instances.

|
executive summary.
employer brand research 2021, global report
6
Similarly, due to massive layoffs since last March, a majority of survey 
respondents consider job security to be an essential quality of an ideal 
employer. This concern may be one reason more working-age adults are 
logging longer work hours, according to CNBC. Furthermore, job insecurity has 
led to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to one study. 
As these two issues have grown more consequential for employers, they also 
present an opportunity to showcase effective policies that support the 
workforce in these areas, which helps to bolster employer brands.
Although working from home presents clear challenges, it remains an 
attractive employee value proposition. Nearly 2 in 5 surveyed want such 
flexibility, and the ratio was even higher among women, who during the 
pandemic have shouldered a greater burden than men. Our Workmonitor 
research reveals that most, however, desire a hybrid schedule, with some days 
in the office and some days at home.

|
executive summary.
Although the top three factors for attracting talent have 
remained unchanged from last year, we found regional 
differences in this year’s data. For instance, career 
progression is ranked even higher than an attractive 
salary and benefits in Latin America — the only region 
for which financial compensation is not the top 
motivator. In the Commonwealth of Independent States 
(CIS), a company’s reputation for being financially 
healthy is nearly as important as offering attractive pay. 
And in Europe, a pleasant working environment is the 
second-most important benefit, after salary.
employer brand research 2021, global report
7
The pandemic injected a lot of uncertainties into the 
world of work, but one thing that became clearer is the 
acceleration of digitalization. As organizations, talent 
and consumers fully embraced innovative ways of 
working and living, demand for tools and apps 
skyrocketed. This, in turn, helped the IT and 
communications (ITC) industry retain its position as the 
most attractive sector globally — cited by 57% of survey 
respondents. While this was no surprise — the 
ITC sector was also the most appealing in our 2020 
research — a much less tech-heavy sector made a big 
jump in attractiveness this year. Ranked fifth last year, 
the agriculture sector catapulted into second place in 
2021. The automotive industry retained its third-place 
ranking from the year before.

|
executive summary.
employer brand research 2021, global report
8
One reason why these three sectors were viewed as most attractive is how sound their 
business appears. For each sector, the No. 1 attribute cited by survey respondents was 
financial health, indicating a broad preference for businesses that are resilient. This 
sentiment may be the result of countless numbers of businesses that have failed around 
the world. In the U.S. alone, some 200,000 permanent closures were attributed to the 
pandemic.
The financial health of an employer has a direct impact on the loyalty of working-age 
adults, and this relationship is well-documented by one especially telling statistic in our 
research: talent retention. Those who were affected by the economic impact of the 
pandemic were twice as likely to seek new employment over the next six months than 
those who were not impacted. What this tells us is that concerns about job security and 
compensation among those affected firsthand are hugely influential on career choices. 
Of course, many were laid off or furloughed early on in the outbreak, and an estimated 
8.8% of working hours were lost in 2020.

|
executive summary.
employer brand research 2021, global report
9
A final note on the impact of the pandemic on employer brand reputation: 
two-thirds of those we surveyed said they felt more loyal to their employers 
based on how well they have been supported since the onset of COVID-19. 
This goodwill certainly offers organizations an opportunity to continue to build 
trust and loyalty among their workforce and also prospective hires. If there is 
a silver lining that has emerged from the challenges of the pandemic, it is that 
most companies are responding effectively to the changing needs of their 
workforce. This provides an authentic demonstration of their culture and 
ability to look after their employees, which will directly impact their employer 
brand.
Our research shows that while the pandemic has changed which employer 
attributes are most important to the global workforce, it also affirms that some 
of the qualities that were important before the outbreak remain meaningful 
still. We hope the data contained in the following pages will help you 
understand how to better attract talent in a transformed world of work.

|
what 
the 
workforce 
wants.
employer brand research 2021, global report
10

|
employer brand research 2021, global report
2020
top 5 reasons to choose an employer
2021
work-life balance
attractive salary & benefits
career progression
pleasant work atmosphere
job security
attractive 
salary & 
benefits
pleasant work 
atmosphere
job security
work-life 
balance
career 
progression
11
attractive salary & benefits 
remain the most sought-after driver. 
the global top 5 remain the same when compared with 2020

|
latin america an outlier in the 
factor that matters most.
employer brand research 2021, global report | 12
Attractive salary & benefits is the most important driver globally 
(62%) and scores highest among women (65%) and 
middle-educated employees (66%). Furthermore, women, those 
with mid-level education, and Latin American residents consider 
as many as eight employer attributes as important in an ideal 
employer, compared to the global average of seven.
Salary & benefits are also considered as most important in 4 of 5 
regions, except for Latin America, where working-age adults rate 
career progression most important (70%). 
The secondary drivers differ per region. In North America and 
APAC, work-life balance (60% and 54%, respectively) are 
critical, while in CIS, the financial health of the employer is 
considered very important (77%). A pleasant work atmosphere 
is the second-most important driver in Europe (64%), and in 
Latin America salary & benefits rank second (69%).

|
job security highly desired 
during times of crisis. 
employer brand research 2021, global report | 13
During times of crisis, one is more likely to think about job 
security. Our research shows that globally working-age adults 
rank this as the third-most important driver (56%). One’s feeling 
of job security becomes more important with age, with a 
majority (61%) of those 55–64 ranking this as important, 
compared with just 48% of 18–24-year-olds. 
When comparing different regions, job security is considered 
more important in Europe (62%), followed by Latin America 
(60%).
When it comes to remote working arrangements, a key pivot 
among employers around the world during the pandemic, nearly 
2 in 5 survey respondents consider this a very important driver 
(38%). Similarly, the same ratio say a COVID-19 safe work 
environment is important for an ideal employer to have.

|
 
north america
europe
latin america
apac
cis
what employees want – by region
employer brand research 2021, global report
14
regional differences shape an organization's employee value proposition
top 5 reasons
to choose an employer.

|
white-collar workers value a 
good work-life balance more.
employer brand research 2021, global report | 15
The top 5 key drivers for both white-collar and 
blue-collar talent are consistently the same: financial 
health of the employer, job security, pleasant work 
atmosphere, salary & benefits, and work-life balance. 
White-collar professionals, however, are more closely 
aligned to the average global working-age adult. 
Furthermore, when it comes to job security and a 
pleasant work atmosphere, both groups rank these 
drivers equally important. On the other hand, although 
work-life balance is in the top 5 most important drivers 
for both groups, this attribute is still more important 
among white-collar employees globally (58% and 51%, 
respectively).

|
top 5 most important drivers
by job collar.
white collar
blue collar
employer brand research 2021, global report
16

|
sector
attractiveness.
employer brand research 2021, global report
17

|
sector attractiveness
insights.
ITC and agriculture are the two most attractive sectors, according to our survey. 
Their top 5 key drivers include: career progression, a COVID-19 safe work 
environment, job security, an organization that has a good reputation and is 
financially healthy. These are consistently the same across the two sectors. 
Furthermore, the automotive, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and life sciences 
sectors closely follow in attractiveness to make up the top five.
Regionally, ITC dominates in the three most attractive industries across the globe, 
with the exception of Latin America. The automotive sector is second-most attractive, 
placing among the top 3 most attractive industries in 3 out of the 5 regions.
Employers from the top 5 sectors are globally rated highest on being financially 
healthy. The ITC and life sciences sectors are regarded more highly for a 
COVID-19-safe work environment. Employers from 4 of the 5 top sectors are 
perceived equally to offer long-term job security, with automotive the exception.
employer brand research 2021, global report
18

|
ITC and agricultural are the 
most attractive sectors 
worldwide.
sector attractiveness – global
*the ITC sector relates to companies in IT, Technology & Communications
employer brand research 2021, global report
19
|

|
ITC is the top sector in 4 out of the 5 regions
followed by automotive in 3 out of the 5 regions.
employer brand research 2021, global report
*the ITC sector relates to 
companies in IT, Technology 
& Communications
public services
ITC*
engineering
automotive
agriculture
energy & utilities
logistics
FMCG
north america
latin america
europe
cis
apac
hospitality
20

|
employers in the top 5 sectors score highest on being 
financially healthy. 
financially healthy
job security
very good reputation
COVID-19 safety
career progression
ITC #1
agriculture #1
automotive #2
financially healthy
financially healthy
financially healthy
COVID-19 safety
job security
COVID-19 safety
job security
career progression
very good reputation 
career progression
very good reputation
job security
very good reputation
COVID-19 safe*
career progression
top 5 values attributed to the top 5 sectors
global
employer brand research 2021, global report
FMCG #3
life sciences #4
financially healthy
financially healthy
job security
COVID-19 safety
very good reputation
job security
COVID-19 safety
career progression
career progression
very good reputation
21

|
white-collar employees find the ITC sector the most attractive sector 
whereas blue-collar workers find the agricultural sector most 
attractive.
*the ITC sector relates to companies in IT, Technology & Communications
employer brand research 2021, global report
white-collar employees
blue-collar workers
22

|
sector attractiveness does not always mean that everyone has 
the skills to work in those sectors.
Globally, the retail sector is viewed by the highest percentage of survey 
respondents as an industry for which their skills are suited. The next highest 
percentages are in the ITC, FMCG and hospitality sectors.
When further examining white-collar preferences, this group believes it 
possesses the highest ability to work in ITC. Blue-collar workers find 
agriculture the most attractive sector but feel most qualified for retail.
Although the agricultural sector is a highly attractive sector, fewer 
working-age adults feel that they could work in this sector when compared to 
most of other sectors. Employers may want to offer more training 
opportunities so workers can gain the skills and confidence needed to enter 
this field. 
 
employer brand research 2021, global report
23

|
global sector attractiveness 
versus perception of ability to work for it.
employer brand research 2021, global report
high ability to work for
sectors with a high
score contain more 
companies whom 
respondents feel they 
could work for, based 
on their skills.
high attractiveness
a sector with high
attractiveness
contains more highly 
attractive companies 
than other sectors.
24

|
perception of ability to work for 
by whitecollar & blue collar
employer brand research 2021, global report
25
*the ITC sector relates to companies in IT, Technology & Communications
white-collar employees
blue-collar workers

|
switching
behavior.
employer brand research 2021, global report
26

|
1 in 5 plan 
to change employers.
employer brand research 2021, global report
27
Of the survey respondents, 12% changed their employer in the 
last half of 2020, more so among those aged between 18–34. 
Overall, 20% intend to switch employers in the first half of 2021, 
which sees the same age group intending to do so.
The highest number who in the last half of 2020 switched jobs 
was in North America, followed by CIS and Latin America (16% 
and 12%, respectively). Compared with other regions, 
working-age adults in Latin America are most likely to consider 
(26%) changing their employer in the first half of 2021.
Those who did not change their employer were more inclined to 
consider job security, attractive salary & benefits, the financial 
health of a company, and a pleasant work atmosphere more 
important than those who changed jobs in the last half of 2020.
|

employer brand research 2021, global report |
job switching is highest in north america 
while intention to do so is highest in latin america.
north america
latin america
europe
cis
apac
switchers
intenders
* past 6 months = last half of 2020 
& * next 6 months = first half of 
2021. REBR2021 covers a period 
of 6 months (as opposed to 12 
months in the past) in order to 
better capture the impact of 
COVID-19.
28

|
job switching 
by job collar.
employer brand research 2021, global report
29
global switchers
changed employer in the 
past 6 months.
global intenders
plan to change employer 
within the next 6 months.
white-collar switchers
12%
20%
white-collar intenders
11%
17%
blue-collar switchers
blue-collar intenders
13%
17%

|
job portals remain critical to 
talent seeking new opportunities. 
employer brand research 2021, global report
30
Job portals (32%) are the channel most often used by 
job seekers. This is especially true for women (cited by 
37%) and for candidates in the APAC and CIS regions 
(42% and 48%, respectively). 
In the CIS region, personal connections are far more 
popular than in the rest of the world (45% vs. 25%). 
North Americans use Google most often for finding work 
(32%), and in APAC there are more who use recruiters 
and attend job fairs compared with other regions (37% 
and 23%, respectively). This is also true among 
white-collar workers when compared to their blue-collar 
counterparts. White-collar employees tend to use 
recruitment agencies (31%) more so than any other 
channels.

|
Besides job portals, the remaining channels in the top 5 are all equally used 
for finding that next job. Among those switching through job portals, a vast 
majority do so with the help of indeed.com. Facebook is the most used social 
media channel for finding a job. 
top 5 channels used to find a job
top 4 job portals
social media 
employer brand research 2021, global report
31
channels used
to find the next job.

|
COVID-19 
in focus.
employer brand research 2021, global report
32

|
COVID-19 and its impact on 
employer brand research 2021, global report
the labour market.
| 33
Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, half of the 
global workforce continued to work as usual, our survey found. 
This is especially true for adults 35–54 (cited by 55%) and 
higher-educated workers (60%). Worldwide, white-collar adults 
(66%) continued to work normally as opposed to blue-collar 
workers (54%). Those in the APAC (60%) and CIS (57%) 
regions continued to work their regular hours.
On the flip side, 40% of the global workforce were either 
furloughed, became unemployed, worked different hours than 
usual or for other reasons saw their employment situation 
change due to COVID-19. A higher proportion of those who were 
furloughed or became unemployed was among 18–34-year-olds 
(14%), lower-educated employees (22%), and those in Latin 
America (18%) and North America (20%).

|
how COVID-19
affected employment.
employer brand research 2021, global report
employees who continued to work in 2020 are afraid 
they will lose their job in 2021 as a result of COVID-19.
26%
global
employees in Latin America (46%) whose jobs were not 
affected in 2020 by COVID-19 are the most afraid of 
losing their job in 2021, whereas employees in Europe 
(24%) and those in APAC (25%) are least afraid of 
losing their job in 2021. 
region
fear of job loss
how COVID-19 changed one’s employment situation 
34

|
employment situation changes due to COVID-19
by job collar.
employer brand research 2021, global report
35
continuing to work as normal
working longer hours than normal
working reduced hours/reduced salary
have been furloughed
became unemployed
other
not applicable
more white-collar workers continued working regular hours than blue-collar workers.
white collar
blue collar

employer brand research 2021, global report |
afraid
29%
of the employees who are afraid of 
losing their job plan to change their 
job in the next 6 months.
12%
not afraid
of the employees who are not afraid 
of losing their job plan to change 
their job in the next 6 months.
plan to change employment among  
adults fearing job loss versus those unafraid. 
north america
latin america
europe
cis
apac
intenders afraid to lose their job
intenders not afraid to lose their job
36

|
remote working due to
COVID-19.
did you start working (more) remotely/from home due to the 
COVID-19 crisis?
employer brand research 2021, global report
yes (only)
yes (partly)
no
impossible to work 
remotely
possible, but employer 
does not allow
percentage of global employees who said they worked remotely, 
do so out of their own decision.
global
34%
23%
europe
36%
apac
41%
north america
23%
latam
26%
cis
37

|
remote work is important 
to more than one-third. 
employer brand research 2021, global report | 38
Globally, 38% of talent is attracted to companies offering the 
possibility of working remotely. Furthermore, women (42%), 
those aged 25–34 (39%) and those with mid-level education 
(42%) are more inclined to rank this driver as more important. 
Regionally, working remotely can be seen as important to those 
in Latin America (48%) and North America (43%). 
Of the 54% of those who started working more remotely, 61% 
were involved in the decision to do so, whereas for 38% the 
decision was mandated by their employer and/or regulatory 
authorities. 
Globally, more of those living in North America and Latin 
America started working remotely. On the other hand, more jobs 
in Europe (28%) and CIS (31%) were required to be performed 
remotely than jobs in the other regions.

|
intention to change employer
based on impact of COVID-19.
employer brand research 2021, global report
14%
plan to change employer in the 
next 6 months.
intenders – not affected by COVID-19
31%
of those affected by COVID-19 plan to 
change their employer in the next 6 months.
2021
intenders – affected by COVID-19
* next 6 months = first half of 2021. REBR2021 covers a period of 6 months (as 
opposed to 12 months in the past) in order to better capture the impact of COVID-19.
39
If one’s employment situation has changed due to 
COVID-19, the intention to change to a new employer is 
considerably higher (31%) than those whose situation didn’t 
alter.
The way employers worldwide have supported their 
employees and managed the pandemic has had a positive 
impact on loyalty. Overall, 68% of talent feel more loyal to 
their employer, while only 6% feel less loyal.
A high percentage of adults who are more educated (71%), 
aged 25–34 (71%), and located in North America (73%), 
Latin America (72%) and APAC (73%) say they are more 
loyal to their employer. Less educated workers (53%), the 
youngest group of the workforce (60%), and workers in 
Europe (56%) and the CIS (20%) were less loyal.

|
loyalty towards employers
in 2021.
employer brand research 2021, global report
1 - less loyal
2
3
4
5 - more loyal
don’t know
works only remotely
of the employees who only work from home feel more loyal towards 
their employer because of how the employer managed the COVID-19 
situation.
own decision to work remotely
of the employees who decided on their own to work from home feel 
more loyal towards their employer because of how the employer 
managed the COVID-19 situation.
69%
74%
loyalty to one’s employer based on how well supported 
survey respondent felt during the COVID-19 pandemic
percentage of employees who feel more loyal to their 
employers, based on way of working and involvement in 
decision to work remotely 
40

|
loyalty towards employers in 2021 
by job collar.
employer brand research 2021, global report
white collar
white-collar workers were more loyal toward their employer than blue-collar 
workers when asked how employers supported and handled the pandemic.
1 - less loyal
2
3
4
5 - more loyal
blue collar
don’t know
41

|
appendix.
what talent want – country comparison
1
what talent want – trend analysis
2
about the research
3
employer brand research 2021, global report
42

|
what
the workforce
wants
country 
comparison.
employer brand research 2021, global report
43

|
what do talent want
by market.
1/4
global
argentina
australia
austria
brazil
belgium
canada
china
czech
rep.
france
attractive salary & benefits
62%
68%
58%
74%
74%
67%
69%
54%
74%
65%
work-life balance
58%
55%
63%
61%
64%
58%
66%
53%
52%
58%
job security
56%
64%
57%
71%
59%
61%
61%
52%
67%
52%
pleasant work atmosphere
55%
68%
53%
71%
74%
61%
58%
46%
66%
63%
financially healthy
49%
35%
45%
61%
57%
46%
51%
50%
68%
42%
career progression
49%
64%
46%
54%
77%
49%
52%
48%
53%
53%
good training
47%
44%
56%
45%
66%
39%
58%
35%
35%
42%
strong management
44%
34%
49%
34%
66%
27%
53%
40%
28%
23%
COVID-19 safe work environment
43%
44%
46%
35%
65%
39%
54%
30%
24%
36%
location
41%
27%
48%
44%
42%
45%
48%
34%
54%
39%
interesting job content
40%
42%
41%
55%
43%
43%
46%
33%
58%
46%
very good reputation
39%
29%
45%
35%
53%
31%
48%
27%
37%
25%
possibility to work remotely
38%
47%
37%
45%
48%
38%
44%
28%
40%
38%
diversity & inclusion
37%
36%
41%
36%
57%
28%
44%
32%
27%
31%
gives back to society
35%
37%
36%
40%
58%
34%
39%
30%
26%
35%
uses latest technologies
30%
36%
30%
28%
46%
23%
31%
29%
25%
25%
employer brand research 2021, global report
44

|
what do talent want
by market.
2/4
germany
greece
hong 
kong
hungary
india
italy
japan
kazakh
-stan
luxem-
bourg
malaysia
attractive salary & benefits
67%
77%
62%
76%
62%
61%
54%
79%
79%
72%
work-life balance
54%
61%
60%
61%
65%
66%
46%
48%
69%
69%
job security
68%
64%
51%
66%
61%
58%
43%
49%
74%
61%
pleasant work atmosphere
63%
73%
45%
71%
51%
64%
53%
61%
66%
59%
financially healthy
56%
45%
52%
66%
59%
51%
33%
72%
57%
62%
career progression
46%
67%
45%
46%
57%
54%
26%
67%
54%
61%
good training
49%
49%
45%
38%
58%
51%
25%
48%
41%
55%
strong management
32%
35%
43%
36%
60%
37%
29%
41%
30%
64%
COVID-19 safe work environment
39%
46%
43%
33%
61%
45%
32%
32%
36%
63%
location
37%
40%
39%
46%
50%
34%
33%
37%
43%
47%
interesting job content
50%
40%
36%
31%
49%
42%
34%
61%
55%
42%
very good reputation
38%
35%
39%
14%
59%
37%
22%
42%
35%
50%
possibility to work remotely
43%
38%
32%
38%
52%
39%
23%
38%
41%
46%
diversity & inclusion
35%
31%
29%
33%
48%
36%
26%
50%
38%
43%
gives back to society
36%
40%
31%
29%
52%
36%
18%
37%
40%
43%
uses latest technologies
29%
38%
28%
23%
55%
34%
12%
45%
32%
44%
employer brand research 2021, global report
45

|
what do talent want
by market.
3/4
mexico
nether-
lands
new
zealand
norway
poland
portugal
romania
russia
singapore
spain
attractive salary & benefits
64%
76%
67%
54%
80%
71%
74%
78%
74%
70%
work-life balance
50%
66%
71%
47%
60%
66%
58%
53%
74%
66%
job security
60%
56%
64%
51%
70%
66%
68%
57%
60%
62%
pleasant work atmosphere
63%
76%
62%
61%
70%
65%
69%
59%
58%
64%
financially healthy
41%
51%
51%
40%
56%
57%
48%
78%
57%
41%
career progression
64%
53%
55%
41%
64%
64%
65%
60%
59%
57%
good training
37%
35%
62%
55%
53%
53%
54%
42%
52%
48%
strong management
40%
27%
60%
37%
29%
41%
47%
43%
56%
29%
COVID-19 safe work environment
62%
29%
49%
40%
39%
49%
48%
34%
43%
51%
location
37%
51%
46%
33%
48%
39%
28%
52%
46%
41%
interesting job content
39%
60%
48%
53%
43%
41%
36%
57%
41%
51%
very good reputation
37%
20%
50%
28%
46%
31%
43%
50%
41%
34%
possibility to work remotely
48%
37%
43%
34%
42%
41%
44%
40%
46%
43%
diversity & inclusion
41%
21%
47%
38%
35%
39%
35%
48%
40%
39%
gives back to society
44%
25%
42%
34%
34%
40%
31%
29%
31%
43%
uses latest technologies
43%
15%
31%
23%
35%
32%
38%
36%
31%
34%
employer brand research 2021, global report
46

|
what do talent want
by market.
4/4
sweden
switzer-
land
ukraine
UK
US
attractive salary & benefits
54%
70%
79%
64%
62%
work-life balance
58%
65%
46%
65%
60%
job security
56%
66%
52%
61%
56%
pleasant work atmosphere
66%
71%
62%
55%
52%
financially healthy
37%
56%
70%
46%
49%
career progression
48%
50%
64%
51%
47%
good training
38%
45%
37%
58%
56%
strong management
47%
32%
39%
51%
54%
COVID-19 safe work environment
37%
36%
31%
54%
51%
location
36%
42%
39%
49%
46%
interesting job content
60%
52%
57%
46%
37%
very good reputation
31%
36%
40%
47%
49%
possibility to work remotely
38%
44%
39%
43%
43%
diversity & inclusion
34%
38%
39%
44%
41%
gives back to society
35%
41%
33%
39%
36%
uses latest technologies
20%
29%
39%
30%
31%
employer brand research 2021, global report
47

|
what
talent want
trend analysis.
employer brand research 2021, global report
48

|
2017*
2021
2020*
2019*
2018*
driver attractiveness
by year.
reasons to choose an employer
*when comparing 2021 with previous years, please note that this question has been altered. Respondents are now free to 
choose as many drivers as they considered important while in previous years they were forced to pick exactly 5 drivers only.
**not researched in 2021
***only researched in 2021
employer brand research 2021, global report
01  attractive salary & benefits
02  work-life balance
03  job security
04  pleasant work atmosphere
05  career progression
06  financially healthy
07  flexible arrangements**
08  location
09  good training
10  strong management
01  attractive salary & benefits
02  work-life balance
03  job security
04  pleasant work atmosphere
05  career progression
06  financially healthy
07  flexible arrangements**
08  location
09  good training
10  strong management
01  attractive salary & benefits
02  job security
03  work-life balance
04  pleasant work atmosphere
05  career progression
06  financially healthy
07  flexible arrangements**
08  location
09  good training
10  strong management
01  attractive salary & benefits
02  job security
03  work-life balance
04  pleasant work atmosphere
05  career progression
06  financially healthy
07  flexible arrangements**
08  location
09  good training
10  strong management
49

|
about the
research.
employer brand research 2021, global report
50

|
what is the randstad 
employer brand research?
• a representative employer brand research 
based on perceptions of the general audience. 
Optimizing 21 years of successful employer 
branding insights.
• an independent survey with over 190,000 
respondents in 34 markets worldwide.
• a reflection of employer attractiveness for each 
market’s largest employers known by at least 
10% of the population.
• provides valuable insights to help employers 
shape their employer brand.
employer brand research 2021, global report
51
|

34 markets surveyed 
covering more than 80% of the global economy.
|
austria
australia
argentina
belgium
brazil
canada
china
czech republic
france
germany
greece
hong kong SAR
hungary
italy
india
japan
kazakhstan
luxembourg
malaysia
mexico
new zealand
netherlands
norway
poland
portugal
romania
russia
singapore
spain
sweden
switzerland
ukraine
UK
USA
markets surveyed
worldwide
• over 190,000 respondents
• 6,493 companies surveyed
sample
• aged 18 – 64
• representative on gender
• overrepresentation of age 25 – 44
• comprised of students, employed 
and unemployed workforce
fieldwork
• online interviews
• between january and february 2021
length of interview
• 16 minutes
employer brand research 2021, global report
52

|
age
employment situation
sample composition socio-demographics 
gender, region, employment situation, age, education.
gender
education
region
total sample: n= 193,925
fieldwork: between january and february 2021
employer brand research 2021, global report
53

|
sector
sample composition 
sector, function.
base: currently 
employed (n=144,970)
function
employer brand research 2021, global report
54

|
employer brand research methodology.
drivers
each company is evaluated on:
01  financially healthy
02 COVID-19 safe work 
environment 
03  very good reputation
04  job security
05  career progression
06  gives back to society
07 possibility to work 
remotely/from home 
08  pleasant work atmosphere
09  work-life balance
10  attractive salary & benefits
smart sampling
Each respondent is shown 30 companies. Each company is 
evaluated only by respondents who are aware of that particular 
brand. 
In order to make sure that the less well known brands are assessed 
by a sufficient number of respondents, we make use of a smart 
sampling method. 
This method ensures that the lesser known companies are shown to 
more respondents in order to realize a sufficiently robust sample. 
That way the Randstad Employer Brand Research assures 
dependable insights for both well known and lesser known 
employer brands.
30 companies
per respondent
do you know this company?
determines awareness.
for each company
known
would you like to work for
this company?
determines attractiveness.
each company
known
rating on a set of drivers:
determines reason for
attractiveness.
For this research, Randstad partners with Kantar, one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy networks.
employer brand research 2021, global report
55

|
country*
n=
country*
n=
argentina
4,721
luxembourg
1,503
australia
6,850
malaysia
2,523
austria
3,853
mexico
7,420
belgium
14,100
netherlands
13,245
brazil
3,770
new zealand
4,152
canada
3,590
norway
3,871
china
4,360
poland
4,931
czech republic
4,750
portugal
5,126
france
7,906
romania
4,700
germany
3,900
russia
13,842
greece
3,600
singapore
3,003
hong kong
2,630
spain
9,973
hungary
7,606
sweden
4,716
india
3,616
switzerland
4,301
italy
6,581
Ukraine
6,703
japan
5,695
UK
9,082
kazakhstan
3,502
US
3,804
total global sample
193,925
breakdown of respondents 
by market.
*global data is weighted on GDP
employer brand research 2021, global report
56

the employer brand roadmap.
|
audit current employer brand
• employer brand story
• external perception
interview employees and leaders
to understand
• their perception of your brand
• gaps and areas for improvement
assess competitors
for workforce
create the brand pillars and
employee value proposition
develop the employer brand 
strategy and creative assets
measure, assess 
and refine
activate employer
brand externally
launch employer
brand internally
• gain employee 
and leadership 
feedback
analyze external market 
• career motivations 
and drivers
• specific views of your 
company improvement
employer brand research 2021, global report
57