By The Editor
Being one’s own boss may still be a dream for many workers, but a survey of “dream employers” has found we’d rather work for Google and Virgin.
Australians and New Zealanders were asked who they wished they could work for, with the internet search engine Google finishing top for its culture and work/life balance. The Virgin Group (and their adventure-seeking billionaire boss Sir Richard Branson) ranked second, ahead of working for yourself.
The top three choices (and the order) were identical for both men and women.
Interestingly, only 35 per cent of people who were their own boss nominated themselves as their dream employer, indicating the reality doesn’t always match the dream of working for yourself.
Other companies and brands to make the top 20 included Apple, Walt Disney, the ‘Getaway’ television program, eBay, the United Nations, Lonely Planet and the ABC.
While the survey is designed for a bit of fun discussion and leans heavily to young popular brands and travel businesses, it does also contain some insights for employers about what workers are looking for in a ‘dream employer’.
Pay and benefits were nominated by 27 per cent of respondents, below brand/company reputation (41 per cent); culture (39 per cent) and work/life balance (28 per cent).
Reputation is built over time through a mixture of innovation (doing something no other employers do), quality service and recognition of achievement, both within and outside the workplace.
The survey also reports that only one in five ‘Gen Ys’ are working for their “dream employer”, who valued personal interest as a main reason for choosing somewhere to work.
What attributes do you as an employee look for in a business, and what attributes do you as an employer try hardest to provide to your employees? Let us know in comments below.
The attributes I look for in a business are, friendly supportive staff and management. Nothing scares me off quicker than working for people who have one rule for bosses and another for their workers. I look for contentment with the work environment, rapid change over of staff is always a sign of poor management or excessive demands on the job. I like flexible arrangements that cater for all individuals in the work place and real recognition of efforts made toward the business by receiving adequate remuneration and positive feedback. I dislike devisive attitudes and a multitude of restrictive rules and regulations that impose stress. I also like a business environment where everyone from the cleaner to the CEO is seen as equally important in the running of the business. Clearly a management model that is overly worried about perception rather than actualities is creating a stressful environment for workers. And this really only eventually leads to a less productive work place rather than one of increasing productivity. Everyone only wants the feeling of empowerment and freedom and a workplace that can provide that is the sort of business that attracts me to work for it.
It’s no surprise running your own business isn’t very popular anymore – it’s getting harder and harder. The number if small businesses declined rapidly under Labor and through the GFC. More needs to be done to encourage new start-ups and help existing small businesses survive