In this tight labor market, the war for talent is tougher than ever before. Now more than ever, an employer’s reputation is critical to attracting skilled workers. According to the 2018 Randstad Employer Brand Research, we are seeing dramatic shifts in attitudes that indicate employees want more than just an attractive salary and benefits. This year's U.S. report will give you insights into: -the attributes job seekers value most in an employer -what makes employees stay or leave their companies -the attractiveness of your sector and how it compares to others

1. employer
brand research
2018
country report:
usa.

2. content.
country results1
sector insights2
about REBR3
deep dive4
methodology5
| 2© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

3. |
country
results.
3© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

4. ||
what potential employees want
when choosing an employer.
2017 2016versus 2017
4
5 most important criteria
59%
34%
36%
45%
47%
salary & benefits
good training
work atmosphere
work-life balance
job security
60%
32%
37%
46%
46%
62%
30%
48%
43%
49%
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

5. ||
what potential employees want
by socio-demographic profile.
men find good training slightly
more important than women do.
35%
the workforce aged 18-24
considers strong management
more important than the
workforce over 25 does.
40%
the workforce aged 25-44
believes long-term job security is
more important than the
workforce under 25 does.
47%
the workforce aged 45-64
finds salary and benefits more
important than the workforce
under 45 does.
64%
women find salary and benefits
more important than men.
63%
the higher-educated workforce
finds good work-life balance
more important than the lower-
educated workforce.
50%
the middle-educated workforce
believes long-term job security is
more important compared to the
lower- or higher-educated.
49%
the lower-educated workforce
finds good training more
important than the middle- or
higher-educated do.
39%
men
women
age 18 – 24
higher educated
age 25 – 44
middle educated
age 45 – 64
lower educated
5© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

6. ||
what potential employees want:
top 5 by job category and industry.
blue collar workerswhite collar workers
manufacturing information and communication (ICT)
base: n=219 base: n=165
6© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.
59%
52%
49%
35%
35%
salary & benefits
job security
work-life balance
career progression
good training
60%
48%
47%
37%
36%
salary & benefits
job security
work-life balance
strong management
work atmosphere
61%
53%
44%
35%
35%
salary & benefits
work-life balance
job security
strong management
career progression
53%
48%
45%
43%
35%
salary & benefits
job security
financially healthy
work-life balance
career progression

7. employees in the US seek employers in the US offer gap top 3
1 salary & benefits 1 financially healthy 1 salary & benefits
2 job security 2 uses latest technologies 2 job security
3 work-life balance 3 very good reputation 3 work-life balance
4 pleasant work atmosphere 4 job security
5 career progression 5 career progression
6 financially healthy 6 salary & benefits
7 very good reputation 8 pleasant work atmosphere
8 interesting job content 8 work-life balance
9 giving back to society 9 interesting job content
10 uses latest technology 10 giving back to society
employee - employer exchange
a gap between what employees seek and what employers offer is a valuable opportunity for your EVP.
| 7
in the US.
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

8. ||
how do employees
top 5 channels used to look for a job
20% 26%
changed employers in
the last year
plan to change employers
within the next year
8| 8
68%
63%
46%
48%
45%
46%
45%
42%
38%
37%
job search engines (eg. indeed.com)
google
personalconnections / referrals
job boards (eg. monster.com)
company career site
plan to change employers changed employers
look for jobs?
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

9. ||
why do employees
top 5 reasons to stay*
top 5 reasons to leave**
*of the respondents who said they stayed with the same employers for
the past year and who do not plan to leave in the coming year
** of the respondents who said they changed employers in the past
year or plan to do so in the coming year
9
stay or leave?
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.
45%
44%
42%
40%
34%
salary & benefits
location
job security
work-life balance
flexible arrangements
44%
43%
30%
29%
28%
compensation too low
limited career path
work-life balance issues
insufficient challanges
organization shows poor
leadership

10. ||
why do employees stay:
men are more likely than women
to stay with their current
employers if they have a sense
of job security.
47%
the workforce aged 18-24
is more likely to stay with
employers when they offer
flexible working arrangements
than the workforce over 44.
37%
the workforce aged 25-44
is more likely to stay with
employers if they have a sense
of job security, when compared
to the workforce under 25.
45%
the workforce aged 45-64
is more likely than the workforce
18-24 to stay with employers
if they have convenient locations.
45%
women are more likely than men
to stay with their current
employers if they get the
opportunity of a good work-life
balance.
42%
higher-educated employees are
more likely to stay with their
employers for salary and benefits
than lower- or middle-educated.
52%
middle-educated employees are
more likely than lower- or higher-
educated to stay with employers
when the employers are
financially healthy.
33%
the lower-educated workforce is
most likely to stay with
employers if they have
convenient locations.
41%
men
women
age 18 – 24
higher educated
age 25 – 44
middle educated
age 45 – 64
lower educated
10
by profile.
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

11. ||
why do employees leave:
men are more likely than women
to leave their current employers
because of a lack of recognition
or rewards.
22%
the workforce aged 18-24
is more likely to leave than the
workforce over 24 because they
lack challenges in their jobs.
38%
the workforce aged 25-44
is more likely to leave than the
workforce aged 18-24 due to
lack of growth opportunities.
45%
the workforce aged 45-64
is most likely to leave employers
due to lower compensation
compared to other age groups.
47%
women are more likely than men
to leave their employers due to
lack of growth opportunities.
46%
the higher-educated workforce is
more likely to leave employers
than lower-educated due to lack
of growth opportunities.
48%
the middle-educated workforce is
most likely to leave due to lower
compensation compared to other
age groups.
46%
the lower-educated workforce is
more likely to leave than middle-
educated because they
experience work-life balance
issues.
34%
men
women
age 18 – 24
higher educated
age 25 – 44
middle educated
age 45 – 64
lower educated
11
by profile.
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

12. ||
top 5 actions employees take
in order to stay employable.
12
58%
49%
44%
42%
32%
I am open and flexible to change
I am willing to accept flexible working hours
I keep my skills up to date by trainings, courses etc.
I am sociable with colleagues, superiors and my professionalnetwork
I adopt the latest techniques and technologies
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

13. ||
actions employees take in order to stay employable:
men are most likely to be open
and flexible to change in order to
stay employable.
56%
the workforce aged 18-24
is more likely to accept flexible
working hours than the
workforce over 24.
53%
the workforce aged 25-44
is more likely to keep their skills
up to date by trainings, courses
etc. compared to the workforce
over 44.
45%
the workforce aged 45-64
is most likely to be open and
flexible to change.
59%
women are more likely than men
to be sociable with colleagues,
superiors and their professional
networks.
45%
the higher-educated workforce is
more likely than the lower- or
middle-educated workforce to
keep their skills up to date by
trainings, courses etc.
52%
the middle-educated workforce is
more likely than the lower-
educated workforce to be open
and flexible to change.
61%
the lower-educated workforce is
more likely to accept flexible
working hours compared to the
higher-educated workforce.
50%
men
women
age 18 – 24
higher educated
age 25 – 44
middle educated
age 45 – 64
lower educated
13
staying engaged as an employee, by profile.
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

14. |
sector
insights.
14© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

15. ||
FMCG
motor vehicles, machinery & parts
manufacturing
media & IT
finance, banking, and financial
services
industry & manufacturing
telecommunications
pharmaceutical & healthcare
retail food
restaurant
other services retail non food
HR
insurance
consulting, scientific &
engineering services
aerospace & defense
transportation & logistics
hospitality & entertainment
hospital management
awareness
attractiveness
high
highlow
low
top performing sectors in the US:
high awareness
having a high
awareness means that
employers in the sector
are widely known.
high attractiveness
a sector with high
attractiveness
contains more highly
attractive companies
than other sectors.
15
by awareness and attractiveness.
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

16. ||
sector 1 2 3
01 media & IT uses latest technologies financially healthy very good reputation
02 FMCG financially healthy very good reputation job security
03 aerospace & defense uses latest technologies financially healthy salary & benefits
04 consulting, scientific & engineering
services
uses latest technologies financially healthy career progression
05 hospitality & entertainment financially healthy very good reputation uses latest technologies
06 pharmaceutical & healthcare financially healthy uses latest technologies job security
07 hospital management uses latest technologies financially healthy job security
08 industry & manufacturing uses latest technologies financially healthy salary & benefits
09 transportation & logistics
10 telecommunications
financially healthy
uses latest technologies
uses latest technologies
financially healthy
job security
career progression
US sectors score best on these 3 EVP drivers.
top 3 EVP drivers
16
1/2
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

17. ||
top 3 EVP drivers
17
US sectors score best on these 3 EVP drivers.
2/2
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.
sector 1 2 3
11 motor vehicles, machinery & parts
manufacturing
financially healthy uses latest technologies very good reputation
12 finance, banking, and financial
services
financially healthy uses latest technologies career progression
13 HR financially healthy uses latest technologies very good reputation
14 retail food financially healthy very good reputation job security
15 other services financially healthy job security very good reputation
16 insurance financially healthy job security uses latest technologies
17 retail non food financially healthy very good reputation uses latest technologies
18 restaurant financially healthy very good reputation uses latest technologies

18. |
about REBR.
18© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

19. ||
why employer branding matters.
Companies with positive brands get twice as many applications
as companies with negative brands, and they spend less money
on employees.1
agree that alignment of personal
values with a company’s culture
is a key factor in their
satisfaction working there.3
of candidates research
companies on social media
before applying.5
millennials and minorities agree
that being part of the right
company culture really matters
to them.3
of candidates say they wouldn’t
work for a company with a bad
reputation – even with a pay
increase.1
of workforce leaders agree that a strong employer brand has a significant impact on their ability to hire
a great workforce.2 As people work for cultures, not companies, their perceptions of you as an
employer is of paramount importance. Both recruiters and candidates cite company culture as one of
the most important determinants in employer choice. Candidates actively research the culture of
companies to understand if they’ll fit. If candidates see positive employee and candidate experiences
on review sites, they feel more confident submitting their resumes and making a career move.
joined a company specifically
because of cultural fit.3
have left a company specifically
because of its culture.3
companies with bad reputations
pay 10 percent more per hire.4
50% 80%
96% 62% 88% 87% 80%
19© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

20. ||
what is the randstad employer
brand research?
• representative employer brand research
based on perceptions of the general
audience. Optimizing 17 years of successful
employer branding insights.
• independent survey with over 175,000
respondents in 30 countries worldwide.
• valuable insights to help employers shape
their employer brand.
20© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

21. ||
30 countries surveyed covering more
than 75% of the global economy.
|
Austria
Australia
Argentina
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Czech Republic
Dubai
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Italy
India
Japan
Luxembourg
Malaysia
New Zealand
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UK
USA countries surveyed
21
worldwide
• over 175,000 respondents
• 5,755 companies surveyed
sample
• aged 18 to 65
• representative on gender
• overrepresentated on age 25 – 44
• comprised of students, employed
and unemployed workforce
country
fieldwork
length of interview
• 4813 respondents in the U.S.
• online interviews
• between December 6 – 21, 2017
• 16 minutes
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

22. ||
1
16%northeast (1)
24%midwest (2)
40%south (3)
18%west (4)
US sample composition:
socio-demographics, employment situation and region.
total sample: n=4813
fieldwork: December 6 – 21, 2017
gender
age
education
51%
49%
female
male
22
57%working
9%self-employed/freelance
11%seeking/unemployed
12%housewife/husband
7%student
situation region
16%
62%
22%
18 - 24
25 - 44
45 - 65
29%
59%
12%
low
middle
high
1. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Vermont
2. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South
Dakota, Wisconsin
3. Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia
4. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, Wyoming
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.
stay-at-home

23. ||
1
agriculture 2%
oil & gas 1%
manufacturing 7%
electricity & gas supply 1%
water supply & sewage 1%
construction 6%
trade 8%
transportation & storage 3%
accommodation & food 3%
ICT 5%
finance & insurance 5%
real estate 1%
professional & scientific 6%
administration & support 5%
public administration 2%
education 8%
human health/social work 7%
arts & entertainment 4%
international organizations *
services 25%
sample composition:
sector, function.
sector function
23
1
managers 23%
professionals 20%
technicians 11%
clerks 14%
service/sales 17%
skilled agricultural 1%
craft/trade 6%
machine operators 3%
elementary occupations 3%
armed forces occupations 1%
base: currently employed (n=3152)
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.
* subgroup not present in sample

24. |
deep dive
appendix 1.
24© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

25. ||
what potential employees want:
the most important criteria when choosing an employer.
versus 2017
25
60%
11%
13%
16%
21%
15%
24%
29%
32%
32%
29%
32%
32%
37%
46%
46%
10%
62%
11%
18%
27%
14%
18%
39%
36%
30%
35%
21%
30%
48%
43%
49%
59%salary & benefits
12%uses latest technologies
14%gives back to society
17%quality products
17%interesting job content*
18%diversity & inclusion
25%very good reputation**
28%financially healthy
32%location
33%flexible arrangements
33%career progression
34%strong management
34%good training
36%work atmosphere
45%work-life balance
47%job security
important criteria
characteristics highest rated by the labor force. stressing these elements or improving them
is critical for your EVP because they contribute most to the strength of your employer brand.
2017 2016
*2017: work that is stimulating and challenging/ **previous years: strong image/strong values
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

26. ||
EVP driver importance:
by gender.
femalemale
26
salary & benefits
good training
career progression
strong management
work atmosphere
work-life balance
job security
27%
55%
35%
31%
35%
35%
32%
43%
48%
63%
46%
46%
39%
32%
34%
32%
39%
33%
flexible arrangements
location
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
financially healthy
very good reputation
32%
19%
16%
14%
20%
18%
27%
24%
23%
19%
14%
15%
14%
8%
diversity & inclusion
interesting job content
quality products
gives back to society
uses latest technologies
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

27. ||
EVP driver importance:
by education.
high middle low
27
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
flexible arrangements
34%
30%
32%
salary & benefits 59%
62%
52%
job security
44%
42%
49%
work-life balance 50%
38%
47%
good training
33%
26%
39%
strong management 38%
33%
36%
career progression
34%
33%
32%
work atmosphere
38%
31%
36%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
uses latest technologies
12%
15%
12%
location 31%
32%
32%
financially healthy
25%
31%
29%
very good reputation 23%
29%
24%
interesting job content
16%
23%
16%
quality products 19%
16%
18%
gives back to society
13%
16%
17%
diversity & inclusion
19%
16%
21%
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

28. ||
EVP driver importance:
by age.
45+ 25 - 44 18 - 24
28
flexible arrangements
32%
32%
38%
salary & benefits 64%
59%
51%
job security
38%
54%
47%
work-life balance 44%
43%
46%
good training
34%
29%
40%
strong management 31%
34%
40%
career progression
36%
27%
33%
work atmosphere
34%
36%
39%
uses latest technologies
12%
11%
14%
location 36%
31%
26%
financially healthy
23%
30%
29%
very good reputation 25%
29%
24%
interesting job content
16%
18%
18%
quality products 18%
16%
18%
gives back to society
14%
12%
19%
diversity & inclusion
18%
21%
15%
© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

29. |
methodology
appendix 2.
29© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

30. ||
methodology
why smart sampling?
In the past, companies were evaluated by 140 to 1400 respondents.
Having analyzed the data and error margins, it was concluded that a
large sample was not necessary when reliable data can also be
obtained with a smaller sample size. Therefore, since REBR 2017,
companies are evaluated between 140 and 400 respondents. The
actual number of evaluations per company depends on the
awareness of the company.
The error margin is determined by the percent of respondents giving
a certain answer and the sample size to which the question has
been asked. The highest error margin occurs when 50 percent of
the respondents give a certain answer. The error margin is lower
when 30 percent (or 70 percent) of the respondents give a certain
answer.
example
140 respondents have evaluated company X. Of these 140, 50 percent find the
company nice to work for. Taking the error margin at n=140/50% into
account, the real answer lies between 42 percent and 58 percent.
400 respondents have evaluated company Y and of these 400, 50 percent
finds the company nice to work for. Taking the error margin at n=400/50%
into account, the real answer lies between 45 percent and 55 percent.
1200 respondents have evaluated company Z and of these 1200, 50 percent
finds the company nice to work for. Taking into account the error margin
at n=1200/50%, the real answer lies between 47 percent and 53 percent.
Therefore, the difference in error margin is very small between n=1200
and n=400 evaluations per company (5 percent margin vs 3 percent margin at
the most). As such it can be concluded that maximum 400 evaluations per
company are sufficient in order to determine a reliable attractiveness per
company.
In practice, this means that every company with an awareness over 35 percent
will have max 400 respondents evaluating the company. Companies with an
awareness below 35 percent will be evaluated by 140 to 400 people
(depending on awareness).
30© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.

31. ||
source bibliography.
1 Betterteam Blog
https://www.betterteam.com/blog/employer-branding
2 PwC, A marketplace without boundaries? Responding to disruption
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-survey/2015/assets/pwc-18th-annual-
global-ceo-survey-jan-2015.pdf
3 JWTInside, “The Evolving Culture-scape and Employee Expectation”
Research Study 2014, High Performance Employees
https://www.slideshare.net/JWTINSIDE/culture-scape-1028-sm
4 Harvard Business Review, A Bad Reputation Costs a Company at
Least 10% More Per Hire
https://hbr.org/2016/03/a-bad-reputation-costs-company-at-least-10-
more-per-hire
5 HR in Asia, Do You Think Your Employer Brand Can Be Ruined by
Social Media?
www.hrinasia.com/employer-branding/do-you-think-your-employer-brand-can-
be-ruined-by-social-media/
31© randstad 2018 | employer brand research 2018, country report usa.