Linkedin reveals where India wants to Work Now

LinkedIn recently announced the 2017 list of Top Companies in India. Formerly titled ‘Top Attractors 2016’, the annual ranking spotlights India’s most sought-after employers. The list is fueled by exclusive LinkedIn data, including job seeker reach, engagement and retention, paired with an editorial lens that examines the billions of actions by LinkedIn’s 500+ million members.

The top two spots in the list continue to be held by Flipkart and Amazon respectively, for the second year in a row. The list of 25 Top Companies in India also saw over 30% of new entrants, namely One97 Communications (#4), Tech Mahindra (#14), Swiggy (#15), IDFC Bank (#17), Vodafone (#20), Grofers (#22), McKinsey & Company (#24) and Oracle (#25). Among the companies making upward movements are Ola from last year’s #10 to #5, OYO Rooms from #16 to #9, Reliance Industries from #23 to #10, and Cisco from #24 to #16.

While every company on the India list fosters a unique culture and robust business model, it revealed a few standout insights:

Industry Disruptors Gain Preference - Professionals are attracted to companies that disrupt the status quo and lead by example. Case in point, Ola at #5 has revolutionized the urban mobility by creating an ingenious business model with services like Ola Play, Fleet, Shuttle etc. Similarly, OYO Rooms ranked at #9, has transformed the hospitality industry to become a budget traveler's first choice. Internet companies that have proved their mettle as disruptors in their space also made it to the list. These include some of the biggest homegrown names in their respective categories such as MakeMyTrip (#23) and Swiggy (#15).

Inclination Towards Homegrown Companies – Offering new possibilities and opportunities for talent within the country, homegrown companies are increasingly being considered by job seekers. From leading tech multinationals to startups, 13 homegrown companies found place in the list including HCL Technologies (#6), and Wipro (#18). The list also saw six startups (including two unicorns) making it to the top 25, including Flipkart (#1), One97 Communications (#4), OYO Rooms (#9) and Grofers (#22) among others.

“India Inc is thriving, backed by an increasing business friendly sentiment and a positive economic trajectory. Understanding the pulse of a younger employee base, enterprises in India are working to build an ethos that drives performance and also delivers a rich workplace experience. We analysed India's most attractive employers to understand how their culture and growth opportunities appeal to Indian professionals and interestingly, home grown companies are leading the list.” said Irfan Abdulla, Director Talent Solutions & Learning Solutions, LinkedIn India.

The complete list of the Top Companies is below:

Many of the companies have one thing in common, they reward their employees well. From unique welcome traditions to offering sabbaticals for tenured employees and wellbeing programs, companies offer perks in order to retain employees. Some of the interesting things that companies are giving their employees include:

• Flipkart – On their first day, employees are picked up by chauffeur-driven cars and sent on a treasure hunt to familiarize themselves with the office. Employees with over two years at Flipkart can take a career break to pursue higher studies, spend time with family or attend to medical emergencies
• Amazon – Amazon offers “leave share” as part of their parental leave policy, allowing employees to gift six weeks of paid leave to a spouse or partner who isn’t eligible for parental leave at their employer
• Adobe – The company has initiated many programs that emphasise its commitment to employee health. From a doctor on campus to providing free consultations to employees and their families, the company believes keeping its people healthy is the key to building a strong company culture

“All top companies in India have a strong talent brand, powered by culture and purpose.  While these factors are the main drivers in attracting talent, the key to retaining employees is to create an environment where employees can grow by working on meaningful projects and contributing to the organization’s success”, added Irfan Abdulla.

Some companies that demonstrate this vision include:

• KPMG India – KPMG India employees get the opportunity to tackle some of the biggest issues facing Indian businesses and governments today, like redefining urban growth in Maharashtra or helping guide the future of renewable energy
• HCL Technologies – Promoting the concept of ‘Ideapreneurship’, HCL Technologies has created an atmosphere where employees are taking the lead in finding solutions and ideas and then driving them to fruition