Linkedin, the world’s largest professional network, with more than 175 million members worldwide including 10 million in the UK, today revealed that Google is the UK’s most sought after employer, with BBC, Unilever, Shell and BP rounding out the top five.

The new employer rankings, based on the billions of interactions among LinkedIn’s members, were announced today at LinkedIn’s Talent Connect event in central London, in front of more than 500 of Europe’s top employers.

The Top 20 Most InDemand Employers in the UK

1. Google
2. BBC
3. Unilever
4. Shell
5. BP
6. Microsoft
7. Apple
8. John Lewis
9. Burberry
10. HP
11. GlaxoSmithKline
12. Marks & Spencer
13. Goldman Sachs
14. Barclays
15. Accenture
16. Tesco
17. BAE systems
18. ITV
19. ASOS.com
20. Diageo

A few interesting insights were revealed about what makes a desirable and sought-after employer in the UK:

• Sector favourites shift: Traditionally a nation of engineers, UK professionals appear more interested in working for technology, media and retail brands, all of which combined to dominate the top 10
• Talent pools tempted by tech: 4 of the UK top 10 employer brands were made up of tech giants, including Google, Microsoft, Apple and HP
• Financials falter: Despite the importance of the financial services industry to the UK economy, just two companies from the sector – Goldman Sachs and Barclays – made it into the UK top 20
• Size matters: Nine of the top 10 most InDemand Employer brands possess over 10,000 employees. Only Burberry bucked the trend

Employer branding critical say British employers, but action lacking

According to research also released today by LinkedIn², three-quarters of UK companies agree that employer brand is a top priority, but appear to be slow in backing this sentiment with an equal level of investment. However, 57 percent of UK organisations did spend more on employer brand in 2012 versus 2011, beating the global average by 6 percent.

Globally, companies believe that their website (78 percent) and word of mouth (56 percent) are the most effective ways of promoting employer brand. Nearly half (46 percent) are already finding social professional networks highly effective for employer branding, 47 percent for the UK, although only one in three global firms admits that they regularly measure their employer brand in a quantifiable way.

“Despite tough economic times, companies are increasingly competing for top talent, with 70 percent of employers ranking employer branding as one of their biggest priorities,” said David Cohen, director of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Northern Europe. “The ability to better understand how your company is perceived amongst key professional audiences empowers you to take steps to better engage the professionals you most want to hire.”

Top 20 lists for the UK, France and the Netherlands and worldwide are available online at: http://talent.linkedin.com/indemand/#uk