Where Do Millennials Want to Work?

The National Society of High School Scholars (NHSS) has released its 2016 Millennial Career Survey, uncovering the top employers selected by more than 13,000 high school students, college students and young professionals.

3M tops the list as the most preferred employer this year, with Google – the top choice in 2015 – moving to No. 2. Overall, technology companies are most popular among respondents, with nine employers in the top 25 list. Hospitals or health companies rank second, with six employers in the top 25 list.

Companies new to the top 25 include: BuzzFeed (No. 7), Nike (No. 15), Universal Studios (No. 17), Netflix (No. 18), Boeing (No. 21) and Samsung (No. 25).

“The survey findings yield unique insights into developing strategies for employers regarding generational differences in the workplace and for engaging the emerging talent pipeline,” said James W. Lewis, president of NSHSS. “Currently, the top career interests of this group are science, technology, engineering and mathematics, business and arts, entertainment and media. Millennials hope to find in the workplace fair treatment, corporate social responsibility and strong company benefits, which include flexible work schedules.”

NSHSS is an international honors organization based in Atlanta's North Druid Hills area, and helps advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving students. NSHSS partnered with Hanover Research to conduct the survey to gain insight into the preferences and attitudes of high-achieving millennials, now the largest generation in today’s workforce.

The 2016 top 25 employers of choice include:

1. 3M
2. Google
3. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
4. Walt Disney Company
5. Local hospital (write-in option)
6. FBI
7. BuzzFeed
8. Apple, Inc.
9. Central Intelligence Agency
10. Amazon
11. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
12. Health Care Services Corporation
13. Mayo Clinic
14. Microsoft
15. Nike
16. U.S. State Department
17. Universal Studios
18. Netflix
19. DreamWorks Animation SKG
20. The New York Times
21. Boeing
22. National Security Agency
23. Abercrombie & Fitch
24. Blue Cross Blue Shield
25. Samsung

The survey respondents are members of NSHSS ages 15 to 32. This diverse group – 48 percent African-American, Hispanic or Asian, 23 percent first generation college students and 39 percent multilingual – is reflective of U.S. demographic shifts.

You can read the entire report here.