By Josephine Asher

The dream employer of the year has been announced, and, not surprisingly, Google has claimed the title.

After quizzing nearly 3,000 people in Australia and New Zealand the dream employer organisers found that the ultimate employer has an excellent brand reputation and work culture and it offers “life balance”.

According to the Google website its employee benefits include on site perks such as yoga, massage and food in addition to its work challenges and recognition programs.
 
Other companies to make the top 20 dream employer list include the Virgin Group, Apple, Getaway (the Nine Network’s lifestyle program), Qantas, Sydney Water, BHP Billiton and Coca Cola.

"They’re different industries but a lot of them do promote fun working environments," says James Garriock, CEO of Insync Surveys who quizzed the 2,965 workers for the dream employer competition.

Insync found less than a third of this group were actually working for their dream employer and that 35 per cent of self-employed people believe they are their own dream employer.

Founder of the website for small business operators Flying Solo Robert Gerrish says owning a business was proving especially attractive as a successful lifestyle option for Generation Y.

"A lot of their work life is their social life also," he says. "When [business owners] get it right we realise the balance is within our day as opposed to saving it up for the weekend."

Getaway presenter Jason Dundas says his job allows him to "live life in front of the camera."

The Nine travel program ranks number nine in the list but Dundas says his job is no holiday.

"We can go to a location for three weeks and work 15 hour days and sometimes you don’t know where you are or what time it is," he says. "The reality is it’s not a holiday."

More than three quarters of the employers in the list promote a fun working environment, which suggests workers want to mix work with play.

CEO of recruitment firm Talent2 John Rawlinson says employers must offer benefits that demonstrate a commitment to the happiness of their workers. These include flexible hours, options to work from home, five weeks annual leave and days off for birthdays and charity work.

"Actions often speak louder than words in a brand," Rawlinson says.

"It shouldn’t be work life balance, it should be life balance. Even if you work part time, it’s still a big chunk of your waking life that you’re at work."

Brand reputation, pay benefits and conditions were voted equally as the fourth most important attribute for a dream employer.

Equal opportunities appeared last on the list of what makes a dream employer, with only four percent of workers including it in their top three.

TOP 20 DREAM EMPLOYERS (as voted by the public)
1. Google
2. Virgin Group/Richard Branson
3. Self
4. Apple
5. Qantas
6. The Walt Disney Company
7. OMD (media agency)
8. Sydney Water
9. Getaway
10. Coca Cola
11. Microsoft
12. Vodafone
13. eBay
14. Commonwealth Bank
15. The United Nations
16. Salmat
17. Lonely Planet
18. Air New Zealand
19. ABC
20. BHP Billiton