Fast-growing tech companies and professional services firms dominate the list of the best places to work in India in 2018, according to LinkedIn’s latest ranking.
From homegrown companies to global giants, the leading firms are those that offer staff the opportunity to innovate and repay their efforts with appealing benefits.
“Data shows us that an opportunity to work at solving big problems, rewriting the rules of one’s industry or simply putting a big name on one’s resume could be powerful motivators,” said Adith Charlie, LinkedIn’s India editor.
The “Top Companies” list is based on feedback from LinkedIn’s more than 47 million users in India. The study looks at four main pillars: interest in the company; engagement with employees; job demand; and employee retention.
It forms part of a LinkedIn’s wider annual analysis of its 546 million users, which it has used to determine the top companies to work for across the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Australia and Brazil.
LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft were excluded from the research for fairness.
Here are the top 10 companies to work for in India:
10. OYO
Global headcount: 2,700
Indian budget hotel aggregator OYO has grown quickly since its launch in 2011, and last year moved closer to achieving much-coveted Unicorn status after closing its latest round of funding.
As a result, the company is on a hiring spree and looks to take on an additional 2,000 staff in 2018. Successful applicants can expect to have a say in the running of the business, including the design of its office.
9. EY
Global headcount: 250,000
EY is an established name in the accountancy world, but it is also taking steps to improve its tech capabilities and is increasingly looking for candidates with data analytics and artificial intelligence backgrounds.
Staff at the firm are rewarded with flexible work arrangements and 16 weeks of parental leave.
8. KPMG India
Global headcount: 197,263
With a constant stream of high caliber graduates leaving India’s top business schools, management consultancy firm KPMG has grown significantly during its 25 years in India.
As a firm, it places a heavy emphasis on health and well-being and regularly runs initiatives to encourage staff to address health issues.
7. Alphabet (Google’s parent company)
Global headcount: 80,110
Tech behemoth Alphabet has long had reputation for asking tough interview questions like, “Estimate the number of tennis balls that can fit into a plane”, and “Which do you think has more advertising potential in Boston — a flower shop or funeral home?”
The company is said to have scaled back on those kinds of queries, but successful applicants will nevertheless be rewarded with gourmet meals, fitness facilities, and onsite childcare.
6. McKinsey & Company
Global headcount: 25,000
Management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company boasts some of India’s biggest business brains among its alumni, from Ola’s Saikiran Krishnamurthy to Myntra’s Ananth Narayanan.
The company also places great emphasis on personal development: Under its “Take Time” program, staff are invited to take five to 10 weeks out of work to pursue a personal passion.
5. Anheuser-Busch InBev
Global headcount: 200,000
Anheuser-Busch InBev, otherwise known as AB InBev, is the global brewing company behind brands such as Budweiser, Beck’s and Stella Artois.
But earning a job at this beer mecca is tough: Candidates can expect to go through as many as seven interviews and exercises, according to a Financial Times report.
4. Amazon
Global headcount: 566,000
E-commerce giant Amazon is investing $5 billion in India as part of founder and CEO Jeff Bezos’s efforts to compete with Flipkart and capture the country’s vast and fast-growing population.
Part of that spend will go toward recruitment and employee benefits. Current perks include eight weeks of flexible or partial work hours for new parents, and the ability to give six week’s paid parental leave to a partner who isn’t eligible at their own firm.
3. One97 Communications (Paytm)
Global headcount: 17,000
One97 Communications is the parent company of Indian e-payments and e-commerce brand Paytm, which allows customers to make payments through their mobile.
The company seeks to reward its fast-growing team by offering stock plans to its top performers. More than 20 Paytm employees recently became dollar millionaires following a secondary sale of stock options.
2. Flipkart
Global headcount: 8,000
Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart was set up in 2007 by former Amazon employees Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal. It now employs 8,000 people.
The firm plans to increase its headcount by 10 percent this year, and new employees, or “Flipsters,” can expect a treasure hunt on their first day to help them get to know the office.
1. Directi
Global headcount: 1,500+
Directi is responsible for a range of technology companies, including voice-calling app Ringo and workplace messaging tool Flock.
As a business it is know for having an unconventional hiring process, including task development tasks and questions like “How many diapers are sold in Mumbai every day?” Candidates who pass the interview stage can expect a complimentary Kindle as part of their welcome kit, as well as daily access to the office’s games suite.