JPMorgan and HSBC are top workplace choices for business students while Hong Kong government is first pick for engineering students, survey finds

Hong Kong universities’ business and commerce students have voted JPMorgan and HSBC the top two employers as potential jobseekers prioritise “a friendly work environment” over higher salaries, a survey by a talent advisory firm published on Thursday showed.

The survey, conducted between October 2022 and April 2023, interviewed 4,179 students from nine universities in Hong Kong pursuing degrees in business, commerce, engineering, natural sciences, humanities, liberal arts and education. It also revealed that students’ expected annual salary upon graduation fell 3 per cent to HK$292,900 a year or about HK$24,400 per month, reflecting the weak outlook in the face of the current economic slowdown.

The survey was conducted by Universum, which is part of Nasdaq-listed investment firm StepStone Group. It was part of an annual global survey conducted by the firm, whose focus is on employer branding, to gauge career aspirations and preferences of Hong Kong’s next-generation talent.

JPMorgan and HSBC retained their top positions from 2022, and in 2023 they were followed by Morgan Stanley, which jumped three places from the previous year. Google and the Hong Kong government rounded out the top five positions, respectively.

They were ahead of bigger firms like Apple and Goldman Sachs, but they both received a more favourable response from engineering and natural sciences students. Although the Hong Kong government slipped by a spot in its rankings among business and commerce students, it was voted the most ideal employer by engineering and natural sciences students for the fourth straight year.

“We are seeing young talent in Hong Kong prioritising work environment and career development over financial earnings and salary, a trend that can be seen in many of the more developed markets worldwide,” said Mike Parsons, managing director of APAC for Universum.