Young people want a good corporate citizen when they're looking for a job after business school, according to a new survey of students.
And the top employer is a familiar one to many in northeast Oklahoma area: Phillips 66.
In a survey of more than 20,800 business students at 320 colleges nationwide, Phillips 66 was ranked as the employer with the strongest degree of social responsibility.
The oil company, formally based in Bartlesville, ranked ahead of organizations such as the Peace Corps and the American Cancer Society.
"We're always surprised that some of the companies that make it to the top are who they are," said Vicki Lynn, senior vice president of client talent strategy and employer branding for research and advisory firm Universum, which conducted the survey. "We go in thinking with a certain perception in the way it's going to fall."
Universum focused its survey on which domestic companies or other organizations are most ideal to work for, and why. The results were published on Forbes magazine's website.
The students used Universum's employer-attractiveness tool to rank and categorize what makes companies more desirable to work for. Including compensation and reputation, corporate social responsibility is high among the attributes.
"Today, the students are extremely socially conscious about lots of things," Lynn said. "I really do believe that this is important to them, and maybe more so than previous generations."
Phillips 66 representatives were unavailable for comment Friday.
The company's website promotes its corporate responsibility, focusing on environmental, societal and economic concerns, with sustainability as a focus.
The current Phillips 66 was formed in May 2012 when ConocoPhillips completed a restructuring. But its history in northeast Oklahoma dates back to the Phillips Petroleum Co. founded in 1917.
Phillips grew throughout the 20th century to be one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in the country.
In 2002, Phillips merged with Conoco Inc, creating the sixth-largest publicly traded oil company in the world. The new Conoco- Phillips moved its headquarters to Houston in the merger.
Then, in 2011, Conoco- Phillips announced it was spinning off its refining and marketing business into Phillips 66.
Lynn said Phillips 66 and, prior to that spinoff, ConocoPhillips had a history of working hard to be a good corporate citizen, and students recognized that. It doesn't hurt that the name and brand are known by many people.
"I think it is a high degree of familiarity," Lynn said.
Though it wasn't until after the survey was concluded, Lynn said an example of corporate social responsibility was Phillip 66's efforts to help with tornado relief in Oklahoma, with large contributions to relief funds.
Those efforts make companies attractive to some of the best talent, which is especially relevant in the high-demand world of oil and gas, Lynn said.
"I think people are going to take a close look now" at the company, Lynn said.
Top 10 entities rated strong in social responsibility
Phillips 66
T-Mobile
City Year
Aflac
American Cancer Society
DOW Chemicals
United States Postal Service
Johnson and Johnson
The Home Depot
Peace Corps
Source: Universum survey of business students at 320 universities, conducted December 2012 to March 2013
Top 10 entities rated strong in social responsibility
- Phillips 66
- T-Mobile
- City Year
- Aflac
- American Cancer Society
- DOW Chemicals
- United States Postal Service
- Johnson and Johnson
- The Home Depot
- Peace Corps
Source: Universum survey of business students at 320 universities, conducted December 2012 to March 2013
Jerry Wofford 918-581-8310
jerry.wofford@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Survey ranks Phillips 66 top employer
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