Ernst & Young LLP Named as One of the Top Five Ideal Employers

NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Ernst & Young LLP is the highest ranked Big Four accounting firm on the 2010 US Undergraduate Universum IDEAL™ Employer Survey. In addition to being ranked among the top five overall employers by nearly 60,000 college students who participated in the survey, Ernst & Young was ranked No. 2 in the business field and scored the No. 1 spot among students surveyed who are majoring in accounting.

The Universum Top 100 student survey is conducted every year around the world. In the US, students of all ages are targeted at nearly 220 leading universities. They are asked questions about their career expectations and how they perceive companies as employers. Students are also asked to pick the employers they would consider working for and then choose the employers they would most like to work for — companies they perceive as being ideal.

Ernst & Young focuses on creating an inclusive and flexible work environment. It has been recognized for innovative online and campus recruitment strategies, such as its EY Careers page on Facebook, which has drawn more than 40,000 fans. In addition, Ernst & Young places emphasis on learning and development through coaching and creating the experiences that help people grow and succeed. Every summer, Ernst & Young LLP hosts a four-day International Intern Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida where interns learn about the firm directly from top leaders and participate in fun and engaging team-building exercises.

"At Ernst & Young, our people and culture are our top priority — and we live that every day. Our commitment to our people starts from the first day on the job," remarks Steve Howe, Ernst & Young's Americas Area Managing Partner. "We listen to our people, and we respond to the things that we've heard. We are constantly seeking feedback at all levels of the organization, because we know this makes us better and we strive to be a great place to work."

Steve Howe recently keynoted the Great Place to Work Institute's® annual conference, discussing Ernst & Young's focus on engaging employees through the tough economic climate. In response to employee feedback coming out of the economic downturn, Ernst & Young announced a new program in the US called "EY Connect Day," which will roll out across all offices this summer. Each employee will be given a day off from their regular duties to participate in community engagement and team-building activities with colleagues in their local office.

Ernst & Young LLP has been named to Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 12 consecutive years. In addition, the firm ranks among Working Mother Magazine's Top 10 companies for working moms and among the top five on DiversityInc's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity®" list.

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 144,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a US client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited.

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP