But not every company suffers from an epidemic of employee disengagement. A handful of top companies really do get it — engaged workers aren’t just happier and more productive, but also the source of the vast majority of breakthrough ideas. (Click here to tweet this thought.) In addition to being great places to work if you happen to be looking for a job, these best-of-class companies can serve as inspiration for managers hoping to better inspire their teams.

So who exactly are these much desired organizations, and how do they attract top talent?

Every year LinkedIn aims to find out with its annual ranking of InDemand Employers, compiled by sorting through reams of data from the website. The latest edition is now out, so who made the list of America’s dream employers? Here are the top ten:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Amazon
4. Facebook
5. salesforce.com
6. The Walt Disney Company
7. Nike
8. McKinsey & Company
9. PepsiCo

There’s no shock at the top of the list as Google and Apple retain their (unsurprising) position at the top of the heap from last year. Nor were there any huge movers, but Amazon, with its bold and much chattered-about initiatives including drone delivery and controversial hardball tactics with publishers, did climb a couple of spots from number five to number three. Walt Disney, however, was two slots less magical this year.

So what makes a company such a dream employer? LinkedIn suggests five factors that these firms emphasize when hiring that keep them so demand among talent and so deeply engaging once they hire.

Authenticity

The best companies for employee engagement, unsurprisingly, encourage team members to bring their whole selves to work. “The culture at NBCUniversal is not a faceless corporate culture, it’s a culture that allows people to have a personality. Being true to your personality while maintaining professionalism is the key to success with landing your dream job here,” says NBCUniversal (ranked #15) VP of Talent Acquisition James Ryding, for instance.

Sociability

Top employers engage deeply with candidates on social media and encourage potential hires to have deeper connections to the company than a simple scan of the webpage.

Team orientation

The firms that topped the list don’t hire many lone wolves. Adobe (ranked #24) VP of Global Talent Selection and Development Jeff Vijungco says: “We want individuals with a unique skillset that complements the team, a sense of urgency to deliver beyond what’s possible and ‘we’ rather than ‘me’ team players.”

Ambition

Top workers don’t just work — they also dream big. “When you interview, show us your passion, your innovative mind, and intrigue us with your big ideas on the impact you could have on our company, customers and our community,” says salesforce.com SVP of Global Employee Success Monika Fahlbusch.

Adaptability

If you want to hire top employees, don’t expect them to do the same thing day in and day out. One of the keys to being engaging and in demand is routinely shaking things up and encouraging employees to follow their passions. “Prospects should be open and determined about pursuing passions yet flexible enough to jump in to anything,” says VMware (ranked #19) Director of Executive Staffing Anu Datta.

Employers: How could you emphasize these five factors to bring in more top recruits?

Jessica Stillman is a freelance writer based in London. She writes a daily column for Inc.com, contributes regularly to Forbes and Women 2.0 and has blogged for CBS MoneyWatch and GigaOM, among others.

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The post How to Attract Top Talent: 10 Companies Job Seekers are Dying to Work For appeared first on Brazen Life.

Do you wish you could read all the job-hunting books out there, forgo the trial and error of sloppy interviews, and move right to your best self and career?

No need. In response to 22 Game-Changing Job-Search Tips from a Recruiter, I’ve boiled down thousands of pages of advice into 22 game-changing tips that are gaining traction in the real world – tips I’m using in my own job search.

1. Know thyself. Before diving into a job search, take the time to figure out your passions, skills, ideal work environment, ideal colleagues, etc., so you know what you want. Really, it’s that important. Do not proceed to “Go” until you do this.

2. Get your messaging down. Again, don’t start networking until you do this. Take a good stab at your one-sentence, 30-second, and 1-minute elevator speeches.

3. Now forget your messaging. You’ll sound fake if you recite verbatim your stock answers. If you want to appear warm and personal, be conversational, not scripted.

4. Don’t confuse networking with relationships. You may have had coffee with someone, but that doesn’t mean you’re BFFs. Keep it professional until it really turns into a friendship.

5. Cultivate relationships. The best way to do this is to figure out ways to help the other person. You’ll build more relationships if you’re giving something back.

6. Don’t go in cold to networking meetings. Unless you want crickets chirping during pregnant pauses, do your homework and prepare some relevant questions ahead of time. Use networking meetings as opportunities to gain information from your questions.

7. Listen much more than you talk. As Mama said, you have two ears and one mouth. Listen in that ratio. Pose your questions, then step back and let the other person answer.

8. The secret sauce – interpersonal skills. Your social skills, body language, grace, and warmth will say much more than anything that comes out of your mouth. Be aware of how you carry yourself.

9. Leave them wanting more. Respect other people’s time by cutting your networking meetings off after 30 minutes. That will make you more likeable, which will make you more hirable.

10. Revamp the tried and true for 2012. In this day and age, how many people still have their fax number on their business cards instead of listing their Twitter account? How about introducing color in your resume?

11. Forget handicaps. Everyone has a handicap for you. Wrong title, not enough experience, etc. Your job is to find the one person who sees your potential.

12. Create a personal brand. This is more than a logo and tagline. Everything about you, be it tweets, Facebook pages, articles, etc., should have a unified personality, voice and value statement. Your brand should differentiate you from the pack.

13. Be visible. Go to events. Post interesting articles. Connect others. Don’t sit behind your computer all day.

14. Update your network on your progress. You’re the protagonist in your own story, fighting the evil unemployment empire. About every six weeks, let them know how the next chapter is going.

15. But don’t over-ping them. If someone in your networks gets three separate “help” emails from you in a week, they’re going to go cold.

16. Approach interviews like a consultant. This will help you get into the right mindset that 1) it’s less about you and more about how you can help them, 2) you listen and get curious and 3) you demonstrate your genius instead of just talking about it.

17. Breathe and smile. People smell fear and desperation in interviews. To combat your sweat glands, breathe and smile. They are the basic ingredients to being relaxed and personable.

18. “Thank God for unanswered prayers.” Forgive me if I just quoted Garth Brooks, but he’s right. Sometimes you dodge a bullet by not getting the job.

19. Study up on search firms. Executive search firms have very specific protocols and etiquette. If you’re lucky enough to attract their attention, read up on their rules of engagement.

20. Create your own job. If you see a market niche, don’t be afraid to propose your own job. At the very least, they’ll be impressed by your initiative, and you’re in a candidate pool of one.

21. Be you. By being you, you’re guaranteed to be an expert and come across as genuine, which two really good qualities in a job candidate.

22. Enjoy time off. When you’re working, you’ll long for the time when you could have taken three-day weekends. Make the most of this time off while you can.

Jim Rettew is the former Chief Communication Officer for the American Red Cross in Colorado. He recently moved to Minnesota for his wife’s job and is looking for gainful employment.

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