Last year we talked about the top companies business students and professionals want to work for based on the 2015 Universum Global survey. The new results are in for 2016:

The survey represents where people want to work, which is informative if respondents have set their aspirations based on solid research. But what is the view from inside those companies, from employees who are there day to day?

Fortunately for us, Glassdoor, Fortune, Indeed, and Poets & Quants have researched and shared exactly such findings.

Glassdoor’s top 10 companies to work for in 2016:

Glassdoor collects anonymous company reviews from employees. In addition to review data from 2015, Glassdoor surveyed employees about job satisfaction, company leadership and opportunities, compensation, and work-life balance. Glassdoor also asked whether employees would recommend the company and how they felt about the company’s six-month outlook.

Fortune’s top 10 list:

Fortune partnered with Great Place to Work to compile this list. Two-thirds of the ranking is based on job satisfaction, company leadership and camaraderie. Another third is determined by pay and benefits, internal communications, career development, and recognition.

Indeed’s list for 2016:

Indeed also collects company reviews from employees. The rankings are based on a company’s average rating, number of reviews, and history of job openings. Overall job satisfaction factors most prominently into the rating, along with company leadership, advancement opportunities, culture, work-life balance, and compensation and benefits.

More specific to MBAs is the top 10 list from Poets & Quants:

TransparentMBA, a “Glassdoor for MBAs,” provided the scores in this ranking to Poets & Quants based on data from 1,500 current MBA interns and recent graduates working full-time at 32 companies. The scores are determined by overall job satisfaction, culture, impact, and whether the MBA would recommend the employer.

What’s the take away?

(1) Broaden your options. There are many companies with satisfied, happy employees, including some employers you may never have considered. When it comes for recruiting and job seeking, these lists can provide you with new ideas for your own.

(2) There are some consistent and repeat winners. If you’re in the enviable position of choosing between, say, BCG and McKinsey, you may consider these data in your decision.

(3) Use lists wisely. If you’re not a fan of the tobacco industry, you probably won’t be happy at Phillip Morris no matter their ranking. Personal fit with your temperament and interests, your immediate boss and teammates, location, and your specific negotiated situation are the context in which to consider this valuable insider information.

Catherine Guo

Catherine is a marketing intern at LTG Exam Prep. She has worked as an EFL instructor in Japan and an ESL teacher in the United States. She can speak English, Chinese, and Japanese. Check out her posts on the Prep4GMAT blog.