What attracts top talent? Is it great benefits, flexible hours, steep pay packages, or state-of-the-art training? New research suggests it’s something simpler – but more difficult to obtain.

Prestige.

The status of a firm is quite possibly the leading driver in attracting the best of the best, at least in investment banking, according to a paper recently accepted by the Strategic Management Journal. Matthew Bidwell, an assistant professor at Wharton, and his colleagues wanted to better understand how something not-so-concrete like reputation stacks up against more tangible enticements.

To read the original article: The Real Reason New MBAs Want to Work for Goldman Sachs - Gretchen Gavett - Harvard Business Review