Young Want to Work for Socially Responsible Companies

TrainingZone

Young Want to Work for Socially Responsible Companies

By TrainingZone

Research undertaken by BT has highlighted the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) amongst young professionals.

More than a third (35.4%) of those surveyed claimed that working for a caring and responsible employer was more important to them than the salary they earned, and 44% said they would discount an employer if they didn’t have a good CSR reputation.

Despite being a relatively new business function for some companies, 99% of the young professionals surveyed knew what the term meant.

Other key findings included:

Nearly half (48.5%) felt so strongly about companies having CSR polices and acting responsibly that they claimed it should be compulsory.

Opinion was split about where companies should be focusing their CSR efforts, however 33% considered the environment the most important, edging out market innovation, workplace commitments (flexible working, staff welfare) and community investment.

25.5% believed business had the most influence on the future of our planet, which was second only to government (36.7 per cent).

Alison Garner, CSR communications manager at BT, said: “These results reflect our experience at BT – that young professionals are increasingly looking at CSR when considering which companies and brands they might work for. Not only is it important to have a solid CSR policy, but it is also increasingly important for companies to communicate what they are doing as it is an area which can undoubtedly provide competitive advantage.”