Socially Responsible Companies Are Big Draw for Workers, Study Says

June 1, 2016 | Read Time: 1 minute

Title: 2016 Cone Communications Employee Engagement Study

Summary: Workers and job seekers place a higher premium on employers’ corporate-responsibility practices today than ever before, according to the report.

Along with wanting competitive salaries and the best of traditional benefits like quality health insurance, more people want to sign on with companies where environmental and social issues matter.

Among the findings:

Seven in 10 respondents said opportunities to contribute to corporate-responsibility efforts would increase employee loyalty.

Nearly three-quarters said their job is more fulfilling when employers make it possible for them to have a positive effect on environmental and social issues.

Almost 80 percent of those polled said it’s important that their employer provides opportunities for hands-on activities focused on environmental responsibility.
Sixty-four percent of millennials said they won’t work for a company that doesn’t have robust commitments to environmental or social causes, and 75 percent said they would choose a job with a socially responsible firm even if the salary was less than at other organizations.

The study polled 1,020 employees at companies with at least 1,000 workers. The respondents were split equally by gender.

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About the Author

Maria Di Mento

Senior Editor

Maria directs the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 50, a comprehensive report on America’s most generous donors. She writes about wealthy philanthropists, family and legacy foundations, next generation philanthropy, arts organizations, key trends and insights related to high-net-worth donors, and other topics.