Research conducted by telecommunications giant, BT, has found that young people are increasingly concerned about their company”s corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies.
CSR is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of business practices, from an organisation”s treatment of employees in the office, to responsibility for them when travelling to and from work and meetings, or abroad on business trips.
Recent changes to the Corporate Manslaughter Bill have also increased company liability for employees when travelling and could, as ITM has suggested, have implications for commuter travel as well as business travel (see ABTN 12 July).
More than a third of those surveyed (35.4%) said working for a CSR-responsible employer was more important than the salary they earned, with 44% stating they would not consider working for a company that had a poor CSR reputation.
Almost all of the 20-30 year-olds surveyed (99%) knew what the term corporate social responsibility meant, demonstrating its rising importance in the modern workplace. Indeed, 48.5% felt it so important that they thought it should be compulsory for a company to have an effective CSR policy in place.
Opinion was mixed when it came to the specific aspects of CSR a company should focus on, with respondents citing environmental practice, edging out market innovation, workplace commitments and community investment as the most important factors.
The survey also revealed that second to the government, most felt corporations had the most influence on the future of our planet.
”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,” said BT CSR communications manager, Alison Garner.
”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.”