More than a third of young professionals claim that working for a caring and responsible employer is more important to them than the salary they earn.
The CSR Perceptions research by BT found that 35.4% of the young professionals surveyed prioritise an organisation's approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) above salary. Employers could even lose out on recruiting talent, with 44% of respondents stating that they would discount an employer if they did not have a good CSR reputation.
Nearly half (48.5%) said that it should be compulsory for a company to have CSR policies, while 33% considered the environment most important factor, above and beyond market innovation; workplace commitments (flexible working; staff welfare) and community investment.
Alison Garner, CSR communications manager at BT, said: "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."