New York, NY (September 28, 2004) ñ Corporate reputation is a major factor for job-seekers at the top of the pay scale, according to a survey conducted by executive job search service TheLadders.com. Eighty three percent of the surveyís 1,020 respondents said that a companyís record of business ethics is ìvery importantî when deciding to accept a job offer.
Only 2% of executives responding to the survey said that the companyís record of business ethics was altogether ìunimportant,î and 15% said it was ìimportant, but not a deal-breaker.î
When asked about specific companies, the surveyís respondents showed a mixed response to recent, highly-publicized corporate scandals. While some of the most public faces of corporate malfeasance seem to have hindered their ability to recruit top talent, others have come away with their recruiting functions largely in tact.
Among those companies recently associated with public misdeeds, Enron, Worldcom and Adelphia received the most negative sentiment among those surveyed. When asked if they would work for these companies, 72% said they would not take a job at Enron; 65% said they would not take a job at Worldcom; and 59% said they would not take a job at Adelphia.
Companies that appear to have weathered the storm of corporate scandal with less damage done to their recruiting efforts include Symbol Technologies, for which 63% of executives say they would like to work; Tyco, for which 61% would like to work; and Global Crossing, for which 53% would like to work. The jury is still out on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia: 51% of survey respondents said they would not want to work for the company and 49% said they would.
These numbers compare with 85% of executives who said they would like to work for Pixar; 83% who said theyíd like to work for Federal Express; and 80% who said theyíd like to work for Dell, Google and Smuckers.
ìThe scarlet letter of scandal haunts corporate misbehavers today,î explained TheLadders.com founder and president, Marc Cenedella. ìOur readers, who represent a cross section of the nationís top $100K talent, clearly see the public images of the companies they work for as a reflection of their own credibility in the marketplace. But, we find it interesting that they are also drawing subtle distinctions between whatís an acceptable corporate misstep and whatís an outright reputational disaster.î
The survey of registered $100k executives was conducted on TheLadders.com Web site from August 1, 2004 through September 16, 2004. The margin of error is 3.06%.
Business Ethics a Top Priority Among Job-Seeking Execs
83% Say Company Reputation is ìVery Importantî Factor in Job Hunt
