More jobseekers want socially responsible employers, but few businesses deliver

57% of jobseekers look for ethical employers
82% of jobseekers think Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is to become more important issue
83% of companies want to work with ethically responsible partners
Just 35% of businesses currently have CSR strategies
Regional breakdown of results available

A survey of over 6,000 jobseekers by leading recruiter Reed Employment has revealed that more than half ( 57%) believe that having an ethically and socially responsible employer is important. 12% admitted that a defined corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy was the most important factor in selecting a new employer.

Having a corporate conscience is likely to become more of a draw card in the future, with 82% of jobseekers reporting that CSR will become an even more important issue over the next five years.

Janine Parry, Head of Marketing, Reed Employment comments:

We are fast becoming a socially aware society and it's no surprise that jobseekers are demanding a more ethical stance from their employers. The decision to implement a CSR policy makes good business sense; it gives companies a competitive edge, saves money, and as our research shows, helps to attract top candidates.

The social issues closest to candidates' hearts were openness to equal opportunities ( 44%), diversity of workforce ( 26%), environmental policies (16%) and charity work (6%). However, while 95% of candidates understood the concept of social responsibility, a significant 30% did not understand what it means to be carbon neutral.

Janine Parry continues: With climate change high on the public agenda, it's clear that one of the first steps to going green is educating employees about the small differences they can make that will help protect the environment. This is precisely what we have done at Reed Employment, where we have been working with the Carbon Neutral Company for over a year in an attempt to reduce our own carbon footprint.

Companies, however, appear to have a long way to go. A similar survey carried out amongst employers revealed that while 83% believe it is important to have socially and ethically responsible partners, only 35% currently have their own CSR policies.