Many job seekers are attracted to eco-conscious companies, TheLadders survey finds

by Shane Henson — April 23, 2012—Companies may be able to boost their ability to attract top candidates through being more eco-conscious, according to a new survey by TheLadders, a career-focused online service that helps job seekers connect with employers and recruiters.

The survey, produced after questioning more than 100 workers in a host of industries, revealed that when offered two equal job opportunities, 72% of candidates would choose the more eco-conscious company versus 10% who said that they would not. Less than a fifth (18%) said it would not influence their decision.

TheLadders survey also revealed:

  • It’s not easy being green for employers. Less than half (48%) of the respondents consider their most recent company to be green; 35% said they work for a company that is not green, and 17% are not sure.
  • Employees give green workplaces the green light. Working for a green company is important to 87% of respondents in varying degrees—extremely important (28%), very important (30%), moderately important (22%), and slightly important (7%)—whereas only 13% find it not important.
  • Workers are willing to go green for a change. Most employees (75%) are willing to change their daily routine if their recent company provided them with small incentives to be green. Only a quarter (25%) of respondents were resistant.

“Since launching almost a decade ago, we have seen a growing desire for job seekers to work in an environment that reflects their personal values,” said Alex Douzet, chief operating officer and co-founder of TheLadders. “It is clear from our survey that professionals are attracted to employers who share their priorities, enabling us to offer this exclusive data to our almost 20,000 recruiters nationwide. Our research provides a critical wake-up call to employers who do not consider eco-conscious efforts to be best practice.”