Generation Z job seekers are prioritizing company culture around sustainability over hefty pay, according to a Nov. 13 Fortune article. As a result, they are not likely to bite on shallow morals, nor are they afraid to call them out.
Fortune cited a survey that found that 60 percent of Gen Z job seekers won't apply for a job at a company that has a perceived negative effect on the environment.
"If a company wants to drive more sustainable efforts and reduce the carbon footprint, then that's a huge plus for me. Just because it shows this company has very high morals," Matthew Kim, a senior economics student at the University of California Berkeley told Fortune. "That is more important to me than a competitive salary."
Three other company habits that pull Gen Z workers, according to Fortune:
1. A genuine values-based approach: Gen Z is good at calling out buzzwords. They want to see a company's values embedded in everything they do, especially their actions. It is not enough to say climate change is a priority if the company is not acting on it, and if a Gen Z candidate does not see action, they will go elsewhere — or create it themselves.
2. Money where the mouth is: Gen Z can see right through "advertising language." They will look to the company's finances to see if reducing its carbon footprint is actually prioritized or if it is just talk.
3. A more-than-livable wage: Many new job seekers do not have the financial freedom to choose a company that aligns perfectly with their values. Those people need a company that can support them, even if it is not a company they believe in, though they may aspire to choose a company based on culture in the future.