Older job applicants more likely to turn down management roles than Zoomers, a survey finds.
A research paper published by the global nonprofit association of business schools, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), has revealed that millennials (people born ~1980-2000) are more inclined to turn down job offers if they have concerns over a prospective employer’s ethics and sustainability practices, compared to other generations.
The Prospective Students Survey analysed data from 4,912 respondents in 147 countries. It says 27% of millennial prospective students said they strongly agree that an employer’s stance on ethics and sustainability would influence their decision to accept a job offer, compared to just 19% of Gen Z (people born ~2000-2010) respondents.
Researchers also found 85% of all candidates agreed that businesses have a social responsibility to their customers, employees, and users. However, 37% said they did not want global corporations to become involved in political or social conflicts and events, thus keeping ethical concerns strictly out of any deliberations on whether or not to accept a job offer.
In all, 68% of all the business school candidates stated that a corporation’s ethics and sustainability practices would have some influence on whether they would consider an employer.
Nalisha Patel, Regional Director for the Americas and Europe at GMAC, spoke on the findings, saying the they “suggest a […] complex picture,” where “millennials are actually more willing to walk away from job offers that don’t align with their ethics. It’s a clear reminder for companies that strong ethics and sustainability practices aren’t just nice to have – they’re essential if they want to attract and retain value-driven talent.”
As well as the ethical and ecological concerns of potential graduates from GMAC school members, the association’s research identified key skills which employers desire from business school graduates. These included emotional intelligence and problem-solving.
The report identified salary as the primary motivation behind why business school prospective students choose to pursue a management education. Other key motivators include achieving more senior positions and having the ability to work in different locations.
Whether salary trumps ethical and ecological concerns when accepting a job offer may come down to the individual preferences of business school graduates, but GMAC has revealed a generational divide. The older millennials show a stronger desire for values-driven employment than Gen Z.
(Image source: “Graduation Day” by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0.)
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