According to the recently released Cone Cause Evolution Survey 2007, more than two-thirds of Americans say they consider a company's business practices when choosing or staying with an employer. The study, the culmination of 14 years of Cause BrandingSM and corporate responsibility research, found a substantial increase in the number of workers who want their employers to be good corporate citizens and support a social cause or issue over their previous study. The latter findings confirm our research of a few years ago for our book "How to Become an Employer of Choice" in which we found that "making a difference" was an important element for an organization being an Employer of Choice®. (www.employerofchoice.com)
According to Julia Hobbs Kivistik, an executive vice president at Cone, cause-related marketing efforts remain an effective way for a company to express its charity and core values. This study indicates an evolution in internal and external consumer thinking about the ways organizations can support society.
The Cone study also found that meaningful commitment to causes is very important to employees. United States employees' expectations of companies have also dramatically increased. In fact, 72 percent wish their employers would do more to support a cause or social issue, up from 38 percent, since Cone’s last survey in 2004.
Employees familiar with their companies’ social responsibility programs responded to this survey in line with our chapter in the book "How to Become an Employer of Choice". Eighty-eight percent said they are proud of their companies' values; 89 percent feel a strong sense of loyalty to their companies related to their cause involvement; and a whopping 93 percent specified that it is "important for their companies to provide them with opportunities to become involved in causes". These findings demonstrate an evolution in the desire of employees to "make a difference". For more information, visit http://www.coneinc.com.
We believe that internal customers (employees) in the United States provide a worldwide role model. Furthermore, we will see a growing global trend towards wanting to make a difference, once the lower-level needs of safety, security, and belonging are met. Wise employers will take advantage of this trend to help them with employee retention, a growing problem, as world economies heat up.
Looking Forward. . .
Joyce Gioia-Herman
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