Millennials more likely than Gen Z to reject job offers over ethics and eco concerns

Millennials are more likely than Gen Z to turn down a job offer if they believed that the company’s ethics and sustainability practices did not align with their own personal values, according to new research by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

The researchers found that 27% of millennial prospective students strongly agree that an employer’s ethical and sustainability practices would impact their decision to accept a job offer, compared to 19% of Gen Z candidates.

The report also found that 85% of candidates believe that corporations have a social responsibility to the countries and people that support them. However, 37% of candidates state that they would prefer that global corporations did not get involved in social or political events or conflicts.

These findings come from the latest Prospective Students Survey by GMAC – a report which identifies and measures the needs and demands of aspiring students in management and business education.

The report – which is in its 15th year – analyses data from 4912 respondents across 147 countries, offering insights into evolving candidate decision making to guide business school strategies. Overall, the report found that 68% of all potential business school students state that a company’s ethics and sustainability practices would have an influence on whether or not they would accept a job offer. 

‘It is often assumed that Gen Z leads the charge on social values, but our findings suggest a more complex picture - millennials are actually more willing to walk away from job offers that don’t align with their ethics,’ said Nalisha Patel, regional director for the Americas and Europe at GMAC. ‘It is a clear reminder for companies that strong ethics and sustainability practices aren’t just nice to have – they are essential if they want to attract and retain value driven talent.’

The research also identified the key skillsets that employers are looking for when it comes to business school graduates – with an ever increasing want for human centric skills, such as emotional intelligence and problem solving, from corporate recruiters.

The report also focuses on the most desirable industries for business school prospective students, with consulting, financial services, and technology still top the list of preferred industries to work.Whilst a salary increase remains the main motivation for business school students pursuing a management education, along with potentially achieving a more senior role, and geographic mobility. 

The Graduate Management Admission Council is an international non profit organisation of over 200 business schools worldwide, that provides research and market insight to academic institutions and prospective graduate management education students.