Having a strong social mission could give employers a competitive edge as they strive to attract and retain younger workers who are driven more by purpose than bonuses, according to social mission expert Andy Last.
The workforce is changing and while, on the one hand, automation is making millions of jobs redundant, on the other, cohorts of young people — often referred to as millennials and their successors, “Generation Z” — are entering the workforce and bringing with them new ideas about how business should be done.
For example, a recent survey of 1,500 young professionals from Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S., revealed that nearly 60 percent said they ranked working for a company committed to making the world a better place as high as salary in terms of importance when considering job opportunities.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
