When considering a job, salary is top of mind for practically everyone, but most job seekers also check out what an employer stands for and how they treat workers before they actually apply, according to Glassdoor's Mission & Culture Survey 2019.

Glassdoor surveyed more than 5,000 adults in the U.S., U.K. France and Germany, and found that the vast majority (79 percent) would consider a company's mission and purpose before applying for a job there, and 77 percent would consider a company's culture.

These sentiments don't stop once they get hired, either; if their current company's culture deteriorates, 71 percent of employees would start looking for new opportunities elsewhere.

“Today's employees — of all ages and nationalities — place high significance on values and this resonates with the growth of passion-based causes springing up around the globe,” the authors write. “For an employer, it's critical that they are able to clearly define and communicate their values, as well as consistently demonstrate that they are living up to them.”

Millennials (18- to 34-year-olds) are more likely to place culture above salary than those age 45 and older in two of the four countries surveyed — U.S. (65 percent vs. 52 percent age 45+) and U.K. (66 percent vs. 52 percent age 45+).

On the other hand, in all of the countries except the U.S., older adults prize mission and purpose the more than millennials: U.K. (93 percent compared to 85 percent), France (94 percent compared to 85 percent), Germany (93 percent compared to 78 percent).

Two-thirds (66 percent) of employed adults believe people at their work are more motivated and engaged because of a strong company mission. In terms of gender breakdown, more men than women believe this in all markets except the U.K.

“The good news is that 77 percent of employees across all countries surveyed believe employers are becoming more mission-driven to recruit and retain talent,” the authors write. “Employers are clearly doing the right thing but this survey demonstrates there is still much work to be done to attract and keep hold of top talent, so mission and culture should be a top priority.”

Other survey findings include:

Those with children in their household more likely to place culture above salary than those without children in two of the four countries surveyed: U.K. (63 percent vs. 54 percent) and U.S. (63 percent vs. 54 percent).
A company's mission is one of the main reasons that 64 percent of employees stay in their job. French employees are more likely to feel this way (70 percent) compared to the U.S. (64 percent), Germany (63 percent) and U.K. (60 percent).
Significantly fewer employed German adults than employed French and U.S. adults would leave their current job if the company culture deteriorates (67 percent compared to 75 percent in France and 74 percent in the U.S.).

Read more:

Instant Insights /

Job seekers want to know about company culture before they apply

More From HR Executive

Related Stories

Recommended For You