As revealed by Les Echos Start this Friday, January 27, the French companies Decathlon, BlaBlaCar and Carrefour are the most committed to CSR according to the bac + 5. The rest of the podium is 100% French with the big known names such as EDF, SNCF, Airbus, Doctolib. To carry out this study, 1,229 students and young graduates at bac + 5 level were interviewed between September and October 2022 by the firm Universum.
These results are part of the second edition of the CSR Index carried out via an assisted vote bringing together 60 companies among those of the CAC 40, the CAC ESG and companies already identified on the CSR criterion in previous studies by the firm.
Ranking: the Top 15 employers perceived as the most committed
decathlon is seen as the most committed employer. Already the favorite company of the French (according to the 2022 IFOP study) is the one that candidates perceive as the most committed to CSR in this survey. A well-deserved reward with its 3 stated objectives “Developing people”, “Preserving nature”, “Creating sustainable value”.
Blablacar ranks 2nd. In the logic of its activity, the leading French specialist in carpooling highlights its contribution to the preservation of the environment, particularly around deforestation.
Social commitment is more important than environmental for students
Among the CSR criteria, social commitments are a priority for candidates. It is also on these criteria that they first inquire when looking for a new employer. When they apply to an employer, young graduates are primarily concerned with the social commitments of companies (57%) far ahead of economic (39%) and environmental (38%) commitments. Thus, the candidates’ priorities focus above all on elements that revolve around favorable working conditions and equality: the well being at workl’equal paythe respect people, theequal opportunities and support for youth employment.
The mistrust of greenwashing
Young people are suspicious of communication effects, such as “greenwaashing”, and they are right: only 38% of candidates give credit to companies in terms of CSR. However, the candidates are giving more and more credibility to the CSR actions carried out by these employers: 38% of the candidates find that the companies which communicate on their CSR actions are really committed; an improvement of 10 points compared to 2021. Companies are increasingly controlled by NGOs and the media on what they say and know that they can no longer hide?
Values more important than compensation? 27% of applicants say they would never work for a company that is not aligned with their values; 59% would ignore it in favor of an interesting mission or remuneration and 14% do not take CSR into account on a professional level.
Thus, if CSR is not an absolute priority for the majority of young job seekers, it is a subject that is taking up more and more space.