Perspective from the Younger Generation
We polled our summer interns to get their take on how ESG influences their decisions about purchasing goods and services, investing, and future employers. Here's what we heard:
From Penton Oliver - Rising Senior, UGA
As I find myself on the brink of adulthood, I’ve noticed that the world watches even closer as responsibility levels begin to rise. While ESG does play an important role in shaping youth opinions, I wouldn’t consider it as critical factor as pay scale, career choice, and required talent/skills.
If I’ve learned anything from my fellow classmates, students today look for corporate authenticity in a world that allows you to fake it anytime, on any platform. You simply can’t argue with a company’s growth or the satisfaction of its employees, which is a huge reason why I’m learning from one of the best Leadership Development Organizations in the United States this summer.
I know that people and products are in a constant state of change, interestingly enough, almost all of them are advertised as changing for the better. Finding the ones who are grounded in their word might be the most challenging, yet rewarding, endeavor of them all.
From Cameron Koeneman - Rising Senior, UGA
When evaluating the difference between products, I do take the time needed to research the companies before making a purchase. A notable example would be regarding shoe manufacturers in which I am relatively indifferent to their products. Since the product itself is not that important to me, the decision I make will normally be based off the corporation’s morals. Companies that utilize slave labor or unethical practices to produce their shoes would be lower on my list as opposed to their competitors.
For prospecting potential companies to work for, I would invest my time to broadly research the company. I would avoid a company if they had what I would consider unethical business practices or predatory operations.
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