Workplace political views can motivate employees to change jobs, survey finds
Forty-three percent of workers aged 35 to 44 said they would leave a company whose political stance opposed their own.
As the nation becomes increasingly polarized politically, the workplace has the potential to turn into a minefield. About two-thirds of employees and managers believe social and political discussions should be kept out of the office, a survey by the HR technology company HiBob found.
“The well-defined boundaries between professional and personal life have blurred considerably as smartphones and personal devices have become ubiquitous and social media is used for both professional and personal purposes,” said Ronni Zehavi, cofounder and CEO of HiBob. “In parallel, the political environment in the United States has become increasingly charged and polarized, and our research indicates that a person’s political opinions can impact their career.”
A company’s political stance can be detrimental to employee recruitment and retention:
- Thirty-nine percent of respondents said an opposing opinion would deter them from accepting an offer, and 29% said it would prompt them to leave a company.
- Forty-three percent of men said a company’s political stance that doesn’t align with their own would be a deterrent from joining, compared to 35% of women. Thirty-five percent of men said it would cause them to leave, compared to only 23% of women.
- Forty-three percent of workers aged 35 to 44 said they would leave a company whose political stance opposed their own, compared to 17% of workers aged 54 and older. Additionally, 47% of respondents aged 25 to 44 said an opposing political opinion would discourage them from joining a company, compared to only 30% of respondents who are 54 and older.
- Forty-four percent of parents said they would be deterred from joining a company whose political stance opposed their own, and 36% said that they would leave a company, compared with 39% and 27% of non-parents.
However, despite concerns about posting on company communication channels and social media, almost half of survey participants believe that respectful socio-political discourse should be encouraged to nurture an inclusive and diverse company culture. Most respondents said social and political topics need to be discussed in a safe space where opposing opinions can be voiced considerately.
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“People-first companies can’t ignore the issue,” Zehavi said. “Doing so can result in broken working relationships and damage cultural safety. That is why companies need to set clear guidelines for respectful discourse and create safe spaces where discourse can take place. Doing so is key to creating a supportive, inclusive work environment for all employees, regardless of political opinions.”