New findings this week reveal company culture is becoming more and more important to employees and can even be decisive for those thinking about leaving or choosing a new job. The LinkedIn survey found the overwhelming majority – 87% - of Gen Z employees would be ready to leave their jobs to move elsewhere if the new company’s values were more closely aligned. It was a similar story for millennials, according to the survey results. When looking at both groups, almost nine in ten professionals would make a move, whereas, for Gen X, this figure declines to 7 in 10. According to LinkedIn, Gen Z encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012; millennials are born between 1981 and 1996, whilst Gen X covers those born between 1965 and 1980.

Importance of values

When considering whether to move to a new company, 60% of millennials and Gen Z respondents said values could well be a dealbreaker, CNBC reports. “Younger generations, in particular, want to work for companies where they can, where they can evoke change, where they can make a difference,” Josh Graff, managing director for EMEA and LATAM at LinkedIn, told CNBC Make It. A total of 7,317 people took part in the LinkedIn survey in the UK, Ireland, France and Germany, which also revealed 59% of European professionals wouldn’t work for a firm if its values didn’t match their personal ones. In addition, 55% said a pay hike would be insufficient to persuade them to stay.

Companies are listening

The LinkedIn poll results also reveal that companies have been responding to job seekers’ evolving priorities. Indeed, over the last two years, there has been a 154% rise in entry-level job advertisements referring to company values. These include values such as learning opportunities, career development, diversity and work-life balance. In fact, work-life balance is now highlighted 65% more often, the findings show. Job postings that make reference to values received almost double the number of applications compared to a couple of years ago, says LinkedIn. “Values will be a survival issue for many companies over the next decade,” Graff added.