Nearly half of young professionals would not join a company if it did not have good Corporate Social Responsibility.

And more than a third claim working for a caring and responsible employer is more important to them than the salary they earn.

The results of research by BT reveals Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming important to young professionals such as graduates and qualified practitioners.

CSR is a relatively new business concept referring to the way companies have an obligation to consider the interests of customers, employees, shareholders, communities, and ecological considerations in all aspects of their operations. However, just one percent of those surveyed said they did not know what the term meant.

Nearly half felt CSR polices should be compulsory and a third stated the environment is where companies should focus their efforts. The next most important was market innovation, good workplace commitments and community investment. A quarter of those surveyed believed business had the most influence on the future of our planet, second only to the government with 37 percent.

Alison Garner, CSR communications manager at BT, said: “These results reflect our experience at BT – that young professionals are increasingly looking at CSR when considering which companies and brands they might work for.

"Not only is it important to have a solid CSR policy, but it is also increasingly important for companies to communicate what they are doing as it is an area which can undoubtedly provide competitive advantage.”