A survey has revealed that 30 per cent of people feel that social enterprises would be their employer of choice.
The YouGov poll of more than 2,000 individuals, commissioned by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), found that just 16 per cent would pick a traditional business, while only 13 per cent opted for a government institution.
Two thirds of respondents also said they would prefer to see local services like rubbish collection run by a social enterprise. Only 11 per cent said government organisations should provide such services, with just 9 per cent saying traditional companies should do so.
Jonathan Bland, SEC chief executive, said: “Today’s job-seekers know they are likely to be working until they are 70, so it is unsurprising that they are no longer just assessing which new fields or companies they want to work in but whether there is a different way of working.
“Social enterprises capture the best of both worlds – the efficiency and focus of conventional business alongside the ethics of the voluntary sector.”
Bland said social enterprises are often employee-owned and allow employees to ‘do well by doing good’.
The study was released to coincide with the SEC’s annual conference, taking place at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool on Tuesday and Wednesday.
