NFP Employees Willing to Work For Less - Survey

The majority of job applicants to Not for Profit organisations are willing to take a significant pay cut – up to 30 per cent - to secure jobs they see as ethical, according to a new survey.

EthicalJobs.com.au surveyed human resource managers and executives at more than 60 Australian Not for Profit organisations including charities and Third Sector bodies.

78 per cent of employers surveyed reported applications from people outside the sector are willing to work for less in an equivalent position.

Of those employers:
•56 per cent said applicants are willing to work for 10-20 per cent less;
•19 per cent said applicants are willing to work for 20-30 per cent less;
•6 per cent said applicants are willing to work for more than 30 per cent less.

The survey found that many people want more than a pay cheque and a parking spot – they want an ‘ethical job'.

The survey found overwhelming support for the notion of an ‘ethical job', with 87 per cent of employers surveyed saying job seekers were more likely to apply for a position seen to be ethical.

A Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Monash University Dr Simon Moss says the research confirms current knowledge that people who take a job that resonates or 'feels right' to them are a lot more effective, are more resilient and make better decisions.

Dr Moss says for these people who do not chose the job for the money the work is more meaningful.

Dr. Moss' primary research interest concerns the determinants of honesty, integrity, and ethics. To investigate these issues, he has published a broad range of articles in the fields of attention, learning, marketing, strategy, quality management, work-family balance, and personality.