- Almost half (45%) of students say they would likely apply to Boeing if a relevant position opened up, while just 14% who are unlikely to apply say negative press about the safety of Boeing’s planes is the main deterrent.
- Roughly 3 in 10 students say they would likely apply to Uber (30%) or WeWork (32%) if a relevant position opened up.
- About three-quarters (76%) of students plan on researching companies before applying to see what current and former employees have to say about working there. But female students are more likely than male students to say they’ll look for employee testimonials (80% vs. 69%).
While negative press can be bad for business, it isn’t necessarily a turn off for potential new hires. College students do want to know what current and former employees have to say about a company’s workplace culture, however.
A new survey of 2,000 undergraduates finds that almost half (45%) say they would likely apply to Boeing if a relevant position opened up. But a gender gap shows that male students are more likely than female students to say they would likely apply to the aerospace company (58% vs. 36%).
Recent plane crashes have given some students a negative impression of Boeing as a whole. “I’m not an engineer, nor do I really want to work for a defense contractor. Plus they are responsible for about 300 deaths,” an Oklahoma State student says.
Yet a small percentage (14%) of students who are unlikely to apply to Boeing say the main reason is the negative press around the safety of Boeing’s planes. Meanwhile, 43% say Boeing simply doesn’t have jobs in their area of interest.
A Minority of Students Unlikely to Apply to Boeing Say It’s Due to Negative Press
What would be your main reason for not applying?
By comparison, 3 in 10 (30%) students say they would likely apply to Uber. Almost 2 in 10 (19%) who are unlikely to apply attribute their lack of interest to negative press they’ve seen about the company’s finances and/or workplace culture. But more students say Uber’s goals just don’t interest them (24%), or the ride-hailing company doesn’t have jobs in their field (37%).
A majority of students also say they are unlikely to apply for jobs at WeWork or Away, though a lack of name recognition may be a bigger barrier than bad press. About one-third (32%) of students say they would likely apply to WeWork. But compared to Uber, fewer students who are unlikely to apply report that negative press about WeWork would keep them from applying (13%). About 2 in 10 (21%) students say they would likely apply to Away, and only 3% say negative press about the luggage startup’s workplace culture is the main deterrent.
Overall, roughly three-quarters (76%) of students plan on researching companies before applying to see how current and former employees feel about working there. A smaller majority (54%) plan on researching companies’ finances before applying.
Female Students are More Likely to Look for Employee Testimonials
Do you plan on researching companies before you apply to see what current and former employees have to say about working there?
“I would rather not work for a horribly managed company that doesn’t really care about their everyday employees,” a Humboldt State University student says.
Not all students view pre-application research the same, though. Female students are more likely than male students to plan on looking up employee testimonials before applying for jobs (80% vs. 69%).
To receive regular updates about this study, as well as other key college student insights, sign up here.
__________________________
Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,000 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
