Going woke is not only bad for companies' bottom line, it is also bad for their hiring line. According to a new survey from the University of Iowa, a majority of job seekers consider the political views of their prospective employers. The study finds 58% of those looking for a job consider an employer's politics "somewhat important," and 36% consider politics "very important." In all, 40% of those surveyed would be "discouraged" from applying to a company with political views different from their own.
Vlad Davidiuk, Texas-based Republican strategist, sees this as an example of the growing role politics play in the business world. "Politics is downstream from culture, and the culture has evolved to the point where everything is viewed purely through a political lens," he tells KTRH. "So it's disappointing, but it's not surprising."
"I think a lot of these companies are doing this preemptively, just trying to send a signal to the leftist mob to please don't hurt us," Davidiuk continues. "They would rather come out saying they support some aspect of leftist dogma, rather than having people picketing them, or targeting them online for boycott."
While many companies are bullied by the left into getting political, others are doing it willfully and even cashing in on it. "At the same time, I think a lot of these companies are being taken over by people who've come up in the ranks, who share that leftist ideology," says Davidiuk.
Whatever the reasons for businesses wading into politics, Davidiuk believes the trend will continue. He points out that both the left and the right tend to reward or punish companies based on politics, so many companies will continue to play the game. "We are empowering and enabling that politicization, based on how we respond to these things," he says.