Ethics: the word seems to be everywhere. The idea of ethical investment has been around for a long time, and this year a travel guide was published to point out green (read ethical) tourism operators for discerning tourists.

Fair trade, free-range and organic, air miles, carbon footprints - the language of ethical decision-making is all around us, touching most areas of our lives.

The news for employers is that, when it comes to attracting the workers you want (as opposed to the only workers you can get), ethics matter to you, too. And the reason they matter to you is that they matter to the people you want to employ.

Once upon a time, a job was a job. You did your work well for your employer and in return your employer paid you. You didn't ask questions about where they sourced their paper, whether they wasted electricity, polluted the local stream or were making a real difference in the world. You were loyal to them, and they were loyal to you.

But over the past generation that has changed. Younger Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y have grown up in a different world. They've grown up in a world where they've seen loyalty to employers rewarded with cycles of redundancies.

They've grown up in a world in which pollution, climate change, starvation, deforestation and wars have been in the news daily. They've grown up in a world that constantly asks them what they are leaving behind for their children - and constantly asks them to question their loyalties.

In short, they've grown up in a world that has prompted them to ask "why?", "what for?" and "what difference will it make?".

And they have applied those questions to their jobs. "Why am I doing this job?" "What's it for?" "What difference will it make?"

A recent international survey by Kelly Services showed this graphically. The survey of 100,000 people across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific found almost 90 per cent of people responding said they were more likely to work for an organisation they believed was ethically and socially responsible.

Almost as many (80 per cent) said they would like to work for an environmentally responsible employer. And, interestingly, the willingness to accept lower pay to work for an employer with a good reputation was high across the generations - 53 per cent of Baby Boomers, 48 per cent of Gen Xers and 46 per cent of Gen Yers said they'd go for the good reputation ahead of the higher pay.

The evidence is that ethical business practices, and behaviour in general, play an important part in Kiwis' decision-making. In February, the Business Council for Sustainable Development released a study showing that ethics were important to business owners, managers and the self-employed - more than 27 per cent of them had changed a supplier for social, ethical or environmental reasons.

When it comes to employees, our experience at www.realchangejobs. co.nz shows that the sentiment crosses all boundaries. In February, almost 2000 New Zealanders visited www. realchangejobs.co.nz and spent, on average, four minutes looking for an ethical job.

Why? Here are the reasons two candidates of realchangejobs gave for being concerned about their employers' ethics.

"I have the opportunity to be paid to help make a difference in the world and I feel so lucky about it," said Sarah. "I know that I could get a more financially rewarding career in the private sector, but would I feel the same? Would I be excited every day about my work? Would I find it meaningful?"

And Renny gave a similar response.

"You spend more time with your employer than you do with your family so it's vital to be in tune with them," he said.

"I want to feel really good about what I do, proud of my employer, motivated to dig deep using all the effort and skills that I can muster, certain that my contribution is worthy."

So how can you ensure that those ethical job hunters consider your organisation one they want to work for? There are some obvious measures you can take: recycle what you can, source fair trade products where possible, support local charities, support ethical suppliers, develop a corporate social responsibility policy, develop a sustainability policy.

But there is more - a large part of being an ethical employer comes down to how you treat your employees.

It doesn't matter how much pro bono work you do if your workplace is known as one that tolerates bullying. It doesn't matter how much you donate to the local SPCA if your employees perceive you to be a slave driver.

Authenticity is the key. As Naomi Simson, founder and CEO of Australasian gift business Red Balloon, said in a recent podcast, employees want to see that their employers are backing their words with actions.

"You want to be able to trust and believe in your leadership - that they know where they're going and that you're going to sign up to that programme."

Even with high unemployment, there are still skills shortages out there. People with the skills you want still have choices, and one of the criteria they base their decisions on is whether it will be a good thing to work for you.

Their loyalty is no longer just to the organisation that pays them - it is now to the world their children will live in. If your loyalty lies in the same place, they are more likely to consider you an employer of choice. If it doesn't, you may just have to settle for the only employees you can get.