the best talent won't be attracted to those companies long term. they'll seek companies focused on what they are building, focused on a well defined mission.
why? because they will get the most done and be more successful than anyone distracted by the day to day Twitter drama.
I'm already seeing my CEOs responding to cultural changes to attract and retain talent. They are reaching out to local government officials to petition for social change (for example, banding together with local business to have the mayor ban the use of chokeholds by the police). We have a third party audit salaries to ensure there's no gender pay differentials. Maternity & paternity leave is generous and equal. Etc.
yes, so imagine a driven person who wants to solve the food waste problem, and there are two choices:
Food Savers A who is focused on developing a method to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Food Savers B who is less focused on developing a method to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Food Savers A is much more likely to solve the problem. it's the one that the serious, driven person would choose.
Company policy like pay or maternity pay isn't a cultural change. Offer it, don't offer it. Again, people don't realise that this creates a wonderful situation for current management: oh, the last management was terrible, they didn't give you this thing, I am giving it you, I am woke...what a letoff. Cultural change isn't about free goodies, and giving your staff maternity pay doesn't mean you care. If you care about maternity pay as an issue in itself, go into politics.
It sounds like you are in the wrong job.
Not sure if you're aware, but America has a serious issue with abuse by police, especially against black Americans. A few months ago, events in the news caused many people to take a serious look at what is going on. Many of my colleagues are black, and wanted to share their personal stories.
As a result, we all got together and brainstormed ideas for how we could tackle these issues and make our world just a little bit better for everyone. That was one of several suggestions and it worked. The idea comes from a list of proven ways to reduce police-related deaths (I don't recall the author, but I believe it was shared on HN).
> It sounds like you are in the wrong job.
I'm very happy to work for a company that dedicates time and money to improving our world. You might see business as only business. I don't. I think companies should use some of their profits to help those who are less fortunate, and charitable contributions and general social awareness are things I consider when job hunting.
I prefer my companies honestly evil.