One in six technology professionals have declined a job due to concerns over employer reputation

More than nine in 10 want employers to share their personal values

Technology businesses are losing out on talent at every stage of the hiring process because candidates are put off by their reputation.

The results were revealed in a survey that sought to explore the growing role of culture, purpose and leadership visibility in employer branding.

Commissioned by Midnight, a B2B PR agency, it showed that 92% of employees in technology want an employer who shares their values, 10% above the national average.

They are willing to make big decisions based on perceived employer reputation as a result.

This included:

• 15% decided not to apply for a role because of perceived company reputation.
• 17% declined a job offer for the same reason.
• 7% left a job for the same reason.

For firms in the technology sector that get their reputation and culture right, the decisions are very different:

• 47% recommended an employer based on perceived reputation
•  45% applied for a role for the same reason 
• 34% accepted a role for the same reason

Flo Powell, Joint Managing Director at Midnight, said: “These results confirm that reputation is business critical in the technology sector - it is directly shaping who applies, who accepts and who walks away.

“Companies are losing talent before they even reach interview stage. If candidates cannot clearly see what a firm stands for, they will simply move on to one that communicates it better.”

This trend looks certain to continue because when asked whether employees would be more or less influenced by employer reputation in future, 87% in technology said they would be more influenced – way above the national average of 67%.

The research also highlighted a disconnect between how firms present themselves and how they are perceived.

In discussions, University of Sussex students reported that it is often difficult to understand what an employer does, let alone assess its culture or reputation, based on its website and social channels.

Flo added: “Many firms believe their reputation is well understood, but for candidates it is often unclear or invisible.

“In a highly competitive talent market, that lack of clarity is a commercial risk. Technology businesses that fail to communicate their culture and values effectively will be overlooked.”

For more information, or to read the full research paper, visit www.midnight.co.uk/research-report 

Ends

Editors notes

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1000 UK employees (600 UK employees – general, 400 UK employees - equal spread across four primary sectors of insurance, accountancy, legal and tech), aged 18+. The data was collected between 28/01/26 - 04/02/26.

Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles

For more information, please contact:

Alex Hankinson or Flo Powell on 01273 666 200 or hello@midnight.co.uk and visit www.midnight.co.uk or connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Midnight

Midnight stands as one of the leading independent PR consultancies in the South East, based in one of the UK’s most dynamic and pioneering cities: Brighton & Hove.

Specialising in business-to-business PR, Midnight has consistently earned recognition for its successful PR and social media campaigns, with more than 60 peer-judged industry awards won to date.

Midnight excels across key sectors including professional services, insurance and workplace services.

Midnight is also proud to be B Corp Certified, reflecting the company’s commitment to deliver benefit to all its stakeholders. For more information, view Midnight’s public B Corp profile here.