Frustrated with young progressives, some companies want employees that share their values — and vice versa.

By Jennifer Graham

“Scared to hire in today’s world? The labor market has changed. Your hiring should, too,” the advertisement said, next to an image of a young woman with an open mouth, a nose ring and magenta-colored hair.

The ad, which appeared on the website of the conservative humor site The Babylon Bee, was for a company called RedBalloon, billed as “America’s No. 1 woke-free job board.” But RedBalloon is not just for companies looking for workers. Its website promises job seekers that it will help them “find a good job that respects your values.”

Jobs listed on the site this week ranged from solar panel installer to dental assistant to software engineer. The Christian health-cost-sharing business MediShare had several openings, as did the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and a personal security company that specializes in the protection of public figures. There were also several listings for Republican field organizers to help get out the vote in elections this fall, paying $18-20 an hour.

RedBalloon was started in 2021 by Andrew Crapuchettes, a tech entrepreneur who has worked for more than two decades in labor force analytics and who describes himself on X as “passionate about freedom.” His latest venture is part of what some call the “parallel economy,” the emergent network of businesses that market themselves to social conservatives.

While it’s open to debate whether America needs conservative-branded coffee or beef, or just wants it, RedBalloon is ascendant at a time when some employers are rightly concerned about whether young adults — the ideologically progressive in particular — will be a good fit for their company and its culture and image.

A recent article in Newsweek examined the growing generational divide in the workplace. As Suzanne Blake wrote, “While Generation Z might be entering the workforce en masse, hiring managers are not so eager to welcome the younger generation into their companies. Forty percent of hiring managers had an age bias against Gen Z candidates, and many employers are worried about how hirable an applicant is based on their age.

https://www.deseret.com/business/2024/04/02/woke-free-job-board-redballoon-progressive-zoomers/