The dream job used to be anything at Facebook, Google or a similarly established tech company. Now, tech companies are finding it harder to recruit the best and brightest because current students have ethical concerns. 

• The techlash: Just 50 percent of Americans have a positive view of technology companies, according to Pew, down from 71 percent in 2015. 

• Saying no to FB: Some 85 percent of new college graduates from elite universities offered jobs by Facebook accepted their employment offer in 2017-18. That number recently fell to around 35%. 

• Public condemnation, too: College students are using Twitter to share protest emails against companies like Tesla and Salesforce.       

The Verdict

What can General Counsels do about this? Set the culture tone from the inside. Bruce Sewell, who worked as GC for Apple, has said that he was one of the most trusted advisors to Steve Jobs and Tim Cook and had “shared responsibilities” with solving Apple’s problems.