New Voya Financial Post-Election Study Finds Almost Eight in 10 Americans Feel “Kindness” Is Most Important Personal Value

An array of mixed sentiment felt by Americans after the election gives way to clear consensus on the need to come together — now more than ever.

The vast majority of those polled (93%) believe spreading “kindness” needs to be a fundamental tenet for companies, especially those in the financial services sector.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) announced today, on World Kindness Day, results of a new, post-election study* that found the majority of Americans feel kindness is the most important personal value an individual should exhibit — with almost eight in 10 of those polled (78%) ranking kindness as the highest in a list of personal values.

Rounding out the top five values ranked by those polled are:

• Fairness (71%)
• Justice (67%)
• Ethics (63%)
• Diversity (47%)

The Voya study also found that, in addition to being kind, 96% of those polled would like to see more kindness in the future. And nearly all Americans (97%) agree acts of kindness can help make the world a better place.

“I could not think of a better message to share on World Kindness Day than to join the vast majority of Americans in emphasizing just how important it is to be kind to one another,” said Rodney O. Martin, Jr., chairman and CEO, Voya Financial. “Being kind every day is not just the right thing to do for each other — being kind fosters a shared, community spirit of respect and inclusion that can lift up society.”

Mixed feelings now — but unity moving forward

Voya’s research shows Americans have varied feelings in the wake of the 2020 election. Specifically, those polled say they are:

• Optimistic (48%)
• Uncertain (36%)
• Worried (28%)
• Disappointed (23%)
• Energized (22%)

Overwhelmingly, though, Voya found that — regardless of how people may be feeling right now — Americans feel the need to come together. More than nine in 10 (94%) of those polled expressed this sentiment.

A world of kindness … in the workplace and beyond

Among the study’s key findings is how important people feel about “kindness” as a core operating principle for companies. Specifically, 93% of those polled said they want to work for a company that supports spreading kindness. That same level of importance is stressed in financial services, as 93% of respondents felt companies in the industry should take a stand on treating all Americans with respect and kindness.

In addition, 80% of those polled said corporate philanthropy is one way that a company can demonstrate its commitment to acts of kindness. Further, nine in 10 Americans (90%) said it is important for companies to encourage employee kindness through charitable gift matching, paid volunteering opportunities and other programs.

“Voya and its employees share a commitment to the communities in which we live and work — and to enhancing the lives of people around the world,” said Martin, referring to ways in which the company is promoting a brighter, kinder future. Those efforts include the Voya Cares^® program; Voya’s kindness campaign, in collaboration with 9-year-old Lily Allison and singer-songwriter Mandy Harvey; the impact of Voya’s employee volunteerism and charitable giving; and employee donation gift matching from Voya Foundation.

Voya encourages its employees to contribute to their communities. The company provides full-time employees with 40 hours of paid volunteer time each year and Voya Foundation — the company’s charitable giving arm — matches employee charitable giving up to $5,000 per employee for eligible nonprofits.

For additional information on Voya’s corporate responsibility efforts, please read the company’s 2019-2020 Impact Report.

*Based on the results of a Voya Financial survey conducted through AYTM - Ask Your Target Market online research platform between Nov. 9-10, 2020 among n=1,000 Americans age 18+, balanced by age, gender, and region to reflect the U.S. population.

About Voya Financial^®

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings — to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 13.8 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $7.5 billion in revenue in 2019. The company had $657 billion in total assets under management and administration as of Sept. 30, 2020. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time — Voya’s vision is to be America’s Retirement Company^®. Certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work^® Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible. Voya has been recognized as a 2020 World’s Most Admired Company by Fortune magazine; one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® by the Ethisphere Institute; as a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index; and as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” on the Disability Equality Index by Disability:IN. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @Voya.

About Voya Cares^®

An extension of Voya's vision and mission to help all Americans have the quality of life they seek in retirement, the Voya Cares program is committed to being a leader in making a positive difference in the lives of individuals with special needs and disabilities — as well as their families, caregivers and other providers — by offering a depth of resources focused on education, planning and solutions. Go to voyacares.com to learn more.

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