Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is acquiring great relevance in academic and professional fields as a tool which enables an increase in business competitiveness and sustainable development. Additionally, a growing number of authors have started to consider CSR as an internal capability that allows firms to attract and retain a qualified workforce. Taking into account this premise, this study has a two‐fold aim: (i) to analyse which CSR aspects are assessed higher or lower by valuable human capital such as college graduates when they decide to join a company, and (ii) to show the existence of personal and social integration factors which influence this assessment. To address these purposes, this study carried out a quantitative analysis at different Spanish universities. The results conclude that social integration factors have greater influence on the assessment of CSR and sustainable practices with regard to the processes of attracting college graduates than do personal explanatory factors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment