Burns takes reputation very seriously. When I asked her to answer a few questions for Fortune’s Most Admired Companies issue (currently on newsstands), I figured she would email me quick answers, dashed off between meetings. Knowing Burns, I should have known better. A diligent engineer since the day back in 1980 when she started at Xerox as a summer intern, she indeed put huge thought into her answers.

You can read the full Burn interview about corporate reputation here. I particularly like this answer, below, because it reveals a truth more important today than ever: Companies may lure talent with big money and sexy job titles, but to keep the best people, a pristine reputation really counts.

Are the corporate attributes you admire today the same ones you did at the outset of your career?

BURNS: Fresh out of college, you tend to join a company because it’s a job. But, you tend to stay because it becomes a career; you start to feel at home. In the beginning of your career, you’re focused on you: I like this place because I’m doing rewarding work; they take good care of me; the people are nice; there’s runway for me, etc. For me, I was very much in tune to the cultural attributes of Xerox — how respected the company was (and still is) for diversity, being a good corporate citizen, being an innovation engine. I came for the job and quickly stayed because of all these things.

As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve come to appreciate — and really value — the other attributes that define a company’s success beyond the P&L: great leadership, long-term financial strength, ethical business practices, evolving business strategies, sound governance, powerful brands, values-based decision-making.

I could go on … but it’s fair to say that I see the broader picture now. That’s the benefit of experience and having career opportunities that expose you to the inner workings of how a company ticks. Admiration takes on a whole new level when you appreciate just how complex it is to run a modern business.