One of changes Millennials have helped bring to today’s workplaces is a focus on giving back. Millennials are interested in working for companies that have strong corporate values and a sense of responsibility, so it’s essential that your organization offers employees the chance to volunteer, make a difference and ultimately change the world.
This week I’ve been reading articles full of information about the importance of finding ways for Millennials to give back on the job — and what this can do for your organization.
- Reward Your Employees With Time Off for Volunteer Work. Entrepreneur: “It’s the ultimate Millennial perk…Study after study shows that they want to buy from and work for companies whose missions and values they believe in. Other research shows that, compared with previous generations, millennials value experiences over material possessions. Combine the happiness derived from an inspiring volunteer experience and the appeal of working for a company that gives back, and paid volunteer days look like the ultimate millennial perk — not to mention a social-media recruiting tool that runs itself. Imagine the social currency of an Instagram post about a cool volunteer gig with paid time off generously provided by #yourcompany.”
- “Millennial” MBAs Shift Focus To Social Impact, Tech And Entrepreneurship. BusinessBecause: “At Wharton School, 55 MBAs from 2014’s class started their own businesses or are self-employed, up 50% from five years ago. At London Business School, the percentage of MBA graduates going into financial services fell from to 28% from 46% between 2007 and last year. ‘Millennials who are applying to business school are interested in social enterprise and “doing well by doing good,”’ says EssaySnark, an MBA admissions consultancy. ‘They know that there’s no such thing as a permanent job.’”
- How to Make a Difference: Embedding CSR at the Core of Your Business. Recruiter: “There are many benefits to be gained from embedding corporate social responsibility in a business, from staff retention to improving profitability to increasing a company’s competitive advantage. Consumers, clients and potential employees (especially the younger generation of candidates coming through now) are all increasingly looking at companies who have responsible and ethical practices at their core.”
- Millennials Aren’t as Self-Obsessed as You Think. Mashable: “Gen Y does care. In fact, 84% of millennials say that knowing they’re making a positive difference in the world is more important than any professional recognition. Welzoo, an online charity driving service, and Column Five created a new video campaign, dubbed ‘The Millennial Rebuttal,’ to fight these stereotypes. ‘We can’t escape the headlines about how technology continues to pull us apart, and how millennials, the first digital native generation, are in the driver’s seat,’ Zach Firestone, cofounder of Welzoo, tells Mashable. ‘Yet the counter argument seems fairly easy, because when you look around, you see young people doing amazing things to improve our world every day.’”
- Millennials Prove the Power of Philanthropy. Cincinnati Enquirer: “The 2014 Millennial Impact Report found that 87 percent of the young adults it surveyed participated in company-wide days of service. It also showed that 97 percent of millennials said they preferred to use their skills to help causes that helped people, rather than institutions. The report found that last year, 88 percent of employed Millennials donated to a nonprofit organization, with 28 percent giving $100 to $500.”
