WANTED: Socially Minded Business Seeking Millennial Do-Gooder

By Kathryn Glushefski

It’s a New Year with millions of college grads preparing to take on the working world. Luckily for some companies, research continues to show that Generation Y digs solid Corporate Responsibility platforms. But if you have one, are you engaging the right employees and communications channels to promote your socially responsible culture and reach these like-minded Millennials? Let’s consider.

Do you have a dedicated Corporate Responsibility (CR) team?

Much like a company establishes brand ambassadors, it’s ideal to identify key staff in supporting and building awareness of CR efforts both internally and externally. The importance of this is nothing to write off; employee (and prospective employee) engagement around CR can be integral in a company’s fiscal growth and in sheer number of employees.

According to a Forbes article, CR has a direct correlation with employee satisfaction, retention and yes, attraction. In fact, it is said that “88 percent of millennials, or ‘echo boomers,’ choose employers based on strong CSR values, and 86 percent would consider leaving if the companies’ CSR values no longer met their expectations.”

So if you don’t have a dedicated team intended to engage and educate the right groups, you’re missing out on an energized, do-gooder workforce that’s ready and waiting to jump aboard.

Do your social media channels speak to your CR platform?

 

 

 

 

The same Forbes article put it well. “Social media opens a way for stakeholders to interact directly with a company’s CSR program.”

So if you’d like to engage Millennials – the unique subset that eats, sleeps and breathes social media, and even seeks job opportunities on these channels – your community manager should incorporate and elevate messaging that signifies your platform, its goals and your day-to-day opportunities for employee involvement. For instance, if you follow CRT/tanaka, you’ve probably received ‘green tips’ via @crttanaka and noticed Facebook photos and comments about our highly-coveted Community Service Day. For larger companies, like CarMax, you will find that there are separate pages to support their initiatives.

Are recruiting or HR team members in the know?

In most cases, your recruiting team will serve as prospective employees’ first human-to-human interaction. Aside from asking about job roles and responsibilities, compensation and time off, candidates are asking about CR, sustainability programs and what volunteer opportunities are offered. Ideally, your recruiting team should be ready to support messaging not only around the job position and the general company culture, but also around the company’s CR platform and how that informs your business practices.

It’s important to remember that while these team members are essential in growing a like-minded company, all existing employees should have the opportunity to engage in supporting your platform and initiatives, because fostering a culture of social responsibility and environmental consciousness can improve personal satisfaction and your overall business practices and outcomes.

What has worked for your company – small, medium or large – in attracting this next generation of do-gooder team members? Share with us in the comments section below or on our Facebook wall.

P.S. For all you job-seeking Millennials out there, CRT/tanaka internship applications are still being accepted through Monday, February 4.

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