Millennials now make up the bulk of the workforce, and most of them want to work for socially responsible employers.
Source: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock
Consider these statistics compiled by the website, Chief Learning Officer:
- 75% of Millennials would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company.
- 76% of Millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments before deciding where to work.
- 64% of Millennials won’t take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate responsibility practices.
If you’re interested in attracting and retaining Millennial employees, you’ll want to consider working with your local communities to promote socially responsible practices and programs. Here are four ways your organization can work with its local community.
1. Leverage Paid Volunteer Opportunities
With the average workweek now exceeding 40 hours, employees are facing difficulties in finding time to volunteer with organizations or for causes they care about on their own time. So, give your employees paid opportunities to volunteer with or at organizations in your local community during regular working hours.
For example, an employee could leave work an hour early once a week to help with after-school programs during the school year but still be paid for that hour of work.
2. Partner with Local Nonprofits for Large-Scale Events or Projects
Your organization can partner with local nonprofits for local food drives, toy drives, etc., especially during the holidays and summer months. Better yet, your organization can partner with local nonprofits to host galas, banquets, bake sales, etc., to earn proceeds or collect donations that go directly to the work that nonprofit does in your local community.
3. Offer Employee Expertise and Time to Local Schools or Organizations
Allow employees to develop programs that directly link your organization to local nonprofits or organizations they want to work with on a regular basis.
For example, professionals on your Web development team could host a program at a local high school once a year in which they teach at-risk youth or young girls how to develop websites and how to code.
Or, your product development team could host a science-fair competition once a year for its local community during which they coach participants and award a college scholarship to the winner with the most creative innovation.
4. Donate Resources and Supplies
Allow your employees to donate their used laptops, other technology gadgets, and unused office supplies to local nonprofits or community centers. And allow employees to collect items like food and toiletries to donate to local homeless shelters or centers once a month.
If your organization wants to be more socially responsible and attract Millennials, consider the four ways your organization can work with its local community listed above.