The facts are in.
Millennials prefer cause based products, are willing to pay more for them, and demonstrate strong brand loyalty to companies who weave social good into their stories. More importantly than this, however, is the fact that millennial talent is flocking to companies that are proven to be socially conscious.
The moral of the story is this: If you’re looking to hire millennials (and you should be) you’re going to have to show that your company is driven by a social purpose. This is because millennials have over $200 billion in annual buying power and 69% of them want to know the story of what your business is doing for social good. The good news is, there are simple strategies you can start implementing right away to help millennials see what you’re really made of. Here are five ways you can share the story of the good you’re doing:
1. Develop a social mission that aligns with your business mission. Patagonia rocks at this. They make outdoor gear and are well known for their stands on environmental issues. They do more than talk big though, their supply chain, branding, and materials are all aligned with this mission. As a result, their social mission is very easy to communicate to prospective hires.
2.) Create shared vision with your team. This begins at the very top. The leadership of an organization must be unified on the social mission that will be branded as part of its business. That story and the strategies for telling it must be communicated to all teams within the organization so customers receive a consistent story that is apparent with every interaction. Timberland is a great example of this. They were one of the first to pay employees for 40 hours of volunteering per year, so everyone at the company understands that service is valued.
3.) Don’t bury your story. I can’t tell you how many times I go to an established company’s website, try to find more about its social mission, and have to dig through 20 pages before I find the soup kitchen it donates to. Don’t do this. Business is too powerful a force for good to not have its story more loudly told. Find a way to authentically tell the story of the good your company is creating for the world.
4.) Get ‘B-Corp.’ certified. B-Corp Certification is essentially the ‘certified organic’ sticker for social entrepreneurs. There are some big companies — Etsy, Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia and Warby Parker to name a few — who’ve sought this out because it’s a trusted way of telling consumers that you’re part of a new class of business leader. Lots of small businesses are doing it too because It’s an affordable certification and a quick way to show customers you take social good seriously.
5.) Be authentic. While today’s millennials want to work for a cause-driven company, it is also true that the internet allows us to spot fakers from a mile away. So, be sure you tell the story of a cause that has real meaning for you, your team, and the world. If you pursue social good exclusively for the hiring benefits, chances are you’ll get called out.
We millennials are a unique bunch. We’re disrupting the way the world communicates, gets around, and does business. Use the steps I’ve laid out here to win us over.
Josh Schukman is the wonderful writing whiz for WonderWe - a crowdfunding social network that provides free viral tools for non-profits to fundraise, recruit, and measure impact like a pro. When not crafting beautiful musings for WonderWe, Josh can be found cooking up the latest Paleo dish (his fiance’s fault…), cycling all over God’s creation, and/or endeavoring to understand the mysterious ways of the universe.