Causecast Blog

The Millennial generation presents a fascinating paradox.

They’re motivated by purpose-filled work, even though money is a huge concern. Thirty-six percent depend on financial support from family and 7 in 10 young workers don’t have enough saved to cover two months of living expenses, according to Pew Social Research. But ninety percent are more interested in a fun work environment that they love than one with a lot of cash.

Do you buy into the perception that Millennial employees are entitled, needy and lazy? If so, then you’re the one who might just need a little attitude adjustment.

When it comes to insights about Millennials, our most populous generation, the annual Millennial Impact Report never disappoints. Created by research firm Achieve and the Case Foundation, the Millennial Impact Report is the most comprehensive study of the millennial generation (born 1980-2000) and their involvement with causes.

According to Bersin by Deloitte, “employee engagement has become the top issue on the minds of business leaders, directing us to an entirely new model of management”. But what does employee engagement even mean?

#GivingTuesday just completed its fourth year, and by most measures it has already become a successful fixture in the charity landscape. Launched as a response to the overt consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday focuses the attention of the world on the true meaning of the holiday season: sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another. According to a preliminary estimate by the Case Foundation, #GivingTuesday raised $45.7 million for nonprofits this year, representing a nearly 240 percent increase from the $13.46 million generated just two years ago when the event first launched.

Sample excerpt of the kind of inquiry I receive on a regular basis.

Millennials are a transformational generation. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before: they demand work that has meaning, are wildly influential on social media, and shift jobs on a regular basis. But what often goes unrecognized about the millennial generation is their strong hand in restoring some of the America’s most blighted cities.

The news this past year has been depressing, to put it lightly. The year 2015 is marked by one of the worst refugee crises since World War II, community disintegration in places like Baltimore, and church burnings at a rate not seen since the height of the civil rights movement. Millennials, in particular, are a generation that is unusually attuned to social issues.  As a result, events such as these often cause millennial employees to question the impact they are making with their work. This is part of the reason that our average stay with any one employer is only 2.5 years.

The facts are in.

If you care about Millennial recruitment - which you should if you care about the future of your company - you need to understand how to make these socially conscious employees feel connected to the greater purpose of your company. It’s not enough to offer a volunteer and giving program; you need to think about how to make this program inviting to employees of each generation, from X-ers to Boomers and beyond.