Millennials In the Workplace Survey

I joined Bright Funds last week and was eager to work for a company trying to better the world, and work with really smart, thoughtful people. Upon receiving the invite to and attending my first ‘Bright Minds,’ my initial thoughts of the team here were confirmed and then some.

Bright Minds is a weekly book club of sorts, in its fourth week, where one Bright Funder selects a topic/article at the beginning of the week for the team to read. We debrief at the end of the week, discussing the themes, its impact on the industry, and how Bright Funds solves for/can solve for that.

Last week’s discussion centered around a recent global survey conducted by Deloitte. The survey focused on Millennials, their concerns for the world, and how they want their employers to support them. Here were the key takeaways:

‍Talk it Out

‍Millennials rated 5/10 for motivations of companies that give back. Clearly there is an opportunity for better communication about philanthropic intentions. Give the employees a forum to speak and outline the reasoning and impacts of workplace giving campaigns throughout the year. Tap into Millennials' communication channels and leverage social media to amplify that message.

‍Be Real With Employees

‍78% of Millennials think business can be a force for good. And while the word ‘authentic’ gets thrown around like crazy these days, it is needed in this instance. Employers must approach corporate philanthropy with sincerity, rather than simply trying to appease employees. As someone who worked for a major corporation, it is frustrating when workplace giving is insincere. It comes off self-serving and dilutes the value. To avoid these situations, companies can develop unique, and ongoing giving programs that will inspire and empower, and not seem forced or soft. Develop a strong rapport with teams, allow them to organically share their giving and volunteer stories social networks, and positive brand sentiment will rise with every Snap, Tweet, and Post.

All in all, this survey told us that Bright Funds is on the right path. 77% of Millennials surveyed participated in a social good program and Bright Funds power users are 25-44 (~80%). We recognize it’s paramount to make giving easy, accessible, and measurable to all. Our platform, and more specifically fund model, has proven to be a differentiator and driver in the high participation rates that we see. So having these conversations help reaffirm we are on the right track. Being my first Bright Minds, I was blown away at the initiative and dialogue that occurs here. This will now be a regular series on the Bright Funds blog, so be on the lookout for more insights from these very bright minds.