If you took a poll of U.S. workers, nearly all them would say that good leadership qualities include steering a company that gives back.  But if you took a look at how many companies actually put some action into this notion, you’d find a much different number.

 

That’s a shame, since corporate social responsibility is important to Millennials.  The 2015 Millennial Impact Report revealed that a stunning 84% of employed Millennials donated to charity last year.  Giving back is definitely important for Millennials, which is why it should be important for companies too.

Want to retain Millennials?  Beef up your CSR.

Since Millennials feel strongly about corporate social responsibility, it’s important to note how that plays into their attitudes at work.  Survey after survey has also revealed that giving back is not only important personally, but in the workplace as well.

In short, Millennials want to work for companies whose values parallel their own.  In this case, it means companies who care about CSR.  That’s because what Millennials really want is to feel their work is valuable.  In fact, meaningful work is more important than a fat paycheck for many Millennials.

Good leadership skills include making CSR important at every level of your organization.

If your company is already involved in CSR, all this comes as good news.  You’re on the right track for retaining employees who care about giving back.  But that’s not enough.
When giving back is only something that happens in the executive offices (writing a check to a charity), its impact is not felt by all the employees. What works better is charity events that touch everyone, those which allow everyone to get involved.