The virtuous cycle of community involvement: How community involvement programs can help bridge the skills gap
| Pages | 24-27 |
| Published date | 12 August 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390980000983 |
| Date | 12 August 2007 |
| Author | Jared Larrabee |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
24 Volume 6 Issue 4 May/June 2007
OST EMPLOYERS IN Western countries
now recognize that they’ll soon face, if
they aren’t already facing, a serious skills
gap. Census data suggests that by 2010,
for every new hire entering the workforce there will be
two employees exiting1 – a migration that’ll accelerate
over the next 10 to 15 years. As baby boomers exit the
job market and other demographic trends take shape
around the world, pressure on companies to find and
secure highly skilled employees will increase.
The so-called “Millennial Generation” of jobseekers –
the generation born between 1978 and 1994 – currently
accounts for 30 percent of the US population and by
2010 will surpass the number of baby boomers and
Generation Xers.2And when it comes to seeking
employment, a tight market and individual preferences
turn the “Millennials” into a selective group. So what can
organizations do to attract the newest generation of high
school and college graduates now entering the workforce
and, ultimately, to close the skills gap? Some companies
are finding that their community involvement initiatives
can offer just the enticement these jobseekers require.
Strategic community involvement is an innovative
approach to good corporate citizenship that can help
companies attract, develop and retain young workers
because of its inherent appeal to this segment of the
population. It can help companies meet the urgent
need to recruit “the best and the brightest” of the
Millennial Generation, while simultaneously addressing
a growing need for private support of a variety of
causes within their communities, as well as meeting the
expectations of the Millennial Generation – thereby
creating a virtuous cycle that can benefit everyone
involved (see figure 1, opposite).
Changing perceptions among younger workers
The Millennial Generation of workers is very different
than its baby boomer and Generation X predecessors. In
fact, these tech-savvy millennial jobseekers have
markedly different career expectations than their parents.
According to Barry Salzberg, managing partner of
Deloitte & Touche USA: “This generation is moving
the old model of philanthropy – something that was
separate from business – to a socially minded
undertaking that is part of business. They’re looking for
the double bottom line – both the social impact and
the business value – from community involvement.”
This includes a tendency to seek employment with
companies whose values align with their own.
Results of 2006 research by Cone Inc, a strategy and
communications agency, support this view. Cone found
that among millennials surveyed: “Eighty-six percent
agree that companies have a responsibility to support
social/environmental causes.” Cone also reported that:
“Eighty-one percent want to work for a company that
cares about how it impacts/contributes to society.”
Conversely, the research shows that: “Fifty-six percent
The virtuous
cycle of
community
involvement
How community involvement programs
can help bridge the skills gap
Community involvement programs are good news for
businesses and for the communities in which they
work. And, says Jared Larrabee,a senior consultant
with client services firm Deloitte, they’re likely to
become an increasingly important recruitment tool in
the battle to win jobseekers’ hearts and minds.
by Jared Larrabee, Deloitte Consulting LLP M
© Melcrum publishing 2007.For more information visit our website www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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