Whatever the industry, companies need to respond to their customer demands and expectations if they want to survive. The millennial generation is now becoming increasingly important to consumers and more dominant employees in the workplace. Studies have shown that in general, Millennials place a higher value on social responsibility which influences the brands they want to consume and the companies they want to work for. Values like sustainability and social responsibility are much higher on their agenda than any previous generation.A well reported global study back in 2015 by Nielsen maintained that almost three-quarters of Millennials would be willing to pay more for sustainable products. Equally, companies that respected sustainability and could demonstrate strong social responsibility would be preferred in terms of employment even to the detriment of scarifying a higher salary. A Brookings Institute research survey conducted in the US reported that eighty nine per cent of Millennials surveyed were more likely to buy from companies that support solutions to specific social issues, up twenty three percentage points from the original survey run in 1993, in which no Millennials participated. Together with an increased awareness of environmental issues, it’s apparent that Millennials are going to be more discerning in their employment and consumer choices.

Attracting Millennials will be influenced by a company’s corporate social responsibility

According to a 2017 study by research company Lightspeed on behalf of Rubbermaid Commercial Products, a brand’s commitment to sustainability is an important concern to Millennials and will be crucial in attracting and retaining employees. The findings make interesting reading:

Millennials place a premium on sustainability and consider it a core value in relation to their career.

• 9 in 10 Millennials say it is important they work for a sustainable company.
• 36 percent of Millennials consider a company’s reputation as a sustainable business when choosing their next job.
• Nearly one in 10 Millennials would quit their jobs if they found out their current employer was not sustainable

Millennials are empowered to inspire change in their work environment.

• 82 percent of Millennials look for opportunities to help their company become more sustainable.
• 67 percent feel they have enough influence in their workplace to make an impact on matters such as sustainability.

Millennials want to do more and believe recycling should be an obligation for their employer.

• Over 80 percent of Millennials whose employer does not have a recycling system in place believe employers have a responsibility to encourage recycling in the workplace.
• 77 percent of Millennials say they recycle at work, but 83 percent say they recycle at home, suggesting recycling at work is more challenging.
• 62 percent of Millennials say they would recycle more in the workplace if their office provided more recycling points.

“The findings of our recycling study show a tangible commitment to sustainability is a requirement for the next generation of workers,” said Anna Whitton, vice president of marketing, Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP). “Millennials are ready to make a difference and willing to turn down jobs that don’t align with their beliefs.

Sustainability may seem a somewhat incongruous value to those Millennials that have an obsession with the latest gizmos, flagship products and technologies. Indeed, the IT industry is renowned for its desire to refresh products as quickly as possible. Equally, technology has had a positive effect on the environment. Green initiatives are best when they have both business, operational and environmental benefits. Take video conferencing as an example. It not only provides better collaboration between remote teams, it also has the added benefit of being a greener, more eco-friendly way to conduct business, saving considerable amounts on the CO2 emissions from travel.

Sustainability is Multi-faceted

Of course, Green IT has been around for years. According to a study by Global Action Plan, a UK-based environmental organisation, the IT industry accounts for 2 per cent of human greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, sustainability is already a dominant trend in the sector and Millennials will be instrumental in continuing this drive. There are many factors to consider in terms of sustainability. Greenpeace recently relaunched its 2017 guide to Greener Electronics, an analysis of what seventeen of the world’s leading consumer electronics companies are doing to address their environmental impacts, focused on measuring a number of critical factors tied to product design and supply chain management:

• Energy: Reduction of greenhouse gases through efficiency and renewable energy
• Resource Consumption: sustainable design and use of recycled materials
• Chemicals: Elimination of hazardous chemicals from both the product itself and manufacturing

Indeed, these are areas on which many companies focus their attentions. Delivering products and technologies that improve people’s lives and are kind to the environment has to be top of mind. In order to achieve that organisations need to address a number of issues:

(1) Energy
Improving the energy efficiency of a product is a key factor in determining a product’s lifecycle environmental impact by reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint. Energy ratings are common on many products.

(2) Packaging
Recyclable and lightweight packaging helps to minimize resource consumption and thereby reduce carbon footprint.

(3) Materials
Products are made from a range of materials and substances which may have an impact on the environment. Eliminating or minimising the use of hazardous chemicals and the use of precious metals can reduce the ecological impact.

(4) Recycling & Disposal
The recovery of materials and their re-use in new products as well as providing refurbishment and access to spare parts also contribute to reducing consumption of resources. Where necessary, the disposal of obsolete or irreparable products needs to be carried out in accordance with legal requirements.

(5) Lifetime
Extending the lifetime of a product reduces consumption and the need to manufacture and transport new products which all contribute to reducing emissions.

In addition, the tech sector’s commitment to sustainability extends to practices of global sourcing and supply chains. Tech sector companies have been behind promoting regulatory initiatives to establish best practices.

CSR can be a competitive advantage for the IT channel

By almost any measure, Millennials place a premium on corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts by companies. What’s more as they move up the career ladder, they will begin to exert more dominance over IT decision making. That’s why vendors are increasingly mindful of their corporate responsibility in terms of the products they develop and the suppliers they choose in the production. Independent sources like the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good select and rank companies based on defined environmental, social and governance criteria, so there is transparency. Major OEMs like Lenovo, Dell, HP and Samsung are qualified with TCO’s sustainability certification which covers displays, PCs, smartphones, projectors and headsets. Products are independently verified to meet all criteria at the product, factory and brand level. Key criteria cover hazardous content, energy efficiency, product lifetime, conflict minerals and social responsibility in the manufacturing supply chain, which has been an issue for some manufacturers in recent years.

Resellers can take it a step further by offering more sustainable IT services to end customers by introducing initiatives around re-use of systems and components, and take-back of equipment. Exertis will be providing some new initiatives in these areas (see page xxx) and our acquisition of MTR, a leader and specialist in 2nd generation lifecycle extension of mobile, wearable and tablet devices provides further opportunities. MTR offers a complete repair and refurbishment process including data cleansing and when required an environmentally friendly disposal service.

CSR can increase brand loyalty, raise awareness and build powerful reputations which will inspire Millennials to consider a company either to consume their products or to seek their employment. The channel would do well to take both sustainability and Millennials seriously. Those that do could well end up with a real competitive advantage.

Sources and acknowledgements: Greenpeace, Business Insider, Brookings Institute, Forbes, Nielsen, ITIC