By entering the workforce during the Great Recession, many Millennials accidentally ended up in the right place at the wrong time. Additionally, a good percentage of them began their careers saddled with a significant amount of student loan debt. There’s also plenty of competition for good jobs as Millennials now own the distinction of being the largest living generation in the United States, according to recent estimates by the US Census Bureau.
However, young people in today’s rapidly digitizing workforce remain undaunted, and in spite of today’s economic challenges, they freely give their most valuable assets – their time and creative brainpower. 
Subsequently, when it comes to aligning their values with their life goals, Millennials employ quite a different methodology than past generations. Here are a few signature ways they are helping to make a difference:
- Purchasing groceries that are sustainably sourced or display a fair-trade label.
- Working at an employer they deem ethical and socially conscious.
- Seeking a transformational volunteering project where their efforts are demonstrable.
Some firms have recognized that Millennials are more likely to volunteer when they can use their specific expertise to benefit a cause, and, as a result, created a corporate culture designed to harness this special energy. One example is ScanSource, a global provider of technology products and solutions based in Greenville, South Carolina.
For nearly 20 years, the ScanSource Charitable Foundation has provided employees an opportunity to improve the community. With that purpose at its core, the foundation helps employees form lasting bonds with organizations and people.
ScanSource CIO, Blake Zemp, said in a recent interview at SAPPHIRE NOW in Orlando, FL that the value Millennials bring is fully appreciated by their organization. “We support our employees that take time during the work day to mentor children at local elementary schools, visit at our local children’s hospital, or deliver Meals on Wheels.
As they make a difference in the local community, the tech savvy Millennials who work at ScanSource have also helped impact the company’s digital journey. Zemp said that their timing is perfect because during the last 20 years ScanSource has acquired more than 20 companies, and over time the disparate systems that were absorbed weren’t easily integrated into the legacy system.
Transforming their digital footprint became a top priority, since the Company’s main system was more than 20 years old. He added, “We were looking for a new technology platform that was scalable, with the ability to grow and build tools on top of it quite easily. SAP HANA was really our only choice, and we’re excited about having SAP as the ScanSource platform.”
ScanSource is also excited about having a truly authentic new generation of employees in the right place at the right time during the company’s digital transformation. They are proving that in business, it’s also all about the journey, and helping one person at a time.
As Zemp so aptly put it, “In reality, the giving of one’s time really makes more of a difference than giving money.”
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