Businesses struggle today in how to deal with the millennial workforce and yet, millennials are forcing the hands of companies to speak up and speak out on high profile environmental issues and on perceived social injustices.Where government fails to act, millennials are demanding their employer or the company's they do business with, step up to the plate to make an impact beyond their bottom line.
In the past, the chief executives of America's largest companies hid behind associations to advocate for or against issues to avoid retribution from their employees or customers, Today, however is a different day and our employees and customer are asking our CEO's to speak up and speak out. And investor's are starting to notice.
Companies and CEOs today have the power to influence the public's agenda. Whether it is banning together to advance an agenda as part of a trade association or speaking up and speaking out on their own, employees and customers today are demanding the companies they work for or do business with share their corporate values, become more aware of current events and become more vocal on societal issues.
If speaking up results in public backlash, the business leader should be prepared to deal with the issue and work with their PR and legal team to get in front of it. Whether it is holding a news conference, publishing an op ed or posting a Tweet. Words do matter and they should be communicated carefully.
