Enviro Gen

At Christmas time we look back on the year, celebrate the successes with colleagues and spend time with our loved ones. This time of reflection is important to Generation Y. Not only do they immerse themselves in friends and family-life, they want to celebrate their work, to be proud of the company they work for, and be pleased with how they are progressing and what they contribute to the overall picture (after all, theirs is a world in which public affirmation is ego fuel). They want to be able to re-affirm the values that attracted them to the organisation they are in.

Like everyone else, Generation Y employees value salary, holidays and health benefits from their employer, but they also seek a sense of challenge and equality in recognition for outstanding work. Additionally, Generation Y looks to the company’s social responsibility; its active role in the community and wider environment. Many young entrants into the working world will interrogate potential employers about their environmental record and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.. According to a survey, 80% of Gen Y respondents said they wanted to work at a green company[1] and another poll revealed that 50% reported that their shopping habits were influenced by the retailer’s sustainability and environmental policy.[2]

At this festive time, the so called “me” Generation, form part of the increasing demand for ethical gifts from charity organisations like Oxfam. Ethical gifts, such as “Build a Bog” or “School Dinners for 100 Children” from such organisations, satisfies their desire to get something meaningful. The online availability of such gift attracts the techno savvy Gen Y shopper. So you see Generation Y don’t just care about themselves, they also care about what is going on in the world around them and what the organisation they are working for represents.

In fact, one of the team at Naked Generations got married in November and received just such a gift as a wedding present: the planting of 25 trees and 100 school dinners for children in Africa! Brilliant!


[1] http://jobsearch.about.com/b/2008/08/04/gen-y-job-searching-goes-green.htm
[2] http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/09/14/47-of-gen-y-would-pay-more-for-green-brands/