HRchat Podcast
Listen to the HRchat podcast by HR Gazette to get insights and tips from HR leaders, influencers and tech experts. Topics include HR Tech, AI, Leadership, Talent, Recruitment, Employee Engagement, Recognition, Wellness, DEI, and Company Culture.
Hosted by Bill Banham and other HR enthusiasts, the HRchat show publishes interviews with influencers, leaders, analysts, and those in the HR trenches 2-4 times each week. Shows are typically 15 to 30 minutes.
Past guests are from organizations including ADP, SAP, Ceridian, IBM, UPS, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Simon Sinek Inc, NASA, SHRM, Government of Canada, Hacking HR, Ultimate Software, McLean & Company, Microsoft, Shopify, DisruptHR, Talent Board, Virgin Pulse, Salesforce, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Coca-Cola Beverages Company.
Podcast Music Credit"Funky One"Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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HRchat Podcast
CSR and Generation Z with Sam Caplan, Submittable
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up a third of the workforce by 2030 – and they’re bringing their ideals with them.
According to findings from Monster, 83 percent of Gen Z candidates say a company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important when choosing an employer. Businesses must acknowledge these ideals and adapt to reach Gen Z workers if they wish to attract, hire and retain the best talent. One way companies can do this is by offering robust CSR programs, which provide corporations a license to operate in value-driven ways.
In this HRchat episode, we hear from Sam Caplan, Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable, the social impact platform used by teams to make better decisions and maximize their CSR efforts. Sam is a tech industry leader with 20 years of experience building large-scale philanthropic programs for organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart Foundation.
Listen as Sam discusses how CSR programs allow businesses to express and promote their values to prospective employees and customers.
Questions for Sam include:
- How do you see the role of Gen Z evolving in the workforce, and what key ideals do they bring with them that businesses need to acknowledge?
- How can businesses effectively demonstrate and integrate DEI values into their corporate culture to appeal to this demographic?
- As the Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable, could you provide examples of how CSR programs contribute to making better decisions and maximizing social impact within teams?
- How can companies ensure that their CSR programs are not just seen as a checkbox but are genuinely aligned with their values and contribute meaningfully to social impact?
- As the landscape of social impact and CSR continues to evolve, what emerging trends or strategies do you foresee that will be crucial for businesses to stay relevant and appealing to the values of the upcoming workforce, particularly Gen Z?
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Welcome to the HR Chat Show, one of the world's most downloaded and shared podcasts designed for HR pros, talent execs, tech enthusiasts and business leaders. For hundreds more episodes and what's new in the world of work, subscribe to the show, follow us on social media and visit hrgazettecom.
Speaker 2:The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up a third of the workforce by 2030, and they're bringing their ideals with them. According to findings from Monster, 83% of Gen Z candidates say that a company's commitment to DEI is important when choosing an employer. Businesses must acknowledge these ideals to adapt to reach Gen Z workers if they wish to attract, hire and retain the best talent. One way companies can do this is by offering robust corporate social responsibility programs which provide corporations a license to operate in value-driven ways. Hey, this is Bill Bannum, your host of this episode of the HR Chat Show.
Speaker 2:In this episode, we're going to hear from Sam Kaplan, Vice President of Social Impact over at Submitable, the social impact platform used by teams to make better decisions and maximize their CSR efforts. Sam is a tech industry leader with 20 years of experience building large-scale philanthropic programs for organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation and the Walmart Foundation. He is well versed in discussing the importance of advancing CSR initiatives and social impact programs. Listen as Sam discusses how CSR programs allow businesses to express and promote their values to prospective employees and their customers. Sam, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the HR Chat Show. Welcome today. Thanks very much for joining me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, of course. Thanks a lot, Bill. I am honored to be here and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:So, sam, beyond my reintroduction just a moment ago, why don't you start by taking a minute or two introducing yourself and, of course, telling our listeners about the mission of Submitable?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that sounds great. Well, I am Sam Kaplan and I serve as the vice president of Social Impact at Submitable. Before joining Submitable, I really sort of grew up in the world of philanthropy and CSR. I spent many years serving as the head of technology and data at the Walmart Foundation here in Bentonville, arkansas, which is where I live. I ended up leaving Walmart and moving across town. I joined the Walton Family Foundation as their chief information officer, so a lot of my background in this work has been on the technology side.
Speaker 3:In terms of Submitable, we're a software company. We develop a social impact platform that's used by thousands of companies and governments and philanthropic organizations to manage their social impact programs and to really maximize the impact that they're making in their communities. As a company, we've helped big and small organizations around the world manage over $145,000. Social impact programs. We've helped them to distribute more than $2.4 billion in grant funds and, in terms of our platform, we feature both grants management software that is used for launching and managing and measuring grant programs, and also CSR or employee engagement software that companies use to manage their employee volunteering and their giving and matching programs.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the HR Chat Podcast. If you're enjoying this episode, we'd really appreciate it if you could subscribe and leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice. And now back to the conversation.
Speaker 2:Okay, wonderful, thank you very much. Let's talk specifically now about that mysterious group mysterious to many in a way the Gen Zers. How do you see the role of Gen Z evolving in the workplace and what key ideals do you think that they bring with them that businesses need to acknowledge? I chat with a lot of folks on this show leaders, often of organizations and they're a little bit confused about the motivations of the generation Z. How are they changing the workplace?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's such a great question and I will say I speak from a little bit of experience. I'm a dad to a 20-year-old Gen Zer, so I've had the privilege of watching my kid grow up and all of his friends, and really witness how they interact with the world in a way that it is just really different and disruptive, but, I would say, in a really good way. So there's a lot of qualities and a lot of values that I think set this generation apart from all of the generations that came before them. The first is that Gen Z tends to be a really highly purpose-driven group and they're much more likely to seek out employers whose values align with their own and whose missions include this positive social impact component to it.
Speaker 3:There's some great data that came out from a study a couple years ago, bill by Porter Novelli and Cohn, and the survey included over a thousand Gen Zers and the report acknowledges that a lot of Gen Zers were young children during the Great Recession and that they saw the impact that that had on their parents and in the world around them and that influenced them to be really pragmatic and competitive. We know that as a group they value hard work. They tend to be kind of frugal. They have a tendency toward moderation. But I would also add to that bill this is also an extremely optimistic and engaged group.
Speaker 3:So let me give you a couple of data points from that survey. 90% of Gen Zers are tired of how negative and divided our country is. 88% feel that their generation has the power to transform the world for the better. 83% of the respondents believe that they can personally make a positive difference in the world. So really interesting in terms of how optimistic and engaged they are. Another interesting point about Gen Z is that it's really the first truly digitally native generation, and they're super highly connected, really active on social media. It's a group that values constant learning. They're highly focused on training and in skills development in the workplace. And then the point that I would want everyone to really take away from this long preamble is that Gen Z values transparency and authenticity in their interactions with their companies and employers and coworkers, and that they are much more likely to trust and support businesses that communicate openly and honestly.
Speaker 2:Okay, thank you. Let's continue on for a moment in terms of the conversation around Gen Z as, if you don't mind, the stats from Monster suggest that 83% of Gen Z as, or at least Gen Z candidates specifically, consider a company's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to be very important. So my question for you around this is how can businesses effectively demonstrate and integrate DEI values into their corporate culture to appeal to Gen Z as?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love that question. So, like, we know that Gen Z is known for this really intense commitment to diversity and to inclusion and they are much more likely to seek out employers that also prioritize those values. So I think that companies that embrace diversity and that create inclusive cultures are going to be the ones who are likely to attract and retain that Gen Z talent I also mentioned earlier. Like Gen Z has this intense focus on valuing transparency and authenticity, and I kind of think everything with Gen Z starts there. So companies have to walk the walk when it comes to their diversity and equity and inclusion and belonging initiatives. They have to have a clearly demonstrated commitment to DEI from the company's leadership. A clearly articulated DEI strategy is really important to this generation Bill.
Speaker 3:One area, I think, where we see a lot of traction with Gen Z is around employee resource groups, or ERGs. These are the groups that give employees a chance to really influence the company on policies and on issues that are important to them, and that could be climate change, it could be LGBTQ issues, and we certainly know that it's also diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, just add. Like erg's are quickly emerging as a core component of a lot of corporations, csr and employee engagement strategies. So if you haven't yet included erg's in your csr strategy, now is the time to start thinking about this, and it's submittable. We're seeing a lot of examples of where companies are bringing those erg's into the grant making and employ engagement practices. They allow them to help recommend grants, for example, or to even create their own volunteer opportunities with nonprofits that are in their communities. So this idea of like sharing power and even stakeholder engagement is super important to gen z I love that also as a great answer.
Speaker 2:thank you very much. So, as the VP of social impacts over at submitable Sam, could you now maybe provide examples of how Csr programs contribute to making better decisions and maximizing social impact within teams?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'll try.
Speaker 3:So we see a lot of correlation between employees and teams that are engaged in a company csr work and in their volunteer programs and those teams effectiveness in the workplace.
Speaker 3:So csr programs have to reflect the company's values and mission and when teams are aligned with those values we're seeing that it fosters this sense of like, purpose and motivation and that that leads to better decision making that's often in line with the company's social impact and business goals. We also see that csr and employee engagement programs, like skills base, skills based volunteering, play a really direct role in the yeah employee development. So, for example, employees may volunteer with nonprofits to use skills that they're developing or trying to sharpen to gain some valuable experience and that experience then helps them advance their careers back in the workplace. So it creates this sort of win win win situation for the employee, for the nonprofit that they're volunteering with and for the corporation and build. The last point I'll make is that csr programs can really boost employee engagement by providing opportunities for everyone on staff to participate in a company's social impact work, and those engaged employees are a lot more likely to contribute their skills and ideas to make better decisions and better contributions that benefit their employer, but also the whole community.
Speaker 2:Man, it sounds like you've got an amazing job that I bet you enjoy a lot, if it's Right. So she packed and corporate social responsibility what amazing, what amazing mantra to have as well as your job. And so let's continue down that route for a moment with your experience in building philanthropic programs for all, like what's in family foundation, and what are some key lessons that you've learned about implementing successful csr initiatives on a bigger scale.
Speaker 3:So I guess I would say that the biggest lesson that I've learned is that it is absolutely critical to involve your employees and other stakeholders in defining those programs, strategy and processes and goals. So in the past we know that most csr and employee engagement programs were really managed like from the top down, and what I mean by that is that senior management would often be the ones like to find those programs to call all the shots, even including, like you know, where and when employees could choose to volunteer. And the problem with that bill is that when you have a top down approach, the employees don't really have any skin in the game. So participation in those types of programs that are managed from the top down tend to be pretty low and they don't actually result in any employee engagement right, which is the whole reason that we're doing this. So I would say, by contrast, today we're seeing a lot of corporations and grant making organizations that are taking a really different approach. That's kind of based on this concept Of stakeholder capitalism, where the process is becoming democratized and they're giving employees a voice in determining the causes and nonprofits in the community that that company is going to support. And we're seeing that when staff and stakeholders and even community members are included in that strategy and planning and the decision making. That participation is much, much better in those programs and, frankly, the impact being made is a lot greater as well.
Speaker 3:I would just go back to a point I made earlier as well, bill. I talked about the employee resource groups and I would just add that when you extend this level of participation to employee resource groups, it can really act as a force multiplier in terms of engagement and impact and you know those ultimate program outcomes that we're all hoping to achieve. Other lessons that I've learned along the way, I'd say, especially with CSR programs, is to focus on transparency and data sharing. So this has been a theme that we have seen really emerge over the course of the last year. I think it's easily a trend for 2024. So, going back to the discussion around Gen Z, we know that transparency is a core value of theirs. So being open and transparent about your program's goals and especially the impact that the company is making, is really super important to Gen Z. The key lesson with this is to just show employees how their individual contribution, how their work, is laddering up to collective success of a CSR social impact program.
Speaker 2:I like to mix things up on this particular pod and sometimes I like to switch up the tempo and challenge my guests, and I'm going to do that right now. My next question for you I'm going to challenge you to answer in 60 seconds or less what, bill, you can't possibly make me do that. I think it's actually just a continuation on from what we've been talking about so far, so I think it fits well and that's around ticking those boxes. It's about having the right optics, but it being much more than that. The question goes as follows how can companies ensure that their CSR programs are not just seen as a checkbox, but actually are genuinely aligned with their values and contribute meaningfully to social impact? Answer that in 60 seconds, all right, all right.
Speaker 3:I've had plenty of coffee so I'm going to give it a shot here. So I would just say like again, I think that it starts with including employees and stakeholders and on-profits and community members in like all of the goals and the strategy setting of that program. I think it's just so important to listen to employees and to discover what their values and their beliefs are and to just give them some agency in that CSR program to help ensure that their values are being reflected in the actual work of the company.
Speaker 2:Man, you're good at this. Okay, I'm going to make you do it again then, because you knocked that one out of the box. So in 60 seconds or less, let's do that again. Can you share specific examples of how CSR programs have played a role in attracting and retaining top talent for companies, especially in the competitive landscape?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a great one. So let me just reference a Gallup poll that shows that companies with high levels of employee engagement see this really significant uplift of all business metrics. So Gallup performed a analysis of 199 studies covering 152 organizations and what they discovered, bill, was that for companies where employees were more engaged, that profitability jumped 16%. They saw that general productivity was up 18%. Customer loyalty even went up 12%. So, like there's clearly a reason for doing this, and I would say like, in terms of specific examples, salesforce is a great example.
Speaker 3:So there's a favorite quote of mine from Mark Binyoff, their chairman and CEO, who says that having a purpose beyond making a profit distinguishes our company. It helps us to attract and retain phenomenal employees. And I'll end with just one other example as well. So last year, visa's workforce participated in programs that were designed to give back to local communities. They had over 80% employee participation and, as a result, in their last employee survey, it showed really strong results for connecting the company's purpose and strategy along with pride in working for the company. So I think there's tons of great examples out there. A lot of the Fortune 500 are participating in these programs and they're doing it in a very successful way.
Speaker 2:Okay, thanks, sam. So, as the landscape of social impact and CSR continues to evolve, what, what emerging trends or strategies to you foresee will be crucial for businesses to stay relevant and Appealing to the values of the upcoming workforce, particularly Gen Z. And this time, don't answer in 60 seconds or less. Take your time to give us your thoughts.
Speaker 3:All right. Well, I'm glad you gave me some leeway here. I've got three trends that that I think are really important for Gen C. So the first is around sustainability and environmental responsibility. So we know that Gen Z is just really deeply concerned about climate change and environmental sustainability, and I think that it behooves businesses to continue to weave those issues around sustainability and climate change into their CSR work. The the next trend is what I would call tech for good. So I mentioned earlier on that, like Gen Z is the first truly digitally native Generation, and so they're tech savvy and they expect businesses to Leverage technology for their social impact, and so companies, I think, should explore these technologies, such as AI and like emerging Technologies like blockchain, to figure out how they can employ those to address social challenges, to improve transparency and overall, to enhance social impact and their their overall employee engagement.
Speaker 3:The last trend here I think that is a very welcome trend and also really specific to Gen Z is employee well-being and mental health. So we know from from all the survey data out there that Gen Z places a really high value on mental health and well-being, and so I think Businesses have to begin investing in these mental health programs and work life balance initiatives and employee support systems and figure out how to Include that in your CSR and employee engagement work as well. You know A lot of companies are developing employee resource groups these days around well-being and mental health. There are tons of nonprofit organizations in our local communities that support well-being and mental health, so it's not it's not overly challenging to figure out that we need to begin to tie, like Gen Z and employee resource groups and community organizations who are all trying to figure out how we collectively have, you know, a greater sense of well-being at work.
Speaker 2:Sam. In front of me right now. I have a picture of a pretty cool looking dude leaning back in a chair Next to the title, which is impact audio, and listeners can find this fantastic new podcast, impact audio, at submittablecom. Forward slash impact dash audio. Understanding is the. The podcast is Well, it's around Social impact. You guys talk with social impact practitioners looking to connect big ideas with real impact, and it's fairly new. I think it's less than 10 episodes so far. Can you take a minute or two and tell our listeners about impact audio?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I get to sometimes sit on the other side of the microphone bill and host impact audio. It's our, our company Sponsored podcast and I have the opportunity to talk to lots of thought leaders and practitioners in the world of Philanthropy and grant making and corporate social responsibility and employee engagement and we really just talk about, like what, what are the most important issues today, both for employees, for community organizations you know, how can we collectively move the needle in terms of social impact? If you're a practitioner in this space, like what are some ideas and some thoughts to help you develop your career? Like, we touch on a lot of really, really Interesting subjects on impact audio. So thank you for mentioning it and I do hope that the audience will check us out. You can get it wherever you find your local podcasts.
Speaker 2:Rock-and-roll. Sam, if you're ever looking for guests, it looks like you've got some pretty cool guests so far already. But just have a look at the HR chat feed. We've we've got about 700 episodes so far and I'd be happy to do intros to any relevant guest experts. Say, before we wrap up for today, how can our listeners connect with you? So you know, maybe that's LinkedIn, maybe you might want to share your email address, maybe all over tick tock and such, and, of course, how can they learn more about submitable?
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, look if you need more Sam Kaplan in your life after this podcast. Linkedin is definitely the place where I hang out, so Just look, look for my name, and I usually come up at the top of the list there, so please feel free to connect with me there. I would also say that my company, submitable, is also very active in LinkedIn. We have our website, submitablecom, and, just a quick shout out, I think that we have the absolute best product marketing and content team on the face of the planet and we churn out tons and tons of great resources and content that helps anybody who's involved in the world of CSR and Social impact. So definitely check out all of those amazing resources and including the submitable blog, which we update every few days.
Speaker 2:Awesome. That just leaves me to say for today, sam, I think you are a good human being who does good things, so keep it up, and thank you very much for being my guest today.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Thank you for the great conversation, Bill and listeners as always.
Speaker 2:Until next time, happy working.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to the HR chat show. If you enjoyed this episode, why not subscribe and listen to some of the hundreds of episodes published by HR Gazette and remember for what's new in the world of work? Subscribe to the show, follow us on social media and visit HR Gazettecom.
