Over the last few years, Millennials have been subjected to a number of insulting descriptions. Some magazine articles would have you believe they’re overly entitled narcissists who expect the world to conform to their every desire. But for all of the negative things that are said about them, one positive trait always seems to emerge – Millennials want to make the world a better place. And while this can be seen in the time and money they donate to their favorite causes, it can also be seen in their workplace values.
A study of 8,000 millennials by global PR firm MSLGroup found that 51% of millennials want to personally get involved in making the world a better place, and 69% want their employers to make it easier for them to do their part. This is great news for OIG offices – if millennials see these offices as a resource to improve the world around them, they are likely to provide information necessary to clean up the waste, fraud, and abuse.
Unfortunately, this good news comes with some bad news attached. In this same study, 73% strongly believe that governments cannot solve the world’s most pressing social issues. This lack of confidence in government reduces the likelihood they’ll bother to report fraud. What can your team do to combat this?
Demonstrate Your Value
Make sure to periodically communicate the results of your work, and how it helps the agency as well as the taxpayer. If you found money that was improperly allocated, state how much you were able to prevent being misused. How much of that was returned to agency coffers? That’s agency money being returned to the agency, that employees can use to accomplish their own mandates.
Thank People for Their Contributions
Don’t leave it to an auto-responder to acknowledge receipt of a complaint – personally respond and thank them for taking the time (and risk) to provide the information.
Explain to them that you’re not going to be able to keep them up-to-date with everything that’s going on in an investigation, and explain why. IG offices can’t be transparent with case details for privacy reasons – but that may not be obvious to the person submitting the complaint.
Be a Partner, Not an Overseer
Discuss how IGs work with the agency to improve results for everyone. That includes eliminating wasteful processes that nobody enjoys, reducing the use of money on ineffective programs, and uncovering major corruption or theft. When you show Millennials how you can help them accomplish these goals, they will see themselves as a partner in those efforts.
To learn more about how CMTS helps agencies improve their results, call us at 919-600-5102 or contact us online.
