millennial insights final 030816

SAP Millennial SymposiumKey insights to engage the next generation of business leaders

Gail Moody-Byrd, Digital Governance Center of Excellence LeadMarch 2016

© 2016 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Internal 2

Methodology

WHOWHAT WHERE WHEN HOWUnderstanding the millennial

mindset

22 millennials between the

ages of 21- 34 U.S. Q1 2016

Mix of in-depth phone and

online survey


Meet your new colleagues, clients and business leaders

M I L L E N N I A L S


What Millennials think about…

The B2B tech space

Where and how they want to work

What companies can do to be relevant and cool

04

15

30

The B2B Tech Space

01


Let’s get this out of the way…. Millennials are still on major social networks, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Snapchat None of these

Let’s not forget, millennials have built their entire lives and networks on the top

social networks. A new platform will not

up-end that.


In fact, major social networks are still popular with millennials and offer the best channels for reach and engagement.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

No Yes

Brands reflexively pursuing newer

platforms may be accused of

“crashing the party”


Beyond company social, the primary place millennials learn about business software companies is through their Facebook news feed. al handles


Millennials have low awareness of SAP.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

20%

40%

60%

60%

80%

Know a lot about them Know them Aware of them Don't know much about them Don't know anything at all

SAP does not make a strong visible impact

among millennials against key competitors


Really low awareness…

I know they are a German company…

The button on your remote that changes the language to Spanish…


Yet, there is a silver lining. It’s possible for SAP to leap frog competitors in influence and relevance.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes No

Yes, millennials believe business

software companies can be “cool”

and relevant


However, millennials currently view Microsoft as the most relevant software business brand.

Along with…


Relevance is tied to innovative culture and approaches to solutions.

good work culture and very good pay and

benefits

making game changing innovationsthey offer software that is

relevant and innovative


When I think of GE, I think of a boring, big industrial

company. Then I looked at their Instagram and they've

basically become cool to me. They've made a connection

to me through Instagram through beautiful pictures.

GE built credibility and relevance to millennials by celebrating their culture and spotlighting technology in a new way.


Roughly half of millennials don’t follow business software companies on social media.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes No

Overly corporate tone and promotional

posts may hinder brand social engagement


Millennials want benefits driven content that speaks to the brand’s purpose and cause.

Beta testing information

witty content makes the company seem down to

earth

I see SAP all over NHL.com - a useful application has been

their partnership with NHL. Videos show how stats

impact a game. That's an interesting application.


IBM got people think and care about cognitive computing

I'd be interested in reading a bunch of articles about Watson and machine

learning. I would read the article about Watson vs.

Jeopardy.


SAP has the opportunity to better story-tell about their NHL partnership.

Where and How They Want to Work

02


Millennials find tech companies like Microsoft, Google and Uber, as well as lifestyle brands, Nike and Bud Light “cool” and relevant.

Remember me?Along with…


Takes great care of its employees, is extremely

employee friendly

Takes risks on projects and push the boundaries

of where people are innovating

Takes proactive stances on

progressive issues

Uses light, approachable

humor

Cutting-edge

Companies that are seen as approachable, employee friendly, risk takers and progressive will win with millennials.


Millennials want to work for silicon valley-esque technology giants.

Along with…


Millennials want to work on the next big thing, but don’t want to kill themselves for it.

The way a company treats its employees,

from benefits to vacation policy and the culture

they've cultivatedIt's sad to say that there are some positions that you're

stuck doing the same thing for the next 5 - 10 years

Google has a laid back and fun environment Promote

excellent work-life balance

They are the company of the

futures

It’s cool to tell your friends, “I’m working

on the next big thing”

the ability to grow

They accept

my ideas

I want to contribute to a social impact


WOM, and a brand’s digital presence are one of the major factors that millennials consider when job searching.

I have my own friends working there and they

often provide me the feedback about these

companies.

Always on their website to see what they care

about when they launch products. Do they look like a good company to

work for.

WOM Digital Presence

News Career Centers

What Companies Can Do To Be Relevant And Cool

03


Millennials have a strong affinity for start-up culture

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes No

Millennials view start-up culture as giving

them a sense of independence and

opportunity to learn and grow

However, current start-up culture can be seen as misogynistic and “bro-y”


SAP could host regular and open tech events for those interested in the STEM fields, and prospective millennial employees.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Millennials appreciate start-up culture, but don’t regularly

participate in hackathons

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes No

However, company association with hackathons is prevalent

And ultimately, millennials have positive views of companies associated with hackathons

Do you participate in hackathons?

Do you know of companies that host hackathons?

Would you view companies associated with hackathons positively?


Now, some parting words from millennials…

Don't try to be cool for the sake of being cool. Do some self-reflection and find what's unique about you.

Then find a way to make that interesting to others.

When I hear software company, I think boring... but if I could peek behind the curtain and see a collaborative start-up

feel, I would be very interested in that.

Do things differently.

Things to avoid: It's a non-starter to be like "look how much more efficient we can manage data than competitors" - it just doesn't make sense. It's not appealing to me. It's not useful to me. Don't explain how great your product is.


Key Observations and Recommendations

Millennials are on major, established social channels Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SAP should prioritize content and context over a race to the “next best channel.”

Millennials look up to companies that are driving game-changing innovations that impact their customers and society.

Make sure the SAP brand story centers on the company’s big picture impact, not a list of products.

Millennials want to be part of the “next big thing”, but don’t want to kill themselves for it.

Ensure there’s a strong narrative around the work hard, play hard aspect of SAP culture.

Millennials love start-up culture and hackathons, but may feel start-ups don’t provide strong job security.

Spotlight SAP’s intrepreneurial start-up culture along with the fact it’s a well-respected global institution that’s here to stay.

Millennials don’t want to be a “lifer”—someone who’s stuck in the same position for years with little impact to the organization.

Culture and talent outreach content should clearly showcase attractive growth and leadership opportunities.

Millennials’ perceptions of brands are largely developed from experiences from their immediate network or friends of friends experiences.

SAP must empower current millennials to perform duties of brand ambassadors on social networks through formal and informal methods.

millennial insights final 030816

Documents