Notre Dame Welcomes AT&T for MBA Challenge Aimed at Engaging Millennial Employees
By: Bill Soards, President of AT&T Indiana
What, exactly, do millennials want out of a future employer? Which social issues mean the most to them? And how do they want to spend their volunteer time?
AT&T recently wrapped up a first-of-its-kind Masters of Business Administration (MBA) challenge with the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business that tackled these kinds of questions – and then some.
More than 130 MBA students participated in the challenge that began with AT&T representatives providing an overview of the company’s Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, such It Can Wait, Digital You and Do One Thing.
Once the students were brought up-to-speed on the impact these programs can have on people and communities, they were tasked with addressing “live business issues” that included:
- Engaging Millennial Employees in Global Citizenship Activities
- Smart Cities & Internet of Things Technology
- Safe & Responsible Use of Technology – It Can Wait and Beyond
Organized into teams of 5-6 members, the students worked with Mendoza College of Business instructors on important business fundamentals like decision-making, research and preparing to speak. In between the lessons, the teams worked on developing their proposed solutions, as well as rehearsing their presentations.
The teams presented their final ideas before a group of AT&T judges who are active in CSR efforts in the Midwest.
“Engaged employees are typically more productive, more likely to stay with their employer and more customer-focused,” said Bill Soards, president of AT&T Indiana. “While we have a strong history of providing opportunities for employees to engage in our communities, we are always looking for ways to increase their engagement in cause-related activities.”
“Learning from the best-in-class and seeing how important CSR is to their business has made a strong impression on our students, who are the business leaders of the future,” said Bill Brennan, senior associate for the Mendoza College of Business.” It was truly a win-win-win endeavor and a learning experience that will resonate with our students throughout their careers.”
