A fresh set of talent requires a new kind of recruitment strategy.
Is your business hiring entry-level positions? When significant disparities are present, recruiting and hiring new talent with little to no work experience might feel like a huge gamble. Your recruitment team may need to abandon their tried-and-true plan completely.
According to McCrindle's market researchers, Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) is expected to inhabit 27% of the workforce by 2025.
But what does it take to attract Gen-Z talent? Here is a new tailored approach with five strategies to do just that.
Flexibility is Not a Luxury; It's a Requirement
Many studies have found that hiring and keeping members of the new generation doesn't depend primarily on paying them more money. Because they came of age amid turbulent times, Gen-Z values an adaptable, flexible, and responsive organization.
How can this be applied in attracting Gen-Z candidates during the hiring process? Think about offering flexible, digital-friendly working conditions. Depending on the position's requirements, candidates may be drawn to a fully remote, hybrid, or compressed workweek.
Offering new hires, the option to choose their working hours is another excellent option, as long as the tasks are completed.
Offering contract work rather than full-time employment can also be seen as flexibility. As managing many "side hustles" or part-time jobs becomes more widespread, a contract-based opportunity can draw motivated Gen-Zers.
Set Realistic Goals and Expectations
Gen-Z is well-known for being highly curious and educated; they aren't afraid to question their position in society and are likewise unafraid to question their role in a company. Rather than simply clocking in and out without knowing the result, Gen-Z wants to understand their work's impact. This makes them more inclined, but there are still limits, such as their little to no work experience.
Give them hands-on guidance through the work and organizational processes. Keep them well informed, and you will likely keep their tasks interesting.
Walk the Values Talk
If there is a particular cause your business is pursuing, communicate this cause clearly through social media, website content, and other marketing applications.
Gen-Z applicants often look for meaningful work, organizations with solid purposes, and even additional social responsibility efforts as the generation identifiable for their curious and knowledgeable attitudes.
Hiring managers can also get their values across by discussing how they are applied to the company's day-to-day functions. For example, when an investment is being made, how are the values prioritized throughout the process? It is one thing to declare that you place a high priority on employee values and well-being, but quite another to demonstrate this in practice during an interview.
Go Digital
Another element Gen-Z is well-known for is being technological natives, generally familiar with social media and technology. To attain their attention for job openings, meet them where you can see them: Online.
Think about promoting employment prospects using social media material, both paid and organic. You can also send direct links to online application forms or invite candidates to apply immediately through direct messages.
Enabling applicants to submit a video format cover letter can let you "meet" them before the interview.
Maintain a digital mindset throughout the recruitment process. Describe how your business leverages technology to create a modern working environment. You may screen candidates for familiarity and experience with different programs while also demonstrating to applicants that your business stays up to date with digital internal communication platforms and automation tools.
Make Well-Being a Priority
Gen-Z heavily emphasizes the importance of mental and physical well-being (including burnout prevention) and expects potential employers to have a support system.
Instantly relay your organization's benefits and initiatives to support employee well-being and comfort in the workplace. From medical and dental coverage, extensive vacation leaves, retirement offers, and other perks, ensure that these details are included in the job description and restate these details during the interview.
Include information about how your business sets workload restrictions and guarantees an excellent work-life balance.
As the next generation to inhabit the workplace, Gen-Z's primary goal is to establish change for themselves and future generations of workers. And while employers may conclude that those from Gen-Z are entitled professionals who want it all, it is more than that. They are willing to work hard for the right company, but if their efforts aren't mounting to anything, they're not afraid to pack up and find other ways to make ends meet.
It has been argued that Gen-Z is simply the generation that responds to the social movements of their time and applies hard-learned lessons taught by their elders in their career decisions. Some people even believe that these fresh, new workers can gradually change the workplace for the better.
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