July 26, 2023 Employers Resources / English 5 Gen Z Recruiting Tips Posted by Anisa Aznan There are a lot of questions about how to best attract Gen Z to the talent pool, keep them excited during the application process, and convince them to take a job with you if you offer one. Gen Z and millennials comprise about 38% of the global workforce. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to 58%. By 2025, Gen Z will make up about 27% of all workers worldwide. In other words, Gen Z has much to do with the future of work. According to Forbes, here are 5 tips to hire Gen Z employees: 1. Salary Is Essential This isn’t hard to understand: Gen Z knows a lot about working, and pay is one of the things they know a lot about. WTW study shows that U.S. companies will raise pay by an average of 4% in 2024. This is not a secret. Salary increases will keep happening as companies try to stay on top of a tight job market. Even the youngest job-seeker knows something about how supply and demand work, so this is not a good time to offer less than your rivals. The study found that 70% of U.S. employers had planned for pay raises to be the same or better in 2023 than in 2022. The bottom line is that work is practical, and Gen Z is full of realistic people. In this case, being different could cost you. 2. Remote And Flexible Work Matter This isn’t a big surprise since we know that Gen Z grew up with technology and thinks working from home is just as valid as working in person. They also have a different idea of what a workday should look like. Some companies, like Amazon, Apple, and Google, are trying to turn back the trend towards remote and casual work, but this could cause them to lose ground with Gen Z. A recent study in Ireland found that more than half (55%) of people between 18 and 24 thought that remote and mixed work helped their careers. In another study by SMRS, 38% of this group said they liked flexible and mixed work arrangements because they saved money, and 37% said they were happier than they would have been in an office. Again, practicality rules, but so does a good mix between work and life. This is the lesson: If you want to hire Gen Z, you should offer online and flexible jobs. Use it in the way you hire people as well. Your company is remote-friendly if you let people try out jobs through video interviews or virtual reality exercises. 3. Growth is a Necessity Gen Z knows that they are starting their jobs, and they know that learning is an important part of their path. Rarely is a job applied for as if it were a dead end. Most of the time, it’s seen as a step up the career ladder. In a LinkedIn study, more than three-quarters (76%) of Gen Z linked learning to success, and they knew it had a direct link to being able to move up. LinkedIn also listed the top three reasons Gen Z wants to learn on the job: to improve their work, make more money, and get promoted. These are practical things every employer must consider when putting up open roles, job postings, and career pages. If you want Gen Z to give you their time and energy, you must invest money into their growth. Ultimately, this group doesn’t see learning as a perk regarding working. It should go without saying. It can take many forms like mentoring, training, and opportunities to move up in your job, but most important is a culture of learning, development, and growth. ALSO READ: 5 Ways to Improve Employee Relations 4. Diversity, Fairness, and Inclusiveness Are Core Values for Gen Z Gen Z is indeed the most diverse group in history. According to Pew Research, 48% of Gen Z people are “racial or ethnic minorities.” They are changing gender norms by using neutral names and a new, more accepting way of thinking about gender identities. Gen Z is more likely to want to work for a company that supports diversity and treats everyone respectfully. A Monster survey found that 83% of Gen Z candidates think a company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important when picking an employer. But it’s not as simple as just adding people to the workforce. It’s about making a work culture where everyone is valued for what they bring to the team, no matter what their gender identity or ethnicity is, and where everyone feels like they fit, no matter their age, religion, gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical ability. 5. Communicate With Integrity The last thing is to reach out to Gen Z on fancy digital platforms. It’s no secret that Gen Z is very good with technology. They can switch from one channel to another very quickly and easily. You will miss them if you don’t use digital tools to reach them, like social media, online platforms, and texts. It also means you need to make sure your digital image is the same everywhere. But that won’t do. You have to be honest if you want to attract, recruit, connect, and hire Gen Z. No matter how you try to help, you don’t want to cross certain lines. The result is the feared “ghosting,” when the person you’ve been talking to about a job disappears. Just a few warnings: • Don’t wait too long between messages. Gen Z is used to getting answers immediately, so the time feels different. Their culture, which is based on social media, has shortened the time required for digital conversations. You may be used to taking a week to get back to someone as a recruiter, but don’t do that here. If you wait too long, they might not accept your offer when you make it. They might no longer be interested. If you don’t have any news, share information and useful content with them throughout the hiring process to keep them interested and on your mind. Check back often. When you reach out, you show that you care. • Don’t lie about the job or its duties. If, halfway through the process or after the job is offered, the responsibilities, pay, work environment, or team are different from what you said, it may feel like you used them to get the job and then changed your mind. In the same way, if the job description isn’t clear enough, it can lead to distrust and a lack of interest. I’ve seen this for myself, and it’s a terrible way to hire people. Be clear about the details, what’s expected, and the rules, and make sure everything is the same. • Don’t act like you don’t care. Personalization isn’t as easy as putting a different name on the same design. That’s not the best way to reach out to people. Make sure your messages are right for the people you’re talking to. If you don’t know who they are, find out. Just ask. Use that information when you talk to people in the future. I know that doing this on a large scale can be hard. But in the world of Gen Z, there’s an app for just about everything. Things go wrong when we can’t empathize or react on a large scale, forget that bias can be seen even if it wasn’t meant to be, or don’t have a well-thought-out plan. This is a great time to do your research and think about yourself. It’s a good time to get your hiring teams together and see what could be done better. It might take a little time, but it will make room for great new talent. Looking for ideal candidates for your company? Post your job ads through Jobstore.com today! Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives. Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.
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