“Millennial” has been a word on many employers tongues over the years, with hundreds of articles and tools created to understand, hire and foster them in the workplace. Now that most millennials are in their late 20s and 30s, they are most likely passed the junior level roles. Now, employers should avert their attention to the generation of college grads, Generation Z.
Smart companies should begin preparing now for this new tech-savvy, holistic and independent force.
What Generation Z is looking for
According to INC.com, “75% say there are other ways of getting a good education than going to college.” This means companies will be welcoming Generation Z into the workplace a lot sooner than expected.
They are also extremely motivated by security. "These Gen Zers have seen their parents struggle financially [due to the recession and student loan crisis], so parents are having conversations about finances, money and debt with kids earlier. They're having conversations older generations never really had before," said Denise Villa, founder of The Center for Generational Kinetics, according to CNBC.com.
While millennials were seen as more motivated by purpose than pay, Gen Z is leaning towards security and money. Companies should focus on offering promising job security and opportunity for raises in order to get this generation's attention when recruiting.
How to Recruit them
Companies should focus on delivering an exceptional candidate experience. Gen Z is less likely to do business with a company where they have a poor experience as a job applicant. Slow communication, for example, or non-mobile friendly career pages are going to deter them from moving forward with your company. Focus on creating timely, tech-savvy and effortless candidate experience.
Speaking of tech-savvy, this generation has never known life without a smartphone. Their technical skills are second nature. If companies want to recruit Gen Zers, they need to utilize innovative technology.
On the other side of the coin, Gen Z likes to talk face to face. According to Business 2 Community, “ Fifty-three percent of Generation Z said they prefer in-person discussion over instant messaging or email.” This could perhaps attribute to the negative feedback they saw millennials receive from their reliance on technology, or it could be because Gen Z grew up with Skype and Snapchat, forms of communication beyond text. Either way, companies should prepare for in-person meetings with Gen Z employees.
Why you should recruit them
Generation Z is 55% more likely to want to start a business than millennials. They are highly motivated and willing to work hard to achieve their dreams and are known to be great multitaskers. Their independent work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit can make great employees for your company. With a likely chance they will soak up as much knowledge as they can and take on many different challenges as they pursue their goal of starting their own company in the future, your company has the advantage of the very well rounded employee.
Of course, each candidate varies from person to person. There is no one way to assess an entire generation. But having these characteristics and tactics fresh in mind when recruiting will help you welcome Generation Z into your company’s space and welcome them to the workforce.
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