How to Attract Gen Z candidates to your business?
A common thread we hear from clients is “how do we attract Gen Z candidates to our business?”
And it’s a great question, Gen Z tends to prioritise different things than previous generations which means that as a hiring manager, you need to think a little bit differently when it comes to your attraction piece.
So what do they look for when assessing a company & opportunity?
Purpose & Values
Gen Z often seeks meaningful work that aligns with their values. They want a genuine purpose in their work & tend to gravitate towards companies that have a proven commitment to sustainability, social responsibility & ethical work practices.
Action Items:
- Showcase on your website, job adverts & across social media any commitments you’ve made to the above areas.
- Highlight the values that run through your company.
Flexibility & Work/Life Balance
Coming out of a Covid environment, Gen Z is the generation most likely to be looking for a higher level of flexibility in their work environment. Remote work options (which we understand is hard when training is often more effective face to face), flexible working schedules and maintaining a healthy balance between life & work matters to Gen Z.
Action Items:
- If you can offer flexibility, make sure it is IN YOUR ADVERTS (so many companies don’t highlight this at the point where a candidate could become interested).
- If you can’t immediately, highlight the path towards flexibility.
- Check the language used in your ads – phrases like “work hard, play hard” or “hustle” etc send a message that you will demand more than your pound of flesh & gen Z are awake to this.
Career & Professional Development
Gen Z values opportunity to learn & the clearer your company is on development programs and opportunities for learning & advancement, the more likely it is they will gravitate towards your bran.
Action Items:
- Ensure your website has a section on training, development & career paths. The more detailed you can be on this, the better. Gen Z are good at recognising lip service.
- Make this clear in job adverts designed to capture Gen Z candidates.
Diversity & Inclusion:
If you are not showcasing your commitment to diversity & inclusion, Gen Z will likely want nothing to do with your brand. They place a high value on companies that demonstrate their commitment to equity, inclusion & diversity initiatives.
Action Items:
- Highlight your culture across social media (Gen Z are the most socially savvy gen ever, this needs to be frequent!). Inclusive branding & marketing is imperative.
- Employee testimonials on what it’s like to work for your brand (these can go in job ads too), highlighting diverse leadership, policies & practices.
Workplace Culture:
Gen Z values open communication, honesty and collaboration and they want to see this in the place they choose to work. They value working environments where they will feel respected, supported and more importantly, recognised for their contributions.
Action Items:
- Page on your website that recognises employee contributions (and not just for major things, being recognised for the smaller wins matters too)
- Encourage your employees to post on their social media about their positive experiences with the company. Corporate branding will never make the same level of impact as real life, grass roots commentary.