In 2020, huge swaths of Generation Z (people born 1996-2010) will be leaving education and entering the workforce for the first time. Like the millennials before them, they have different expectations from their working lives.
Recruiting Gen Z will be different from other generations. They were raised online and are digital natives. The oldest among them may have been born before smart phones, but for the youngest, data was available everywhere from an early age. They’ve had different life experiences, which means they look at the world differently.
So how do you recruit this new generation? We put together some tips for you here.
Consider Mobile Recruiting
Digital natives love one-click solutions: the quick apply, the buy now. If you want to recruit them successfully, you’ll need a mobile recruitment strategy.
More and more people are already using their phones as their primary job search tool.
As a result, you also need to make it easy for candidates to apply from their phones. Your job applications should be mobile-ready and should avoid requiring too many attachments. For example, instead of asking for a cover letter attachment, consider using a question and answer system within the application.
Give Them an Education
A lot of the emphasis lies on their relationship with tech, but Gen Z has real concerns about being digital natives. One study found that 37% of respondents worry about how their phones impact their interpersonal skills.
As an employer, you should be less worried about finding a Gen Z worker who can edit PDFs and instead offer them something they’re looking for: a development program that emphasizes their soft skills as much as their innate tech skills.
If you’re looking for candidates with advanced job-specific skills, consider offering an education program to new recruits. More and more people are now starting work after leaving high school, and many young people say they’d rather learn in the field than go to college.
They Know You’re Looking at Their Social Media
Gen Z knows you’re going to look at their Instagram accounts. They watched millennials get burned time-after-time for the wrong post here or a retweet there. So, if you find a Gen Z candidate with a public profile, then you’re probably seeing an ultra-curated version of themselves.
In other words, there’s little value in trawling through their various profiles.
What’s more, Gen Z is very wary about who has their data and when. If you do want to look at their social media, you might consider asking their permission and only doing it when you reach the advanced stages of the hiring process.
Start Recruiting Gen Z Now
Gen Z will bring a lot to the table: they’re a dynamic bunch with a wide range of interests and a stunning capacity for taking on information. However, they have different priorities from Millennials and Gen X.
As an employer, you should play to their strengths and help supplement their weaknesses. And always remember, you have serious competition for their attention.
Will your recruiting strategy attract the next generation of workers?
Get in touch with Energi Personnel to learn how we’re getting ready to recruit Gen Z or request your next employee today.
