With 61 million Gen Zers set to enter the workforce over the next 10 years, it’s becoming increasingly clear that traditional recruitment may need to change. That’s because in addition to bringing new skill sets to the table, Gen Zers are more focused on positive work experiences than either Gen Xers or millennials. To attract and retain them, it’s important to develop a holistic recruiting strategy that takes into account their day-to-day work as well as flexibility and mentorship opportunities.
Here’s how to build an effective Gen Z recruiting strategy, while keeping your company’s mission and goals in mind.
Combine flexibility with stability
Many Gen Zers grew up during the financial crisis and, as a result, stable employment is extremely important to them. But that stability needs to go hand-in-hand with flexibility. In fact, according to a recent survey by the Workforce Institute and Kronos, 33% of Gen Zers say that they wouldn’t tolerate an employer who doesn’t give them any say over their schedule and 55% say that they would pass up traditional employment for full-time gig work that offers flexibility.
“Although our research shows Gen Z is excited for the independence of gig work, many feel unprepared to build their newfound careers for the long haul,” says Dan Schawbel, best-selling author and research director of Future Workplace. That’s where the stability of full-time employment can make a big difference. “These potential shortcomings can be curbed, of course, by a manager who’s invested in developing their team, or an employer who’s invested in creating an engaging workplace environment.”
To successfully attract Gen Z talent, it’s important to make flexibility a core part of your recruiting strategy. While this may not look the same for every company, offering some type of flexible work arrangement will go a long way toward attracting young talent to your team. This can include the ability to work remotely or the option of working longer hours in exchange for a shorter workweek. Whatever you decide, the flexibility you offer should reflect your company’s values and take into account what will work best for your team.
Focus on feedback and engagement
In addition to flexibility, Gen Zers are also looking for regular feedback — lots of it. In fact, 40% of Gen Zers say that they want daily interactions with their manager and those who don’t have them are likely to believe that they’ve done something wrong. To overcome this challenge, it’s important to structure feedback into your day-to-day workflow and to make it a key part of your recruiting strategy.
This means offering feedback to candidates at every phase of the hiring process, and ensuring that you stay connected with them as they advance to the next step. A candidate engagement platform can be a helpful way to do this while simultaneously streamlining your communication efforts through both email and text.
Highlight growth opportunities
While Gen Zers crave stability, they also want the ability to advance quickly and if they’re not offered those opportunities, they’re likely to move on. In fact, 44% say that they measure success by how quickly they advance and 35% expect a promotion within the first six months.
To successfully recruit Gen Z employees, it’s important to have a well-defined plan for growth and to highlight this during the recruitment process. This should include a standard advancement track and timeline, as well as mentorship opportunities both within and outside of the company.
As Gen Zers enter the job market, they bring new skills and enthusiasm with them. In addition to being tech-savvy, they’re also eager to learn and grow within their careers and they crave the stability of a role that offers them those things. By developing a recruiting strategy with flexibility, growth and feedback in mind, you can attract young employees and meet your talent acquisition goals.
Want to improve your recruiting strategy even further? Learn how to incorporate freelancers into your recruiting strategy and how to set your candidates up for success.
