Young, educated, having the world at their feet, caring for ecology and the future of our planet, concerned with social affairs and company culture, wanting to grow and disliking idleness.
They are often looking in job posting for permanent employment, having already gained experience and practical skills from doing internships, apprenticeships and side jobs.
Once on the market, they can be considered as passive job seekers so you may consider applying specigic recruiting efforts.
Having grown up surrounded by new technologies, they have become digital natives, and thanks to 24/7 access to all kinds of information, they are not only resourceful but also have an awareness of the need for continuous education.
Oddly enough, despite having been in the digital world the longest, Gen Z has a particular appreciation for “face-to-face” communications. Remember to apply it in your recruiting process.
Big company or a start-up? Which hiring managers are more likely to attract Gen Z?
As opposed to the millennials, who are much more likely to connect their careers to start-ups rather than global companies, they are willing to commit to work, also in big companies – what they expect in return is engaging experiences, a clear career path, full utilisation of their abilities and stability.
Obviously, an appropriate remuneration is high on their list of priorities – however, they also value courses and mentoring. Remember, to add such information to your job postings, if you are willing to reach job candidates from Gen Zers.
This is yet another generation particularly focused on a work-life balance. However, in contrast to generation Y, they are much more willing to allow the possibility of working in the evenings or weekends, expecting flexibility from the employer in return.
Work from-to? Forget it!
The pandemic has changed a great deal in terms of teleworking, yet more and more companies are making a full return to offices and regular working hours.
However, it is not necessarily a good solution if you want to attract the finest talents from Gen Zers – representatives of this generation were raised in the era of freelancing, and many of them gained their first job experiences by offering their services through various platforms and apps that let them freely choose their working hours. Maybe it’s a perfect time to re-think your recruitment strategy?
Gen Zers will be much more interested in job openings that includes flexible working hours and a chance for a home office or hybrid working model, not necessarily from home but also from anywhere.
Furthermore, this generation particularly appreciates job post with task-based rather than hour-based payroll processing, giving them the opportunity to work at their own pace and in the workspace of their own choosing.
When working in the office, they are looking for an interesting surrounding and a possibility to personalise it, allowing not only the creation of a comfortable workspace, but also a brief moment of relaxation, positively influencing their work productivity.
Bring international work as your recruiting strategy
International contacts are nothing unusual for Gen Z – since early childhood, thanks to internet access, they can communicate with people all over the world. What potential candidates can appreciate, is an opportunity to gain international job experiences at work – not only in terms of possible foreign travels but also to have an opportunity to work with global customers and co-workers from all over the world. In that case, it is of utmost importance to carry out an appropriate language proficiency verification and to ensure seamless communication within the international team.
Honesty and equality above everything else
A generation growing up in an atmosphere of openness to different cultures and globalisation in general, pays particular attention to the ideas that a potential employer pays homage to as well as its organisational culture. Issues of equality, social justice and ecology have become particularly important to the representatives of Gen Z.
However, fake corporate social responsibility will not work in the long run – Gen Zers values honesty and transparency in the workplace above anything else, and it sees support for social affairs and respect for equality and diversity as a requirement rather than an added benefit. The Gen Zers will also appreciate an organisational culture based on mutual respect, gratitude and appreciation between co-workers and the management.
The perfect generation of job seekers?
Obviously, there is no such thing; also in the case of Gen Zers. 24/7 internet access from any mobile device has contributed to the development of FOMO (fear of missing out) – i.e. fear of what we are missing or may be missing when we are offline, and to compare ourselves with others even more often, also when it comes to professional and career development.
Representatives of this generation are not known for their patience either. However, these are not issues that can’t be dealt with – consider introducing an internal newsletter for the employees and utilising tools that allow work reporting within the team. Precise identification of goals and a specific development path in the company, or even multiple career paths that would make it possible to carry out several roles in one workplace, will also definitely help Gen Zers.
How should the hiring process be handled?
It is obvious that job ads published in newspapers will not reach Gen Zers. It is worth making use not only of services that facilitate online publication of job ads, but also of any social networks. Remember that a substantial portion of this generation will be browsing job ads and applying for jobs via mobile devices. They may also attend job fairs.
In the content of the offer, it is advisable to focus on several aspects: the proposed remuneration, additional benefits and preliminary information on the promotion opportunities.
While job interviews on Skype, Zoom or Teams might be standard for older generations, they are gradually becoming a relic for the Gen Zers. They would rather present their practical skills by tackling online tests instead of spending time talking about themselves and their experience.
Are you thinking of requesting a cover letter? Think of a short video instead, for example, where the candidate gets a chance to briefly introduce themselves and describe what they can bring to your company – this is also a good way to find out about the candidate’s expectations of you.
So, should you completely give up on interviewing a candidate?
The answer is no! This should not, however, be done at the very beginning of the recruitment process, but, for example, when the candidate’s future supervisor can join the interview. Don’t forget about feedback either – even in the form of an automated response prepared in advance.
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Sources:
Anna Pajęcka, „Różnice pokoleń a proces rekrutacji” (https://passionhr.pl/human-resources/roznice-pokolen-a-proces-rekrutacji/)
David Stillman, Jonah Stillman, „Move Over, Millennials; Generation Z Is Here” (https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/move-over-millennials-generation-z-is-here.aspx)
Ineed Editorial Team, “Gen Z vs Millennials in the Workplace: What Are the Differences?” (https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/gen-z-vs-millennials)
Mary Lyons, Katherine Lavelle, David Smith, „Gen Z rising”
NSHHS, „2018 Carreer iInterest Survey. Carrer Motivations of Generation Z”
RainmakerThinking, Inc., “The Voice of Generation Z: What Post-Millennials Are Saying About Work” (http://rainmakerthinking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/THE-VOICE-OF-GENERATION-Z_Final.pdf)
Tomek Florczak, Rekrutacja talentów z generacji Z – co je przyciąga? (https://hrnews.pl/rekrutacja-talentow-z-generacji-z-co-je-przyciaga/)