3 Keys to Catching the Best Generation Z Talent

Hook, Line & Sinker

by Sean Hemraj, Director – Workforce Planning & Development

Generation Z, those individuals that were born between 1995 and 2010, will soon be entering the workforce and potentially your organization. Touted to be the ‘digital generation’, or the ‘silent generation’, they are unlike any other before them. But how ready are you for their arrival, and more importantly, how ready is your recruitment strategy?

A recruitment strategy, like a resume, should always be evolving to suit the current purpose. While making slight modifications to your process may have enabled your organization to keep pace with previous generations, it would be worth reviewing certain areas of your recruitment process to ensure you remain effective to this unique demographic.

HERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO REVIEW:

Hook: Choose your medium
It is important to understand that Generation Z has been raised in a world of technology. They are very savvy on the newest platforms of social media. Many have even developed their own language, preferring to use emojis rather than text. With this in mind, it is important to expand your horizons on where you plan to post your job description. Utilizing emerging platforms such as YouTube, Beme, and Vine are all easily digestible flavors. Although these are all video based platforms, they quickly grab the viewer’s attention and can be directed to a job posting link in the video description.

Alternatively, if your organization is not ready to make the leap and prefer to use more common social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, know that these will be ancient by the time Generation Z is looking for employment. Start matriculating to similar platforms like SnapChat, Secret, and Whisper which are beginning to gain steam and offer similar functionality. Keep in mind, given the opportunity to post a link on any of these platforms can provide a handy ‘bridge’. It allows you to connect a new platform, that has a captured audience, to one that your organization has been using steadily and is more comfortable with.

Line: Interview Format
Generation Z is very mobile and will require communication that can support their free and nomadic nature. While it may be a requirement to construct traditional interview sessions so as to capture the sense and feel of a candidate’s personality and attitude, start investigating and investing in tools that allow remote interview formats to be conducted. Such options as Skype, Google Video Chat, and TokBox are widely used today, however these may be long since retired at the time of your first Generation Z interview. Recognize that your goal is to create an environment where the applicant feels accommodated while still adhering to the process – finding a balance will be key.

Sinker: Perks and Benefits
Once you have refined your applicant pool and whittled the grouping down to your chosen candidate, tenure your offer with care. Generation Z is predicted to not only interact differently with their environment, but subsequently will also have a set of reprioritized values when rating job satisfaction. Considering this, when constructing job offers, you should note that remuneration, while a factor, may not be the highest priority in their eyes. Instead, look over such perks as the ability to work remotely or to telecommute and a system that allows flexible work hours that fluctuate around project deliverables. Remember that Generation Z is said to be full of leadership potential. The greatest option with which to incent an offer, is the revelation of a defined career path that clearly landmarks promotion and progression.

In conclusion, it is never too early to start reviewing your strategy. It is estimated that this demographic will consist of 26 million thought leaders looking to leave their mark on their industry and, in order to capitalize, your organization needs the right tools to catch Generation Z.

The FIT FINDER™ is a customized recruitment and selection process that thoroughly screens and assesses applicants as well as focuses on their preferences, skill level and work style to ensure the best fit for your workforce needs.

For more information on SRG’s workforce training and development services, contact your local SRG office.

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