Given the demand for Generation Z talent, employers need to be more flexible and reach out to this age group through modern approaches and using innovative solutions. Building connections and hiring Generation Z, those born after the mid-1990s, should be a crucial element of a company’s recruitment strategy. Businesses should be aware that the number of Gen Zs in the workforce will grow 2-2.5 times during the 2020s.
Employers will compete to recruit and retain this fresh generation of professionals. Gen Z people are more tech-savvy, goal-oriented, and seek rapid solutions to address challenges. So, it’s doubtful that using the same strategy to appeal to applicants in their 50s and 20s would work. Each age group has its own set of values, tastes, and goals that match its vision.
Employers who want to hire Generation Z talent may consider changing their hiring strategy. We offer some suggestions for attracting Gen-Z employees to your business, and explain why you should opt for a video job board and video job posts.
What influences Gen Z when they choose a company?
Gen Z represents the generation of people born in 1997-2012. Half of them are now in the workforce, and it’s set to grow in the coming years. Generation Z employees don’t recall a world without the internet, smartphones, or online video games. Gen Z also finds it challenging to disconnect from the internet. Gen Z cannot imagine their life without technology. They grew up during the rise of social media, thus these networks are second nature to them. These are tech-savvy individuals who believe in achieving their goals.
Generation Z Talent Profile
- Gen Z makes up around 26% of the global population
- Gen Zers are projected to make 34% of the total workforce by 2030
- 55% of the Gen Z prefer socially responsible companies.
- 85% of Gen Z discover new brands on social media.
- 80% of Gen Z watch videos online
- 91% of Gen Z individuals say technology is a crucial factor for choosing a job.
They would like to work in healthy workplaces where employees are treated with respect and fairness. A career that has a beneficial influence on the planet is important to this generation. Apart from choosing to work in companies that value diversity and sustainability, Gen-Z is pragmatic and has high expectations for their future workplace. For Gen-Z, employee benefits such as mental health days, skill development, paid time off, and team activities are also essential.
Surveys showed that midsize companies are the ideal work environment for 41% of Generation Z, while start-ups are named by 14%. Therefore, entrepreneurs and small and medium firms should focus on how to attract this latest generation of specialists.
How to recruit Gen Z talents
First of all, avoid old techniques since Generation Z values innovation and is becoming increasingly sceptical of organisations and traditional approaches. They become critical thinkers who can connect to progressive ideas and innovative projects as a result of growing up in a time of societal changes, social media influence, and fake news issues.
Founders and recruiters should spend time getting to know Gen Z applicants to attract, engage, and hire them. Gen Z grew up in a world dominated by the digital world, social media, and Wi-Fi. They also had to witness their parents handle the 2008 market crisis with anxiety, and they were in danger of losing their employment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Offer Gen Z a mission-driven career
According to another study, 93% of Gen Z claimed that a company’s social effect determines their decision to work therein. They will also question their role in society and their duties in the workplace. They don’t want to just spend time in the workplace doing things without seeing the outcome. Gen-Z aspires to make an impact at work, even though they will most probably start in junior roles as they lack the necessary job experience and knowledge.
Gen Z recruitment strategy must go digital
Technology has a significant impact on whether or not Gen-Z individuals find an employment opportunity attractive. According to the Truelist figures, 80% of people in this age group want to work in companies that use cutting-edge technology. According to another study, 91% of Generation Z stated technological expertise would be a crucial factor in career choice.
Throughout the employment process, these young job seekers expect innovation and usage of tech solutions. If they find your recruiting approach outdated, 54% of Gen Z applicants say they will not even apply. They have never gone to school or worked without the use of technology. They use their smartphones daily to watch YouTube and TikTok videos, participate in video chats, pay for goods and services online, learn new stuff, and search for jobs.
The majority of employees of this generation feel that technology and automation will lead to a more equitable workplace. If you’re a startup looking to hire the cream of the crop, attempt to appeal to this age category with a ‘tech-first’ and ‘video-first’ approach. Transform talent acquisition strategies by leveraging creative technologies and modern recruiting tools, such as video job posts, to target next-generation talent pools. Ensure that your business has a prominent presence on video social networks, which Generation Z uses to find their dream jobs.
Get more exposure on social media
To attract Gen-Z, social media is crucial. According to the Hootsuit study, 85 percent of Generation Z individuals discover new things through social media. Gen Z individuals spend 4.5 hours on social media daily, the Ypulse research says. It appears that social media has the greatest impact on the behaviour of this age group. Technology and social interest are intrinsically tied to Generation Z. According to studies, Gen Z is roughly 60% more likely than other generations to engage with companies on social media.
Millennials were the first generation to discover social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, now instant live videos and instant digital content are more appealing to Gen-Z. They embrace social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, which allow them to share photos and videos that disappear seconds after they are viewed. Employers must be innovative in their social tactics given this new user behaviour. Engage Gen-Z using short yet stunning visuals to appeal to their love of graphics and meet their expectation of fresh, up to date and short-living digital content.
Video is a key to reaching and convince and hire Gen Z applicants
According to several studies on Generation Z’s social media habits, over 80% of this age category enjoy watching videos online. In her article for Forbes, Jessica Baron says that the key to reaching Gen Z is video content. According to a survey conducted by the business website The Manifest, 89 percent of Generation Z users connect to YouTube daily, 74 percent use Instagram, and 68 percent use Snapchat.
As Generation Z social media usage data shows, almost 60% of them watch YouTube at least once a day. According to Generation Z screen time data, shared by Google, over 70% of all youths spend more than three hours each day watching a video. Gen Z watches shows and movies on mobile phones, tablets, and computers in addition to other video streams. So, video will be among the Gen Z recruiting trends.
This provides an opportunity for business owners and recruiters to use video platforms to promote their job openings. Therefore, businesses that wish to reach a new generation of talent with an engaging message should invest in video content.
How and where Generation Z searches for jobs
Reach out to Generation Z where they are. It is almost always online. During the hiring process, employers should consider Gen Z’s preferred job search platforms. According to Yello’s research, the most trusted job-search sources for Generation Z are referrals from current or former employees.
The moment Gen Z applicants are exposed to your brand, you have a chance to make an impression on them. This first impression of a company can shape a young job seeker’s entire perception of it. After your initial online outreach to a Gen Z candidate, think about the next steps. Shortly after engaging with a new organisation on a job opportunity, young prospects frequently turn to social media platforms.
Leverage a video job board
Many applicants pass by third-party employment boards before reaching your career site. If the content is not a good fit, job board search results can be a turn-off for Gen Z. Video recruitment platforms, such as C-Me, on the other hand, can make the application process more appealing and easier by providing mobile-friendly solutions that allow Gen Z prospects to apply from anywhere, on any device.
Engagement rate on video job posts is as high as 70%. This means founders, business owners, execs and hiring managers are able to directly pitch their company and job opportunity to the majority of people that open the video job post – that’s huge! Producing a video job post on C-Me is a fast and straightforward process. It’s an affordable and modern solution for founders and small and medium businesses. You do not need to invest a lot in a whole sophisticated platform, and you can easily compete with big companies.
Pitch your business in engaging and shareable video content
Create and publish engaging video job posts that appeal directly to Gen Z candidates, such as content about your organisation’s purpose, diversity and inclusion, culture, training, social responsibility, and industry-specific topics. To inform your candidates and increase organic search through Google, share content on your social media accounts. The more appealing information you include in your video job ad, the more likely you are to attract Gen Z applicants.
YouTube
The key to interacting with the youngest job searchers is video content. 89% of Gen-Z use YouTube, a research says, and over 60% check YouTube at least once a day. YouTube is a popular video service because it allows users to comment on most videos and engage with the creators in various ways. It provides users the impression that they are in direct contact with content producers.
Founders can build a strong presence on this channel by providing educational videos, video job descriptions, and company presentations. YouTube offers content creation opportunities that might help you improve your employer branding and portray yourself as an attractive company. Although it isn’t the ideal place to publish job ads, it is an excellent platform for finding candidates and growing a talent pool. Use it to show off your knowledge, tell your viewers about available opportunities, and stay ahead of the competition.
TikTok
This video-based platform should be on your shortlist of social media platforms to engage Generation Z. TikTok is becoming increasingly popular among the youngest job seekers. This app is popular among Gen-Zers since it allows them to express themselves through short and stunning images and videos while also connecting with others. If you want to reach the newest generation of talent, you must leverage TikTok.
You can encourage employees to share videos about your business on TikTok while making a hiring video on a video recruitment app. Create a corporate profile and share video job descriptions and how-to videos that are related to your field. Bring your company’s innovation capabilities and openness to interact with Gen Z closer to your target audience.
Instagram is used by most of Gen Z. According to a Sprout Social’s study, 71% of 18-29-year-old people use Instagram. Generation Z appreciates using Instagram to discover new brands and engage with businesses. Gen-Z values companies that establish online interactions and are keen to learn more about them.
Create stuff that encourages two-way conversations, engage Gen-Z in an interesting way that generates interest in your company, and post job vacancies on this platform. Maintain an updated, fresh, and informative Instagram presence to showcase that your organisation is socially active. You should also encourage Gen-Z job seekers to visit your company’s website to check for vacant posts.
Share job postings with video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Despite the fact that Gen Z uses TikTok and Instagram on a daily basis, they frequently use LinkedIn and Twitter to search for open positions and follow companies. As a result, you cannot avoid these platforms. And there’s more good news: it pairs well with C-Me, a video job posting service where you can craft your video job ad and share it with one click to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Twitter is often the first social media platform to share breaking news, and Gen Z members now account for a huge portion of tweets. If you want to appeal to progressive youth, use this platform, create contests, polls, and ask for feedback from followers to attract talented youth. Baby Boomers and Generation X are likely the most active demographic groups on Facebook; nevertheless, Gen Z continues to use this social media, and Facebook is adjusting its strategy to attract more young people in the future. As a result, having a professional Facebook profile and status updates will help you to improve online visibility.
Although most members of Generation Z are familiar with LinkedIn, they rarely share posts on it. However, when people aged 18-25 surf LinkedIn, it is almost certainly to search for jobs and learn about companies. As a result, your company’s recruitment strategy should include this channel. Share video content, sound excited, don’t take it too seriously, and post jobs to find outstanding Gen-Z applicants.
Generation Z recruitment: get ready for the future of the workplace
Generation Z is the future of work and a vital source of exceptional potential as the youngest generation in the workforce. But these young adults think and act differently to their predecessors. Your hiring practices must change as one generation of job searchers transitions to another. While millennials will be here for many years, Generation Z is slowly but steadily taking over the workforce.
To engage with Gen Z, you should understand their mindset and what they expect from employers. Connect with them on their favourite social media channels by providing professional and appealing video content and engaging them on relevant topics. Remember that Generation Z values openness and innovation.
We hope that our Generation Z hiring advice offered in this article will help you gain a better understanding of this tech-savvy generation, allowing you to develop more effective hiring campaigns for the newest generation of talent.