How to Attract Recent Grads and Gen Z Job Candidates
It doesn’t seem so long ago that experienced HR reps and hiring managers had to revamp their recruitment efforts to connect with millennials. Just when they thought everything was smooth sailing, along comes Generation Z. While some may believe these two demographics are one-in-the-same or share similar viewpoints, nothing could be further from the truth.
Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2012) is the latest generation to enter the workforce. Mostly composed of recent graduates, Gen Z job candidates are more interested in opportunities, experiences, and growth. Those three things motivate them more than traditional benefits and the urge for large salaries. With that in mind, hiring managers will once again need to reconsider their current recruitment efforts and hiring strategies.
We’ll discuss a few tactics you can use to attract Generation Z employees.
1. Speak To Gen Z
The first interaction between a job candidate and an employer is typically the job description. Essentially, it’s your elevator pitch to prospective employees. While Gen X and baby boomer candidates would consider positions based on responsibilities, requirements, benefits and location, Gen Z is focused on those things—and more.
In addition to the job specifics and requirements, Gen Z wants to know more about the respective company. They favor transparency and have little desire to engage with job descriptions that are vague or copy-and-paste. If your organization is using boilerplate-style job listings, it’s time to file those away. To a meaningful impact with Gen Z candidates you need to craft your job descriptions for that audience.
While clearly defining the specific job responsibilities and requirements is still essential information, your updated listings will need to go into greater detail about the company and its culture. This shouldn’t just be limited to the company’s industry, history, and achievements. When it comes to recent grads and Gen Z, describing the workplace environment as “fast-paced,” “forward-thinking” or other similar terms may result in disengagement.
Gen Z candidates want to know more about what the company truly stands for. Is the organization’s culture focused on inclusion and diversity? Does it value continuous learning and development? Is the organization empathetic to the employees’ professional and personal challenges? This information is more essential to Generation Z job seekers than how many paid holidays are offered or how many industry awards the company has won.
2. Be Upfront
Salary. This topic has been on the minds of every generation of job seekers. It just so happens that Gen Z was the first to be upfront about the matter. While it has been standard practice to either avoid mentioning salary information in job descriptions or include a safeguard like “salary commensurate with experience,” Gen Z believes it’s time to be more transparent.
Including salary information in a job listing isn't only beneficial to Gen Z prospects. It’s also helpful to other job seeking demographics as well. Using a phrase like “salary commensurate with experience” may be interpreted as “candidates with less experience will earn low wages” by Gen Z and millennials. On the other hand, Generation X and Baby Boomer candidates may feel that the company is dismissing them as being “too expensive” thanks to their abundance of experience.
Being upfront about salary levels the playing field for all candidates. Gen Z candidates may be more eager to apply to companies that practice such transparency. And other generations will applaud not having to partake in that awkward part of the interview when a hiring manager asks: “What are your salary requirements?”
3. Include A Signing Bonus
Adding an extra job-signing incentive to your listings is a great way to attract eager Gen Z employees. The best part is that these incentives do not have to be cash based. In fact, it may be even more beneficial to you and more receptive to them.
Businesses can catch the eyes of Gen Z prospects by offering job-signing incentives such as additional PTO, a free membership to a local gym (a luxury many new grads cannot afford), or even a donation in their name to a charity or local nonprofit of their choice. By focusing on these types of incentives, you’ll be able to make a more meaningful connection with the latest generation of job seekers.
If your company is eager to invest in the next generation of employees, Elite Personnel can make that possible. Our team of staffing experts is experienced with finding the highest quality candidates no matter what generation they’re from. Contact us today and we’ll begin the search tomorrow!