The new wave called Gen-Z or digital natives is entering our workforce. They are smart, they are tech-savvy. They are curious and they care about social causes. 

Gen Z (plus Millennials) are making up 38% of the total workforce. And it has been predicted that in the next decade, this figure will rise to 58%. This will make them the most dominant generations in the workplace. 

But how well do you know this new potential employee pool? Do you know what they expect from their employers?  Is your hiring strategy designed to meet the Gen-Z expectations?

This blog will help you answer these questions and design a Gen-Z friendly strategy to hire the best Gen-Z talent, strengthen their engagement during the process and offer them an overall better hiring experience. 

About Gen-Z

There isn't any standard defined age range for Gen-Z. The Pew Research Center defines Gen-Z, as the generation born after the year 1996. 

Shilpa Gaidhani and colleagues (2020) writes about Gen-Z as – the generation born in the year 1996 and now has brought a new worldview and different expectations as customers, employees, and citizens. People think that the generation after Millennial consists of only kids, the reality is that the oldest members of Gen Z are now up to age 22.

They are the newest generation and belong to the group who have been raised in a media-surrounded world and haven't witnessed living without mobile phones or the internet.

So, Here Are 10 Simple Steps That You Can Use For Hiring The Best Gen-Z Talent  

1. Speed Up The Hiring Process

Eight seconds is the approximate attention span of Gen Z. So time is the key. An average hiring process takes around 23 days. But the majority of Gen-Z job seekers (82%) expect the hiring process to wrap up within 2 weeks or less (Source: 2019 Yello Recruiting Study). So, opt for assessments that are shorter, quicker to conduct, gives you the report in a shorter time frame such as AI-based digital assessments. This will help you narrow down the candidates at the entering stage (by knowing them through various psychometric test such as personality test, aptitude test, skills test, etc.) and you will have a smaller pool to interview and will reach the decision quickly..

2. Adopt HR Chatbots and Text Messages.

66% of the Gen-Z feel that texting highlights an organization's tech-savviness during the recruitment process. For a generation that is used to instant messages and 24/7 chatting apps – a detailed email can appear slow, dull and boring. Send them direct messages through chatbots to increase the likelihood of their responses – and not miss out on Gen-Z talent.  You can integrate these such chatbots to the Career Page of the Website to communicate, coordinate, gather the entry level information, answer FAQs or share more about the organization – and reduce the burden of the HR Team as well.  

3. Use Latest Recruitment Tech

Gen-Z is all about technology. One study found out that 54% of the Gen-Z candidates don't complete an application if the recruitment methods are outdated. Add the newest technology to keep the candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process. One of the most commonly used HR Tech Tools are Digital Assessments for screening the behavioural, job skills, digital skills, etc.. CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) is also widely used by HRs to keep a track of candidate information; and keep the candidates updated about their application status. Other commonly used technologies are Interview Scheduling Softwares, ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), Talent Intelligence System, etc.

4. Play With The Visuals During The Recruitment Process

Gen-Z has lived around visuals, whether it is sending gifs while texting or scrolling on instagram. They carry a visual-first mindset. An article by Mccrindle defines Generation-Z as Global, Visual, Digital. Using the traditional question-answer format in assessments might not resonate with them. So let them express themselves in the language they know the best. Use visual-based assessments that make use of picture/video/gif based questions to screen. 

5. Take Up Social Media Recruitment

According to a recent study by Peter and Vasa (2020), Generation Z spend a huge portion of their free time on social media platforms – and they prefer online job search. This is why social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook are slowly coming up with separate Job Search sections. So, design a social media hiring strategy and stay active on social media platforms. Join different social media groups and use multiple relevant hashtags while posting about any job vacancies. Include the most browsed platforms by Gen-Z such as Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc. as your targeted channels. Utilize add-on tools available with the social media sites such as Talent Insights for getting analytics about current skill gaps, attrition rates, potential talent poaching targets, etc.

6. Use Mobile Recruitment

46% of the Gen-Z prefer to apply for a job on their mobile device. And most of the major job search websites such as Monster, Naukri.com, Glassdoor and Indeed offer mobile apps. So make sure the company website features such as career chatbots, job application pages, assessment to be given, etc. should be mobile-friendly – to provide the candidate a hassle-free experience. This gives the candidates an ease to apply and connect with their potential employers. It also allows the company to reach the passive candidates who don't go on career websites for job search; and send quick application progress notifications, with a tap of a finger – reducing the waiting time for the candidates.

7. Build An Appealing Website

Gen-Z embraces curiosity. According to Careerbuilder, after finding a job vacancy, around 64% of the candidates say that they go to research the company online and 37% say that they will move on to another job opening if they can't find much information about the company. Build a strong and attractive website that reflects the brand values and work environment. Include all the current vacancies, crucial information about the position, steps to complete the application, and concerned people to contact in case of queries. 

8. Share Additional Perks To The Job

The Yello Recruitment, found that Gen-Z expects the “Big 3” employee benefits: medical insurance, paid time off and retirement savings. They also look for maternity and paternity benefits, student loan repayment, and tuition reimbursement. Let your candidates know that there are benefits offered beyond the basic salary that support their personal needs as well. Make sure you communicate these benefits during the early stages of the hiring – either in the job description or during the interview process. 

9. Brief The Candidates About The Company's Culture

About 86% of Gen-Z consider the company's openness to diversity as a crucial factor while making a decision about accepting a job offer. Discuss with your potential hires the company's culture fitment philosophy early on – to reduce attrition during later stages. Share with them other important areas as well such as how you make sure your employees have a healthy work-life balance through regular feedback, reviewing workload from time-to-time, ample time off for personal interests, mandatory leaves, healthy boundaries regarding work hours, etc. 

10. Be Transparent With The  Job Role

In a recent article by Forbes – transparency is the key to integrate Generation-Z. They value a very sincere and honest approach at the workplace. Around 58% of Gen Z trust a company more if it shares the work in progress areas and difficult issues. So be clear about not just the job title to be assigned, qualifications needed, KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities) expected from the candidate, job responsibilities, company goals – but also about the areas the company is lagging behind in and is trying to utilize the candidate's potential.

To Sum Up 

Gen-Z is carrying a different set of expectations from their employers. Stepping into their shoes and understanding what they want will help you create a smooth experience for them. Offer a workplace and culture that is Gen-Z friendly and stands out from the rest of your competitors. 

In a nutshell – visual-based, digital strategy that aligns with their values and expectations of Gen-Z is the answer when it comes to hiring and retaining Gen-Z. 

–  Somya Verma

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