Appealing to the newest generation of employees
For small business owners, finding reliable, hardworking, engaged staff is never easy.
If you’re hoping to expand your pool of potential candidates, it’s important to attract candidates from Generation Z—loosely defined as those born from the mid to late 90s onwards.
While you may think “all young people are the same,” there are a few key differences between Gen Z and Millennials. Understanding the subtle differences between the two age groups will help you to broaden your appeal as an employer so that you always find the perfect person for the job.
If you’re struggling to attract this younger demographic, here is a guide to making your business more appealing to Gen Z workers.
Use social media to advertise job roles
If you’re finding it difficult to draw in interested Gen Z employees, the issue may lie in how you are advertising your open roles. For the most part, Gen Z employees will start their job hunt with social media.
In fact, even Millennials, the generation above Gen Z, are using social media for their job searches. In 2020, 73% of Millennials reported finding their role through one of these platforms. It’s safe to say that as Gen Z enters the workforce, they’ll be even more reliant on social media for finding work.
Offer flexible working hours and remote working if possible
A recent international study by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc. showed that Gen Z really do favour the option for flexible work. In fact, 26% reported that they’d likely work harder and be more loyal to an employer that offered this type of work.
Flexible work can include flexible shift patterns, flexible shift lengths, last minute shift changes, or simply a choose your own hours model.
Think about how you can make your model a little more flexible, and be sure to advertise this aspect of the job when looking for candidates. A shift scheduling solution like Findmyshift could come in handy here!
Have a strong sense of company values
Gen Z seems to place a lot of importance on values. And it turns out, they value companies with values that align with their own. If you don’t already have a strong set of company values, think about what matters to you and to your business.
Some values that are common amongst Gen Z workers include healthy living, eco-friendliness, transparency, and meaningful work.
Show them what they’ll gain from the experience
Gen Z workers aren’t looking for jobs that don’t offer any personal growth. For the most part, people from this generation are looking for careers that will give them some kind of opportunity to learn, grow, and mature as individuals.
Think about how the opportunities the job role presents in order to convince your candidates that they’ll take something away from the experience.
Show them where their new career can go
Gen Z workers also want to choose a career that has potential to go somewhere. In fact, 64% claim that an “opportunity for career growth” is a main priority. Be prepared to show Gen Z candidates all of their opportunities for career progression.
Show them you care about your employees
Gen Z workers care about how they are treated at the workplace. The last thing they want is to work for an employer who doesn’t value them or treat them with respect. Make sure you present your workplace as an open, respectful place where each and every person is valued, regardless of their role.
Offer a decent wage
It’s more important than ever to prioritise your employees’ wages. In fact, 62% of Gen Z workers in the UK claim that money is one of the most important factors at play when they decide where they want to work. So, if you want to hire the best people, make sure you can offer a decent living wage.
The takeaway
Attracting Gen Z employees to your business can initially be a little tricky. After all, they want slightly different things to previous generations of workers. However, it has never been more important to put the effort in to attract these young employees.
As of 2021, they are already making up around one fifth of the workforce, so now is the time to reassess your recruitment tactics for this incoming generation.