How can you attract Gen Z to your team?

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Move over Millennials: it’s time to welcome Gen Z to the workplace. Born in the mid-90s onwards, these young people are now tackling the first rungs of the career ladder. And as they’ve only ever known a world of mobile connectivity it makes sense that they’re using smartphones to help them navigate.

Does your business need to make some recruitment tweaks to attract these tech-savvy Gen Z candidates? Here are some questions to ask…

Are you thinking mobile-first?

Smartphones and devices play a fundamental role in the vast majority of Gen Z candidates’ lives, so think how you can make more stages of the recruitment process mobile-friendly. And, having a website that’s fast and mobile-responsive is already a business essential.

With Gen Z’s arrival, it’s now a non-negotiable. These young job hunters expect to be able to apply for roles seamlessly from their mobiles. And forget them waiting more than a few seconds for pages to load, or having to zoom in to read text - they just won’t stick around. 

Are you visual enough for Gen Z?

Gen Z will search online for compelling reasons to work for you. And they’re more likely to respond to visual mediums like YouTube than written content. So let them know what makes your company unique with easy-to-find videos showcasing employer stories on your website and on social media.

But brevity is key. According to research, this generation has an average attention span of as little as eight seconds. Plus as they multi-task across multiple screens they’ll quickly switch away if you’re not holding their attention. Wherever possible, think about how you can also incorporate animations and even emojis to keep them engaged.

What are your reviews like?

First-person reviews pack a powerful punch, whether that’s for buying something online, booking a holiday or choosing a night out. Job hunting is no different. Gen Z want to find out all they can about your company before they work for you. And first-person reviews offer the most impact when it comes to judging a potential employer’s brand.

A survey in 2016 showed that 70% of job hunters look at reviews before they decide whether to work somewhere. So think about registering for a free employer account with the website Glassdoor. This will give you the chance to tell the story of what your company’s like - plus respond to any reviews.

How speedy are your updates?

All job candidates find being left in the dark about the state of their application frustrating. But as Gen Z are used to instant access to information, they’ll be turned off far quicker. It’ll all speak volumes about company culture. Slugging communication will sow doubts in their mind that you’re not going to be a transparent, open employer. So of course, they’ll keep looking elsewhere.

As we tell the companies we recruit for at HR GO, candidates expect to be kept in the loop when they apply for jobs. And if you have any hope of hooking this exciting team of the future, you need to work doubly hard on wooing them from the very start.