Future Proofing Your Workforce: Preparing for Gen Z

Originally posted on heytempo.com

5 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM FUTURE-PROOF YOUR WORKFORCE: PREPARING FOR GEN Z

In 2030, 75% of the workforce will be Gen Z. In a candidate-driven job market, employers need to ensure their talent attraction strategies take into consideration the demands of the workforce to make themselves as attractive to top candidates as possible.

So as Gen Z enters the workforce with their own set of beliefs and demands, how can employers adapt and alter their talent strategy to ensure they snap up and retain top candidates?

To find the answer to this question, Tempo got together a panel of HR professionals including Will Bradley, Recruitment Manager of Together, Lucy Tannahill, Head of People at Peak and Amul Batra Chief Partnerships Officer at Northcoders at B Works in Manchester to discuss how employers can prepare for Gen Z.

Here are my top 5 takeaways:

1. Values are key.

Attracting talent requires more than a brand name and office perks. It is more important than ever to have a value-led process where candidates can truly get behind what the employer is doing.

For Amul Batra, it is equally as important that potential candidates buy into their values. Amul Batra included that these values need to be reflected throughout the hiring process, having worked with over 100 companies and 3 recruitment processes he noticed how many processes were traditional and those that had moved to a more value-led approach were eye-catching and more popular with their qualified coders

2. Be open throughout the hiring process.

Candidates want to be able to develop a really clear understanding of what life is like at a company. As Will Bradley points out the interview process is becoming more of a two way process. It is just as much an opportunity for the candidate to assess whether they want to work at the company as much as it is for the company to assess the candidate’s suitability for the role.

With culture being increasingly important when finding, hiring and retaining talent, Lucy Tannahill states employers should take a look at their careers page and the role it plays in the hiring process and conveying your employer brand. Peak has changed their careers page to be far more values-focused so candidates can get an impression of what it’s like to work at Peak.

3. Make sure employees are engaged and valued. 

It is important for employees to feel valued and that they are contributing to the company’s end goal to ensure they’re engaged in their work.

Peak make sure each employee is fully aware of their own personal role within the company, and how that affects the end goal of the organisation. Each individual is given specific goals aligned with the company’s so that they can see a tangible impact from their work.

4. Accept that the notion of the career has changed and is no longer linear.

In order to keep great people, employers need to accept the growing demand to move across disciplines and functions. As illustrated by Will Bradley, in reference to Together’s graduate scheme, Will mentions less people finish it and more choose to start their own thing or pursue something else.

This isn’t something that companies should shy away from and instead encourage employees to move into something they’re passionate about. Employers should embrace this desire for change and growth, facilitating employees’ development and different growth trajectories

5. Offer and promote continuous learning and development.

Given the desire to trial different functions and have different experiences, it’s no surprise that employees are also looking for opportunities to constantly learning and such opportunities for constant development should be offered to employees throughout the organisation.

Amul Batra mentioned that this environment of constant learning and development takes importance away from university qualifications and should instead promote a focus on candidates who want to learn and develop on the job.

Conclusion

Gen Z want to be part of a company with a culture that accommodates and supports their values. Employers should react to this by not only incorporating these values into their culture but by also communicating this from the outset throughout the hiring process.

By promoting a values-led environment that offers learning, development and progression to candidates, employers will communicate a company culture that Gen Z candidates will engage and retain Gen Z candidates.

Will Bradley mentions this shift in demand from the working world is not contained to Gen Z. There has been a shift in expectations from the workforce as a whole. Employers need to take note of these suggestions and adapt accordingly to not only attract the future generations but to engage their current workforce.