Recruiting and Keeping Generation Z – A Very Different Generation.

There is a lot of talk in recruitment circles from employers at the moment about the changing attitudes of candidates. One of the reasons for these different job-seeking attitudes could well be that Gen Z candidates are very different from other generations.

Generational Differences and Attitudes to Work

Categorising people by generations is a very broad brush and in the end, we are all different. So, these kinds of groupings are very general in nature. That said, we are all made up of our experiences. Some insight into how candidates may behave because of those experiences could help in early recruitment strategies. So, we have three main generational components to the candidate market.

Generation X

Born between the mid-1960s and 1980, they were adults at the start of the media and computing boom. They are also crucially, the parents of the Gen Z workers. As well as the rise of computing, they endured several financial emergencies and periods of high unemployment. As candidates or in the workplace they will tend to be:

• Resourceful and independent which means they respond well to unsupervised work.
• Highly resistant to micromanagement.
• Time management savvy.
• Capable of a strong work ethic, but they also protect their work-life balance.
• Resilient and resourceful, having experienced hard times.
• Flexible and they will often respond very well to changes in the workplace.
• At this stage of their careers, they are often highly experienced and respond well when that is recognised.

Millennials (Gen – Y)

Born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, Millennials (Gen Y) grew up during the rise of social media, and in an era of high economic stability. The biggest difference between them and the previous generation is Millennials are the first generation to be computer literate at an early age. Do not mistake this with the digital native world of Gen Z though. Millennials tend to be very focused on their own agendas and are sometimes referred to as the pampered generation because they grew up in a period of workplace and financial stability compared to the previous generation. They tend to work well in groups and thrive on feedback and development. As candidates and in the workplace, they will lean towards:

• Collaboration and teamwork.
• An open, transparent, workplace
• Workplaces that will support them with their private lives as well as work lives. This could include flexible working and hybrid work patterns.
• A tendency to put their own growth first when it comes to employer choices

Generation Z

Born from the mid-1990s onwards, Gen Zs are the first true digital natives. They have always had access to smartphones, and social media, and are constantly connected to a flow of information. Gen Z workers have also seen a lot of changes in their world at a young age. Many were still in education during COVID, others have had to cope with the cost-of-living crisis (or are watching their parents struggle with it) and they all saw the changes of Brexit. One of the most interesting differences from a work perspective is that they can have a stronger focus on financial matters and job stability than previous generations while also having a very entrepreneurial outlook. They tend to be:

• Technologically proficient and able to make the most of new and existing tech.
• Innovative and entrepreneurial by nature.
• Socially aware and quick to support equality and inclusion.
• Effortlessly inclusive and at home in culturally diverse settings.
• Able to integrate the workplace as an extension of their life, not an addition to it.
• Aware of the need for constant self-development and growth.
• Career-minded but acutely aware of the need for work/life balance.
• Highly attuned to employer brands and values when applying for jobs.
• Very aware that financial stability and growth are important. When you consider that most of them will be in their 30s by the time they can think about buying a house or starting a family, you begin to see why they are financially astute.
• Socially blended using face-to-face and online as part of a whole social experience.

It seems odd to have financial stability and the spirit of entrepreneurship on the same list, but the Z Generation is very different from previous ones.

The Problem of Ghosting.

Ghosting is when the candidates simply vanish and refuse to return any attempt to contact them. Frankly, it is frustrating to have a suitable applicant who seems keen, and says they are happy to progress with a potential new role, just refuse to return calls or emails. I suppose it has always happened to some extent, (usually because the candidate found another job), but it now seems to be on the rise.

Why Do Candidates Ghost?

The sudden increase in candidates dropping out of the employment process could be partially down to a generational difference. Where Gen X and early millennials have seen periods of higher unemployment and therefore engage more actively, Gen Z candidates have always had choices because of the general availability of vacancies. In short, they may feel as if they always have other options which could reduce the urgency of the application to them.

It is also very easy to apply for jobs these days and that could lead to candidates applying for roles with less discrimination. When these applications turn to a potential job, they are naturally less interested in pursuing them because, well, they didn’t really want them in the first place.

It seems needless to point out that ghosting is not a good idea for candidates. An email, a phone call, or even just a text, would make all the difference because, not to put too fine a point on it, you may need us again. Also, there is an element of common courtesy involved here that makes ghosting a rude and unacceptable practice.

However, before we get too indignant about this, we should probably take a step back and think about this differently. Rather than dwell on the unacceptable practice of ghosting, perhaps we could look for ways to attract and keep those Gen Z candidates. After all, if you look down that list of attributes, they are very valuable employees.

Attracting and Keeping Gen-Z Candidates

Gen Z may well be prone to ghosting partly because they are very different to other applicants. That may mean shifting the focus of how we attract them to roles and the processes we use to ensure they move through the employment process properly.

1. A good Recruiter will play a valuable role. At the initial stages of the recruitment process we can work to educate the candidate on the problems ghosting causes for everyone. Gen Z are acutely aware of fairness, so a little education in how unfair this practice is could be key to more committed candidates.
2. Early pre-interviewing is another tool recruiters have to hand. We always work to build relationships with our candidates. That way they are aware of our expectations. This also removes a stage in the employment process because we will have refined what it is the candidate is looking for in advance.
3. A further benefit of having a recruitment partner handle the pre-interview stage is it will remove the ‘scattergun’ application issue.
4. Frequent personalised engagement and fast follow-up are helpful. Gen-Z applicants are used to email and message communication. As we said earlier, this is the first generation that is permanently online, so they process multiple sources of information very quickly. Feedback and follow-ups are key to keeping engagement going.
5. Streamline the process of employment. Keeping things moving will keep the applicants interested. In one survey of why ghosting is so common, the participants named lengthy processes as a major factor.
6. Showcase your culture and ethics. Gen-Z are even more driven by their personal ideals than millennials. They tend to be looking for a company that they can align with and trust. Employer brand is important to them.
7. Make the financial package clear and the options for growth, development, continual learning and advancement even clearer.

When you look at the talents that Gen Z could bring, the benefits of attracting them seem very clear. To be honest for the most part, our experience of the younger workers is that they are focused on their careers, capable, entrepreneurial, and dedicated… provided you reach out to them in the right way. At the end of the day, we are talking about some very general traits of a whole generation here. Some people are going to be rude and ghost no matter what you do. Some will be the opposite. The important thing is to not lose the dedicated and applied ones in the early stages, when it comes to Gen-Z, that may mean taking a different approach.

Call us and let’s chat through your employment strategy to make sure your business is getting the young talent it needs.