Attracting and retaining Gen Z
In today's job market, attracting and retaining top talent is essential for any organisation's success. With competition for skilled workers increasing, it's important to understand the unique characteristics of the incoming workforce. Enter Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, and soon to surpass Millennials as the largest generation on earth, and one third of your organisation by 2050.
Who are Gen Z?
Gen Z's lived experience is different from previous generations due to the digital age in which they were born. This generation has grown up with unfettered access to the digital world, making them the guinea pigs for the positive and negative effects of this technology. They've also grown up with a constant stream of bad news about the environment, economic instability, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Gen Z are the most educated generation to date, with one in two having a degree under their belt. They've experienced an education system that's participative, where they're encouraged to try and see, unlike the authoritarian listen-and-learn approach of previous generations.
Unlike Gen X, who had a limited selection of TV channels to choose from, Gen Z has grown up with increasing levels of personalisation and customisation in the services and products they consume. This customisation trend has implications for selection and development strategies, as Gen Z will expect personalised career development plans and training programmes.
Gen Z has a unique relationship with diversity. They don't consider diversity as a separate issue but rather a way of life. While this is positive, organisations must actively uphold values of equity and equality to meet Gen Z's expectations. This generation isn't afraid to speak up about the things they care about and will call out organisations that don't share their values!
This is not a generation known for burning the midnight oil - while salary is still the key factor in deciding on a job, Generation Z values salary less than every other generation before them. They advocate to have a more balanced work/life experience with 38% counting work/life balance as a priority when choosing an employer. Some 42 percent of Gen Z workers value work-life balance, remote working and flexible leave as their top priorities when looking for a job, according to a recent survey.
So now that we know more about this generation – how do we attract and retain them?
Attraction:
To attract and retain Gen Z employees, companies need to re-evaluate their employer branding strategies. Here are some tips to appeal specifically to this audience:
Be candid, authentic, and visual: Gen Zs want to know about the job they'll be doing, location, salary, benefits, development opportunities, and company culture. Make sure this information is easy to find on your website. Virtual office tours, candid graduate videos, and clear career pathway maps are now standard and not just extension exercises.
Offer personalisation: Gen Zs have had the widest choice of education and career pathways of any generation. If you have a rotational programme, consider what level of customisation you can offer to tailor their own path.
Focus on candidate experience: Map your candidate attraction experience through engagement touchpoints to the application form. Consider using personalised messages like "from your application, we can see we've got a lot in common – here's why your well-being matters at …"
Make an impact: Gen Zs care about social issues such as the gender wage gap, wealth inequality, mental health, and environmental initiatives. Make explicit your organisation's commitment to a social contract to draw the attention of young talent.
Use video content: Gen Zs would prefer to watch a video summarising an issue rather than read an article discussing it. Use video content instead of brochures and words to get your message across.
Designing Development Programs for Gen Z:
Many Gen Zs are visual learners. This means that organisations need to create materials that are more visually appealing, such as infographics, videos, and interactive training sessions. Additionally, organisations should consider other learning styles, such as kinaesthetic or auditory, and provide content that relates to the wide range of learner preferences.
Another crucial aspect to consider when designing development programs for Gen Z is the use of technology. Gen Z has grown up with technology, and they expect it to be integrated into their work environment. Organisations should leverage technology to create engaging learning experiences, such as gamification or mobile learning. Offering bite-sized learning modules rather than more traditional half day or day long learning interventions can provide Gen Z learners with a more immediate sense of achievement and help retain engagement.
Gen Z have high expectations when it comes to development programs, they are enthusiastic about social responsibility and expect their workplace to provide development opportunities that intersect with making a difference. As an example of this - your organisations could offer pro-bono work for not-for-profit clients or projects based on supporting efforts to tackle climate change.
Gen Z expects their work environment to promote well-being, offer flexibility, and provide learning and development opportunities. To keep them engaged companies need to be intentional in their mentorship, offer daily check-ins, and provide strong managers who can manage and develop their talent.
From our Student Pulse research, we know that the most aspirational employer for Gen Z is ….themselves! This is a generation of keen entrepreneurs. Think about how you can tap into this appetite for entrepreneurial skills and encourage side hustles!
Retention:
In the Deloitte Millennials survey this year, When Gen Y and Gen Z were asked whether they would leave their job, 24% of Millennials and a whopping 40% of Gen Zs globally were planning to do so within two years. While salary remained the number one reason why a Gen Z would leave a job, other factors included wellbeing, a desire for greater flexibility, learning and development opportunities and feeling burnt out. The millennials research points to the fact that Gen Z are looking for diversity of experience.
As organisations continue to adapt to the changing workforce, designing development programs that cater to Gen Z's needs is critical.
Competition for skilled workers is on the rise, and organisations that tailor their attraction, development, and retention strategies to the characteristics of Gen Z will gain a competitive advantage in the war for talent.
If you would like to chat about how we can help you create a targeted Gen Z attraction and retention strategy, please contact us at: info@talentsolutions.co.nz
