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According to a study by Snap Inc./Oxford Economics, Gen Z will be a dominant force in the workplace by 2030 — with 87 million Gen Zers expected to be employed across six leading labor markets: United States, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Now’s the time to refresh your recruiting strategy to engage this younger workforce and keep your talent base strong.
Here are some tips to get started:
- Review your brand: Your brand isn’t an ad, it’s a promise. Gen Z employees expect your recruiting narrative to align with their employment experience. Unlike Gen X and Millennials, Gen Z won’t be shy about leveraging social media to voice the disparity between your stated brand and your day-to-day workplace culture — so make sure your employer brand is reality-based, not aspirational.
- Take a holistic view of wellbeing: Recent EY research indicates that, unlike other generations, Gen Z is focused on redefining wellness. They desire tools and support to help them thrive in all aspects of life — physically, emotionally, financially and socially. Examine your current wellbeing offerings to see what employee resources you can enhance and enrich to meet their needs.
- Be realistic about DEI initiatives: According to a Monster survey, 83% of Gen Z candidates said that a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is important when choosing an employer. However, if your DEI program is in its infancy, be honest about where your company stands and your strategy for moving forward.
- Prioritize professional development: Gen Z employees aren’t content with the status quo. They value jobs that offer a pathway to build knowledge, develop new skills and take on more responsibility. According to a LinkedIn survey, nearly 40% of Gen Z professionals who are already in the workforce are staying in their current role due to opportunities to learn and grow. Work with your human resources team to ensure you provide mentoring, coaching and training that help employees advance.
- Up your digital game…within reason: As digital natives, Gen Z are the most tech savvy demographic in the workplace and view technology tools as essential to working quicker, easier and more efficiently. However, when considering new technology for your company, make sure you’re making an investment that will benefit your business overall.
Like any relationship, a work arrangement should give all parties the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. With 2030 just seven years away, don’t waste important planning time. You likely have many Gen Z employees in your workforce today — the upper end of this group turns 26 this year. Talk to them. Why did they choose your company? What's working for them and what isn't? Start now to ensure you have a strong strategy in place to engage the Gen Z talent you'll need to be competitive in the future.
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