How to appeal to Gen Z candidates

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How to appeal to Gen Z candidates

If you’re looking for a phrase that sums up the Gen Z workforce – then it has to be ‘hard to please’.

You could add to that, ‘elusive’ and ‘picky’, but let’s not tar them all with the same brush.

However, it is important for businesses to be aware that this next generation of employees (born mid-1990s to early 2000s), have a far different concept of the world of work to the rest of us.

As the first truly ‘digital generation’, their ideals and expectations are not the same as the generation before – the Millennials – and so businesses need to become more switched on as to how recruit and keep Gen Z employees – or face a revolving door of having to constantly keep hiring.

Research from Gartner – How to appeal to Generation Z candidates – has indicated how serious a problem this could become, with those that have already entered the workforce regretting the choices they have made.

It has found that in 2018, 40 per cent of Gen Z respondents reported that they would not repeat their decision to accept the job offer they had accepted and only 51 per cent said they could see themselves having a long career at their organisation. It also noted that more than one-third of candidates who regret their decision intend to leave their position within 12 months.

The upshot of candidate regret is high turnover, low engagement and low productivity, which is not ideal for any business in what are already challenging times.

“To address this increase in candidate regret — and stem the ensuing issues with underperforming talent and/or high turnover — organisations need to better understand what Generation Z candidates want,” said Lauren Smith, vice president of Gartner’s HR practice.

So, if you want to hire and retain Gen Z candidates there are two distinct demands that need to be met – flexibility and development opportunities.

Gen Z candidates are attuned to the latest technology and tools, particularly via smartphone and laptops, and so don’t expect to be ‘chained’ to a desk or set hours in one location. They expect, nay demand, that they can work from any location – be it another office or home!

They also want to see flexibility while at work. They do not expect a draconian approach in the working environment, but they expect work to also include play, which can be interpreted in many ways, and that it is incorporated into the working day. (Maybe a location for a table tennis set isn’t a bad idea after all?)

Once you have satisfied that flexible working won’t be an issue, you then must appeal to their desire for continual development or face the fact they won’t be around for long as they go somewhere that will deliver.

In 2018, 23 per cent of Gen Z candidates listed development opportunities as a top attraction driver, compared to only 17 per cent of their millennial predecessors in 2013.

They don’t want to come and work for you and get left behind by technology advancements. They want to make sure they are knowledgeable and relevant and never risk becoming a ‘dinosaur’. To that end, as an employer you need to have a training programme that will deliver this that will ensure opportunities and time is provided. It could be a webinar, seminar, training days, boot camps…you name it. If you can match the drive and desire of the candidate, then the likelihood is you’ll be more successful in recruiting them.

If you’d like to know more about developing a successful recruitment strategy across all age groups, then Clarico has the expertise to assist you.

Culture Club (Pt II) – Spreading the message

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Culture Club (Pt II) – Spreading the message

Creating the right company culture is crucial to recruiting and retaining employees and being a successful business – but it’s also important to tell people about it!

Let’s face it, everyone wants to be happy at work and businesses want to be recognised as a great place to work as much as they want to be pioneers and profitable.

It is about getting the message out there and sharing your great company culture or the one you are creating one to make sure everyone else knows.

To achieve this, you need to have two strategies – an internal one for your existing employees and an external one to attract future employees.

You can spend time researching this is more depth, but here is a quick Clarico guide to creating the right strategies to have everyone raving about your business.

Internal strategy

Appoint a cultural ambassador: There will be one employee – possibly more – that just knows how to sell your company. They know the values and love working for you and so they perfect to ‘PR’ your company. Find that person as they are your best advertisement and are perfect for sending to job fairs or colleges and promoting why it is great working for you.

Tell your employees: When you have your company culture, it is important that employees are aware of it. Tell the story of the business in all your communications as this raises the profile of your company values. Make this especially relevant in your job descriptions and throughout the hiring process. Selling the culture – rather than tasks and duties – appeals to future employees.

An aura of trust and consistency: If you want your employees to promote the brand then you to make sure that the culture you are promoting to the wider world is reflecting at the workplace. This is a case of walking the talk. Don’t just say it, do it.

Engage your employees: Employees want to be part of the businesses success and want to play an active role in generating the ‘feel good factor’ that comes with a positive company culture. Whether it’s an employee council for delivering feedback and discussing workplace issues or a social committee for planning nights out, having employees involved makes a huge difference.

External strategy

Social media presence: It is a given that potential employees will be following you on social media – whichever platforms you are on. The clue here is ‘social’, so you need to highlight this in your posts. Celebrate achievements, charity days, dress-down Fridays, promote your blog (if you have one) and of course ‘sell’ the business. Your channels need to have personality and express your mission and values so that you can entice future employees. This article will help you boost your social media profile.

Manage your website: Much like your social media channels, your website needs to portray an enticing and exciting place to work. If you have a ‘careers’ or ‘jobs’ section, make sure this reflects the business. Does it talk about the company culture and potentially why your business is more attractive to work for than your competitors?

Manage reviews: You might not be Amazon or Booking.com but even companies get reviews. Websites like Glassdoor allow employees – past and present – to comment on your business and what it is or was like working there. If you want to have positive reviews, then it starts within the business and there’s no harm getting employees to be provide positive feedback.

Organise open days: As a manufacturing business, throwing open the doors for an open day or a tour is a proactive way to showcase your business showing. It might be something you do with potential employees after an initial interview (if you think they are the right person) or an open day for your industry or even employees’ families. Whichever it is, it generates positive interest, creates a buzz and is an excellent way to promote the business.

If you want advice about your recruitment needs and how attract the best talent contact us today.

Culture club – your business needs one

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Culture club – your business needs one

When it comes to attracting talent to your business what are you doing to become that magnet?

Recruiting has never been more challenging, especially in manufacturing given there are fewer candidates with the skills and knowledge in what is a shrinking talent pool.

So, if you want your manufacturing business to stay ahead of your rivals, it is important that you have the right company culture in place.

Today’s employees are a discerning bunch and it takes more than a fancy title and a half decent salary to ensure you can lure in the right people to your business – and keep the ones you already have!

Research by Linked In (from a survey in the US) revealed that company culture comes top of the list of requirements for employees – more so than the pay cheque.

It found that 70 per cent of those surveyed would not work for a leading company if it meant tolerating a poor workplace culture. It also discovered that 65 per cent would accept a lower salary while 26 per cent are not bothered about the ‘fancy’ job title.

By contrast, the top three elements that employees want from a positive workplace culture are:

  • A sense of belonging (46%)
  • Benefits over perks (44%)
  • Support from the top (36%)

People don’t just want ‘a job’. They want to come to work and make a difference and, believe it or not, be happy! They want to be part of a company and workforce that brings the best out of them.

Having the right culture in place will achieve this. If your business is doing the right things, then everyone will get to know about it and that will make you an attractive proposition to candidates who will want to come and work for you.

So, what can you do to create the positive company culture that will have people eager to come and work for you?

Give meaningful work – There is nothing worse than dull tasks. Talented people want to accomplish and providing the right work will enable that.

Professional development – Employees nowadays want to keep learning and developing and so they want to work for businesses that actively support and encourage continued professional development.

Career progression – Valued employees want the opportunity to progress. It may be supervisory or managerial roles but equally it could be greater responsibility by working on larger projects. Understanding the aspirations of candidates and current employees is important to a positive work culture.

Workplace friendships – Working with people you like – and count as friends – has a huge impact on the workplace. Employee camaraderie generates positivity, which leads to a happy work culture. Bosses can play their part to achieve this and foster excellent working relations.

Clear values – People want to work for businesses that have core values, are ethical and put something back into society.

It’s time to assess if your business is creating the right culture. It is not all about an occasional free lunch, a ping pong table in the canteen or a gym pass. Businesses must be alert as to what motivates employees or risk missing out on the best talent.

Talk to us about securing the best talent and how we can guide you on ensuring your business has the right culture.