Today’s generation of job seekers, dominated by a mix of mainly Gen Z, had quite the professional awakening in the past years. The pandemic challenged their tech-savviness, the Great Resignation made them review their priorities, and significant global events like the Me-Too Movement and Black Lives Matter gave them an awareness to be socially aware while pursuing their professional goals. This unique perspective of valuing their place in their next company and knowing they are enough sending a wave of positivity to the staffing industry.
On the other hand, the relationship between young professionals and recruiters can be described as interesting. However, the recruitment staff is raising concerns about handling these potential hires. Because of recent significant events and how the concept of employment may be alien to them at first, every recruiter must change their strategies when these young applicants enter the talent acquisition pipeline.
Every generation has its quirks and personalities and a different set of means of how to handle them. Good thing staffing leaders like you can use this primer to handle the modern job seeker so that the hiring process will be a win-win in the end.
What is it with recruiting young professionals of today?
In a Bullhorn GRID Report, it was revealed that only 25 percent of Gen Z workers are familiar with how staffing agencies work. Recruitment organizations should not see this as a dire statistic, though. A significant reason young job hunters are not flocking to staffing agencies is the sense of independence they wish to achieve in their professional and personal lives.1
Also, coming from the pandemic when limitations were everywhere, the modern applicant would like to test the waters of the new normal. They’d like to see what’s in for them, and this means, without the guidance of anyone, to help feed their want to be independent.
How can recruitment firms convince the modern job hunter that working with them is an optimum step towards professional independence?
Meet them in their digital spaces.
It’s no secret that today’s professionals are tech-savvy and heavy social media users. It’s almost as if you can understand whom they are entirely by looking at their online content. Recruitment staff can use this to their advantage by leveraging the information they talk about and using it as entry points to discuss employment.
A strong example would be tapping into the generation’s FOMO and love for travel. This is a great way to offer them jobs with remote working arrangements, which still gives them opportunities to go about their events and explore the world as well. While many professionals nowadays are also active on LinkedIn, don’t be afraid to reach out to them through direct messaging on other social media handles.
Even TikTok has turned into a recruitment tool as well.2 With ingenuity and creativity, the video streaming platform can also rake in new hires.
Related reading: LinkedIn “Focused” Inbox Guts InMail
Flaunt the industry knowledge young professionals need to know.
In a recent report centered on employee well-being, Gen Z professionals seek opportunities to learn and grow. In a survey within this demographic, 76 percent are searching for means to learn new skills, while 61 percent are in the search for opportunities that will allow them to move up further in their career and responsibilities.3
This is where recruiting agencies likes yours can help these young job seekers. Staffing companies are a wellspring of knowledge on how to start with careers in niche industries, moreover in seeking means to upgrade their skill set.
This is where recruiting agencies like yours can help these young job seekers. Staffing companies are a wellspring of knowledge on how to start with careers in niche industries, more so in seeking means to upgrade their skill set.
Getting a staffing agency to help with the first steps of their professional journey is like getting a career coach who will also present them with job openings they can apply in. While Gen Z job hunters are keen on looking for the right job alongside knowing their worth and capabilities, availing of the mentorship a recruitment company can give is the best place to begin.
Let them experience professionalism head-on.
While Gen Z job seekers and younger Millennials are applauded for their thirst to learn more and progress early in their careers, a considerable observation is their tendency to be overbearing during the application process. They come up with concerns that may raise eyebrows along the talent acquisition pipeline, and some staffing teams are bearing some frustration in handling young applicants in general:4
Non-commensurate demands. A $90,000 monthly salary with unlimited PTOs for an entry-level position? Employers won’t think so. Recruitment staff are astounded by such demands from young applicants that are not in line with the compensation and benefits they can offer.
Related reading: Salary Guide 102: Meaningful Curation
Backpedaling and indecisiveness. It appears that many Gen Z applicants have difficulty keeping to their commitments, particularly in the first few stages of employment, including the recruitment phase.
Ariel Schur of ABS Staffing Solutions shared stories of new employees backing out from contracts because of “the amount of stress” the job has or signing a contract with specific figures only to demand more money or additional PTOs.
Candidate ghosting. HR Reporter talked about a study in which 52% of surveyed recruitment staff said that ghosting is their main concern when it comes to Gen Z applicants.5 That is one observable trait with this generation of applicants. They bail on the hiring process without proper communication, which is a headache for staffing agencies.
Rather than being treated with kid gloves, recruitment staff should only do one thing: demonstrate professionalism. Is the applicant adamant about an outrageous set of demands? Say no and explain that salary and benefits are standardized. Do new hires need to be truer to their word? Move on with the appropriate sanctions as per the signed contract. Did the candidate ghost you? Send a follow-up message, give it 24 hours, then move on to the next applicant if it truly is ghosting.
The best way to summarize these strategies for handling Gen Z and Millennial job hunters is to mirror to them the kind of professionalism they should be achieving for themselves. However, being firm with policies and direct consequences are only the first few steps in building the new reality of the employment world. So don’t forget to still move with mentorship and concern in mind.
Related reading: Get Creative with Hiring Interviews: 5 Ways You Can Boost Candidate Experience
Like everyone who started their employment journey, they may have it rough too. Moreover, they are recovering from tough times, just like us. Young professionals know their worth but might still need to see or express it fully. It is our job to show it to them and guide them towards full realization.
REALIZE YOUR AUTHENTIC BRAND THROUGH ALLIED INSIGHT.
Allied Insight is here to help you. We are a full-stack digital marketing agency helping recruitment organizations create a brand that is true to their values and aspirations and market it for the world to see. Our team of experts in web content optimization and sales enablement will work with you intently. We’ll help you identify your unique factor and drive it to be your company’s value proposition.
You are one of a kind, and everyone deserves to know. Contact Allied Insight now.
References
1 McHugh, Bob. “How Do Gen Z Workers Feel About Staffing Firms? | A Bullhorn GRID Report.” Bullhorn. https://www.bullhorn.com/blog/research-gen-z-staffing-talent/. Published last September 28, 2022. Accessed last March 3, 2023.
2 Li, Amanda. “How to Use TikTok for Recruiting.” Workable. https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/tiktok-for-recruiting. No publish date. Accessed last March 3, 2023.
3 Moot, Laurie. “Want to Retain Gen Z Employees? Look to Learning.” LinkedIn Talent Blog. https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/learning-and-development/want-to-retain-gen-z-employees-look-to-learning. Published last May 18, 2022. Accessed last March 3, 2023.
4 Cohen, Arianne. “Recruiters Are Burned Out, and Gen Z Job Demands Aren’t Helping.” Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-13/recruiters-are-burned-out-and-gen-z-job-demands-aren-t-helping.
5 Wilson, Jim. “Gen Z Presents Challenges for Recruiters.” HR Reporter. https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/recruitment-and-staffing/gen-z-presents-challenges-for-recruiters/362844. Published last December 22, 2021. Accessed last March 4, 2023.
