Tech leaders, brace yourselves! The workforce is evolving, and the new players are the tech-savvy and values-driven job hunters. It’s time to get in the game and understand what makes these tech wizards tick, and how to capture their hearts in this wild and ever-changing job market!
Millennials are the digital natives, who’ve grown up with the internet and the technology that now dominates our daily lives. When it comes to attracting and retaining young professionals, especially in the tech industry, recruiters would have to introduce a new play.
Gone are the days when salary and benefits were the only determining factors in a job search. Today’s tech-savvy and values-conscious candidates have a new set of priorities when it comes to choosing an employer.
What Molded the Mindset of Tech-Savvy Candidates to Choose Their Employers?
The technological boom has greatly influenced the views of young adults on their work and life. To win their hearts, it’s important for recruiters to understand what they value and hold dear.
When parcelLab studied the behaviors of modern shoppers, which includes the Millennials and Gen Zs, they found that these young folks prioritize different initiatives in brand advertising—making the already tough task even more challenging.1
Sustainability Practices
Young professionals are driven by a desire to make the world a better place. That’s why you’re more likely to find vegans among millennials and Gen Zs than any other age group. They’re worried about the environment and are naturally drawn to companies that prioritize making a positive impact.
In parcelLab’s report, one of the biggest turnoffs for modern shoppers is the absence of sustainable practices. Unlike before, sustainability is no longer just about recycling and creating reusable substances. Instead, every action that involves streamlining workflows and modernizing business operations is a way to rock a sustainable system in the workplace.
“If you want to attract millennial or Gen Z employees to your AP team, you should investigate AP automation. Without using a single scrap of paper, you can automate the entire payment workflow, address the growing fraud and security risks associated with ACH payments, and ensure the resiliency of payment workflows.” Sarah Thibeau says in a special report by Global Trade.2
Diversity and Inclusion
17 percent of respondents in parcelLab’s study indicated that the lack of diversity in a brand’s advertisement is a big turn-off. Millennials and Gen Z represent the most diverse generation in the United States. One out of four Gen Zers are Hispanic, 6 percent are Asian, 14 percent are black, and 5 percent include other races.3
If anything, they want their employers to be on board with workplace diversity. According to recent research at Work study, 47 percent of millennials actively look for diversity and inclusion programs in prospective employers before making a job decision.4 Staffing agencies that do not prioritize diversity risk disengaging their younger employees and even discouraging them from applying for jobs.
Candidate Experience
The modern generation places a strong significance on mental health and personal life. In parcelLab’s study, a priority for consumer experience is one of the ways modern shoppers choose the brands to buy from.
In the same way, candidate experience matters to young professionals. This accounts for how they feel throughout an organization’s hiring process. A rigorous application or interview process can go a long way in hurting a candidate’s perception of an organization.
Stance on Social Justice
When asked what would make them loyal to a brand, 15 percent of respondents in the parcelLab survey indicated that brands can win their loyalty when they take a stance on social justice issues. Gen Zers and Millennials consider the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement to be the two most significant events in their lives. Events such as this, influence their decision-making process, including the decision of where to work.
This is seen in recent research by PR daily, where 55 percent of currently employed Gen Zers are rethinking their jobs just because they believe their company hasn’t shown interest in addressing external social justice issues.5 These individuals often follow and monitor certain brands to see if they have made progress with addressing social justice issues.
Authenticity
Marketing and branding also play a significant role in attracting these tech-savvy candidates. In the same survey, parcelLab found that one of the biggest turn-offs for consumers was partnerships with celebrities and influencers that felt inauthentic. This highlights the importance of authenticity and genuine connections for these candidates in their job search.
For example, digital natives in the tech industry might look up to top tech personalities on LinkedIn and other platforms to influence their career decisions. A great example is Gary Vaynerchuk.
Many young folks across the globe follow him closely to get career and business advice. Partnering with influencers who share the same values as these tech-savvy candidates is definitely the way to go!
Opportunities for Growth
Millennials and Gen Zs are not just looking for jobs. They place a high value on opportunities that allow them to learn and continue growing their skills. They may often consider a company’s values when job-searching to determine whether it offers development opportunities.
This is widely contrasting to what the usual priorities job candidates look for. In the past, job salary holds a high level of importance, making employers all over the world have a bigger bargaining power when it comes to employment.
Clearly, this has changed over the past years and becoming more and more crucial in meeting with today’s candidates.
Aesthetic
Visual appeal is a great deal for tech-savvy candidates. According to the parcelLab survey, a considerable number will leave a brand’s advertising medium if it looks too young or too old for their taste.
Here are a few ways you can upgrade your advertising campaigns that will leave a better impression on today’s talent pool.
- Use relevant job titles and keywords. Keep the language on your career website and in job postings simple and professional so that any candidate can easily understand and find it.
- Create a concise job description that sells. Don’t stop at using industry keywords, keep the ball rolling by writing an apt introduction. Include the company’s selling point, location, benefits, and CTAs.
- Talk about the role. Let candidates know what is expected of them. For the best practices, you can highlight 3-5 on-the-job tasks and responsibilities that the successful candidate will have to complete during their work experience.
- Highlight the qualifications you seek. To avoid wasting both your time and the candidate, let them know the qualifications you’ll be expecting from them.
- Elaborate on the benefits. Yes, candidates want to see what they’ll benefit from working with you, including work flexibility. Carefully list these perks in the most readable format, such as with the use of bullet points.
- Don’t forget the CTA. Provide a link or a contact means. Don’t leave candidates confused as to how to reach you.
Seeking the right talent can be difficult if you’re not putting the right impression on the candidates. The world is progressing into a more complex yet holistic approach and job seekers are pioneering this trend. It’s your task as the employer to guide these values and provide what’s best for your employees—in turn, attracting the best talent.
WORK WITH A STAFFING AGENCY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE RUDIMENTS OF ATTRACTING TECH-SAVVY CANDIDATES
At Allied Insight, candidate experience is very important to us. We work with you every step of the way to help you gain a clear understanding of the needs of your business and also the type of candidate you’re looking for.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you win more tech-savvy candidates over!
References:
- parcelLab. “Gen Z and Millennial Shopping Insights Study”. https://parcellab.com/en/research/gen-z-and-millennial-shopping-insights. Accessed February 8, 2023.
- Thibeau, Sarah. “How to Attract Millennial and Generation Z Employees with Eco-Friendly Initiatives”. https://www.globaltrademag.com/how-to-attract-millennial-and-generation-z-employees-with-eco-friendly-initiatives/. Published September 20, 2023. Accessed February 8, 2023.
- Parker and Igielnik. “On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far”. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/. Published May 14, 2020. Accessed February 8, 2023.
- Doyle, Orla. “How to Attract a Millennial & Gen Z Workforce”. https://www.occupop.com/blog/how-to-attract-a-millennials-gen-z-workforce#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20attract%20top,and%20culture%20at%20your%20company. Accessed February 8, 2023.
- PR Daily. “How Gen Z is using social justice as a filter for where to work”. https://www.prdaily.com/how-gen-z-is-using-social-justice-as-a-filter-for-where-to-work/#:~:text=%E2%87%BE%20Trust%20in%20institutions%20is,56%20percent%20to%2046%20percent.&text=At%20the%20same%20time%2C%2062,up%206%20points%20since%20May. Published August 18, 2021. Accessed February 8, 2021.
