Attracting and Hiring Millennial & Gen Z Candidates

It’s no secret that the Talent Acquisition industry can be slow to evolve and even slower when it involves adopting new technologies. But as the makeup of today’s workforce increasingly skews towards a younger generation, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to adapt their hiring practices in ways that make them attractive to Millennial (Gen Y) and Gen Z job seekers.

Currently, Millennials and Gen Z represent just over 35% of the workforce and that number is projected to reach 75% by 2030. Companies who do not proactively target these job seekers are going to find it particularly difficult to compete for the best talent in the coming years. Younger generations live in a world where everything is digital, seamless and provides instant gratification and that extends beyond just social interactions. The expectation of simple, low-friction, high engagement content is something younger candidates are gravitating towards even in the professional world.

Shifting gears to attract the Gen Y and Z crowd may require your Talent Acquisition Team to make some significant changes, but difficult as it may seem, there’s no better time to start than now.

We’ll cover some of the most important areas of consideration below but this is by no means an exhaustive list or one-size-fits-all approach. You may find the challenges of your particular industry or company aren’t addressed below but this should at least give you several things to think about.

Make it High Tech 

With the explosion of mobile devices in the past ten years and people on the go more than ever before, it’s no question we are living in a "mobile-first" world. In fact, a recent study showed that 68% of Millennials have searched for jobs on their mobile phones. So why then have most companies not modified their hiring processes to find job seekers where they spend most of their time?

Any company looking to hire the younger generation must, at a bare minimum, be fiercely committed to a mobile-optimized hiring experience. Though those companies willing to take it a step further with a mobile-first hiring experience will find themselves with far more qualified candidates to choose from.

Focusing on building a mobile-first hiring experience starts by accepting that the traditional hiring flow, which requires back and forth emails, multiple phone interviews and lengthy in person interviews, is no longer relevant and unnecessarily costly both in time and money.

Companies should instead put their time and money into things such as:

• Implementing Video-first hiring strategies (video applications, video interviews)
• Integrating a mobile optimized ATS
• AI powered hiring tools (automated scheduling, resume/video parsing)
• Video-centric careers page that showcases your company culture & employee life

Get Social

On average, young people spend just over 2 hours per day on social media. It’s where they connect with friends, share their lives, get their news, and now more than ever, where they find their next job.

If you aren’t already paying attention to your company’s social media presence, you should be. Beyond just a destination for sharing the happenings with your products or connecting with customers, social media is critical to attracting job seekers.

Here are some ways to get started:

• Focus on all the main social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Youtube
• Customize your messaging to appeal to the target audience of each platform and the most relevant content delivery strategy. For example, TikTok is all about creativity and virality so it’s best to come up with short, clever videos to share instead of a boring  rundown of your open job
• Don’t force it! Young people are quick to recognize if you are simply running through the motions to be able to say you use social media for hiring. Be unique, transparent and most of all, authentic
• Showcase your company culture and brand identity
• Be careful not to put too much emphasis on the fun benefits like free food, game rooms and pet-friendly offices. Studies have shown that Gen Z actually values company culture, career opportunities and mentorship from senior leadership above and beyond the cool perks
• Post all of your job openings on your social media channels. When you are consistent it gives job seekers the drive to come back and check in with your pages frequently to see what you’re hiring for
• Track the success of each social media channel to see where you get the most traction. With data in hand, you can focus your efforts (and money, if you choose to pay to boost your posts) where they have the biggest impact
• Most of all, avoid these common mistakes

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Of all your employees, those in the younger generations are most likely to put value in a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Many of them have grown up in an environment that not only strives to accept differences but actively seeks to grow and maintain their own communities of people from all walks of life. In order to attract talent from these folks, your company needs to make diversity and inclusion a priority.

When it comes to your commitment, it’s important that you don’t just talk about it, but actually show it. Many companies take the time to put out fluffy press releases or circulate internal emails about what they are doing to improve diversity, but few actually take the necessary steps to put those plans into action.

Work on doing the following:

• First and foremost, make sure you are diversifying your candidate pool
• Showcase your diverse employees by creating featured stories (either videos or blogs) that you can share on your website and social media
• Engage with women and minority career networks relevant to your field
• Address bias that may exist in your screening or interview process to make sure everyone has a fair chance
• Offer inclusive benefits, which means highlight things that speak to minority groups such as domestic partner benefits, paid family leave, an accessible workplace environment, etc

Bottom line, welcome the challenge and don’t be afraid of change when it comes to adapting your hiring practices. The ever-expanding Millennial and Gen Z applicant pool is full of extremely talented prospects that will shape the future success of your company - and likely teach you a thing or two.