Recruiting the Next Generation of Talent

Just as with any other talent demographic, you have to understand early in career talent in order for your recruiting efforts to be fruitful. And one of the most important things you need to remember about Gen Z is that they were practically born with a mobile device in their hands. They have been on the Internet their entire lives, and they’re not only familiar with cutting-edge technology, they can also teach their older colleagues a thing or two about how to use it. In fact, technology is so important to this generation of talent that, according to a survey by Dell Technologies, 91 percent of young professionals will actually consider the technology available at companies when evaluating job offers.

As a result, recruiting the next generation of talent means meeting them where they are—and making technology a large part of your early talent recruitment strategy.

3 Ways to Leverage Technology When Recruiting the Next Generation of Talent

You already know that technology is a huge part of the recruiting process today, but you may not know how much early in career talent actually depends on technology when looking for a job. The following are three ways you can leverage technology so when you’re recruiting the next generation of talent, you increase your chances of actually attracting and hiring the young workers you want.

1. Evaluate Your Careers Website

In many cases, young job hunters are going to search for your company before they even consider applying for a job or attending a recruitment event. That means your website has to be appealing to them. One thing you should pay close attention to is how user-friendly your application processes is. If it's clunky and takes too long to load, that's going to be a red flag for this talent because they’re not going to spend lengthy amounts of time applying for positions online.

Also, since this is a generation that spends most of its time on mobile devices, it's important to ensure that your application process is mobile friendly. Make sure there aren't any extraneous steps in the process and the site itself is optimized for easy access on handheld devices.

In addition, the content on your site is king, so you need to ensure that it's engaging and really addresses what Gen Z looks for in an employer, such as organizations with diverse workforces. Workers today factor in diversity when they evaluate potential employers, so if your site doesn't communicate that you value diversity, it could really hinder your DEIB hiring. Also, be sure to talk about the benefits you offer that would be appealing to early in career talent, such as opportunities for professional development, robust benefits that include access to mental health services, and flexible schedules that promote work-life balance.

2. Consider Digital-First Hiring

COVID-19 forced us to quickly adapt to working from home, but even in a post-pandemic environment, young career professionals still want an application process that is conducted remotely. Just as they won't spend a great deal of time trying to put in an application on a recruitment website that isn't user friendly, they would prefer a hiring process that doesn’t include onerous steps—including unnecessary trips to your office.

Some ways to do this include adding a chat box to your website that answers the simple, common questions candidates may have, providing assessment tests online, sending automated application status messages via text, and conducting interviews remotely. Also, organizing online recruiting events can help with your DEIB hiring because a lot of talent from underrepresented backgrounds may be working full time as they go to school full time. As a result, the option of being able to attend a recruiting event from the comfort of home can make them more likely to show up. Taking these steps creates a favorable candidate experience that will make your organization more appealing to Gen Z workers.

3. Leverage Text Messages

Recruiters are used to picking up the phone and calling candidates, but this can make some younger people nervous because there’s so much at stake with these interactions. Instead of making early in career candidates feel on the spot with a phone call, communicate with them via text instead. This will give them a low-pressure environment for communication, where they can think about their responses carefully and feel like they're always putting their best foot forward.

Technology has always been a huge part of life for Generation Z, so it's no wonder that it's a huge part of their job seeking experience. This means it also needs to become a huge part of your recruitment. By utilizing technology as much as possible when recruiting the next generation of talent, you'll be in a better position to attract the workers you want.