Here comes Gen Z! But are you ready?
Recruitment hacks tailored for the new generation of tech-savvy professionals.
Our attention and interest have been drawn by millennials in recent years. After being under the limelight and going through much scrutiny, the millennial, together with the rest of us, is now turning its head towards its younger sibling–Gen Z.
Spotlight on Gen Z
Collectively, Gen Z is the post-millennial generation born sometime between the mid 1990s to the early 2000s. Also known as the iGeneration, their formative years were shaped by technology and the internet.
People belonging to Gen Z are considered the true digital natives. They were looking at digital screens at the same time as they were learning to talk. So while most of us were
trying to figure out how to use Google Docs, they've already cracked coding. They speak the digital language, social media is a parallel universe, using technology is second nature, and they know how to work smart, not hard.
The Gen Z advantage
If there is one generation that will really challenge most known conventions, it will be Gen Z. They are the new creatives–photographers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, authors–who are creating their own content and publishing them to a bigger audience. They are the new entrepreneurs, breaking the capitalist-producer-supplier-consumer chain and tapping a bigger, mostly untapped market for social good. They are the new influencers, speaking their minds openly about tragedies they get to watch real-time, and coming together to do something about it.
A breed of curious, inventive, adventurous, independent, collaborative, purpose-driven, and very eager tech-savvy youth has joined the workforce, ready to make a difference the way they know how. The big question is: Are you ready for them?
Gen Z at work
Imagine your younger brother or sister in his/her late teens to early 20s, fresh out of university, entering young adulthood, and joining the professional world. What would you expect? Expect one thing for sure–things will be much more different and interesting.
One thing you can do is to learn about Gen Z the way they learn about everything else– go online. JobStreet's Laws of Attraction (LOA) web portal offers insights drawn from a comprehensive survey of over 18,000 Filipino candidates. Gen Z makes up 15% of the total respondents, not far off from the 2018 Philippine census of the country's total labor force where Gen Z represents 18%.
One of LOA's outputs, a data exploration tool called Data Lab, reveals Gen Z respondents' gender profile to be a female dominated one, with the latter at 63% and its male counterpart at 37%. This is directly proportional to the total Filipino candidates with a 60%-40% split, female being the majority.
Mostly in junior job level (53.9%) and interns/fresh grads looking for their first job (38.2%), the careers that top Gen Z's consideration repertoire are those in Back Office Support (BPO), Advertising and Marketing, Accounting and Finance, and Government. Having said that, it would benefit any company to be informed on how to successfully attract and retain the business influencers of the future.
The Gen Z recruitment hacks checklist
Gen Z is three steps ahead of you so it's time to check if you are catching up. Here's a list of recruitment hacks tailored to entice them. Tick off your strategy against this list to check if you're ready.
Motivate with exciting prospects for career advancement and skills development.
Aspiration drives Gen Z. Thinking smart, they would prefer a secured job over a better paying one. Opportunities to rise up the ranks, work and train overseas, and be expertly upskilled in tech could translate to career and financial advancement, and are regarded as the best options.
Offer financial stability with competitive wage combined with monetary benefits.
Paycheck with a host of benefits is the second thing that comes to mind for Gen Z. They assert higher preference for health and social benefits, with financial compensation trailing behind.
Promote happiness at work by supporting a healthy work-life balance
This generation is very conscious about wellness. With hazardous working conditions contributing to high attrition among young talents, a healthy work-life balance is one of the best strategies that could help retain them.
Differentiate your company with strong CSR initiatives
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a dark horse in attracting Gen Z. These talents are no longer content with just having a job. They are looking for a career with a purpose that would enable them to realize their vision and make a difference in humanity, the world and its future.
Gen Z, like any other generation, has a unique perspective when it comes to work and career goals. Getting them onboard would mean thinking of smart HR solutions that would empower them to thrive in the world. Explore the data in JobStreet's Laws of Attraction to innovate your recruitment strategies and make your workplace Gen Z ready.
References:
LOA PH Country Report (Page 4) Age Group
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Gender
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Job Level
LOA PH Country Report (Pages 5-7) Demographic profile by Industry/Age Group (focus on Back Office Support (BPO), Advertising and Marketing, Accounting and Finance, and Government)
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Top Drivers of Attraction
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Drivers of Attraction/Career/development opportunities
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Drivers of Attraction/Salary/compensation
Data Lab/Generation/Gen Z/Drivers of Attraction/Work-life balance