Research reveals that 34.6% of the working population in Nigeria are between ages 15 - 24 years (National Bureau of Statistics, 2020). This means that your next graduate to mid level hire is likely to be a Generation Z.
As a result of technology and other societal changes, attracting and retaining Generation Z employees seem to require a different kind of skillset.
This article will help you with innovative ways to attract, retain and motivate Gen Z employees.
Before we go on to talk about the ways you can attract Gen Z employees to your organization, let us first take a look at who Gen Z candidates are.
Generation – Z are believed to be people born between the year 1996 – 2012. Some other people refer to them as the iGeneration, Genwii, etc. As at the time of this writing (2021), Generation Z are people within the age range 9 – 25. This set of people have started entering the workforce.
Gen Z candidates look for ways to make a living that is different from the millennials, as they are more tech driven and digital savvy.
This new workforce is undeniably a great assets to organizations. The Gen – Z and also the millennials are largely characterized by their entrepreneurial spirit, these generations of candidates want to own their own business which leads them to acquire a variety of skills. The generation Z workforce is known for the following characteristics:
Financially focused
This generation of people is more financially focused because of their entrepreneurial spirit. They tend to see their work as a means for them to gain financial freedom, they don’t necessarily do what they do because they love it, but because of the steady income and other benefits that it will generate.
Generation Z is entrepreneurial
Unlike the older generations that believe in toiling for long to get wealth, this generation of people believes that wealth lies somewhere within their fingers. You can’t blame them they were born when ideas and information about anything became commonplace.
These generations of people can become millionaires overnight by simply creating an app in their spare time for fun. They are more driven to become entrepreneurs because they have different skills that they can sell, and they also believe that whatever they don’t know is just a click away. This is why they are bold to take on challenges.
They are all about technology
This generation of people is more inclined to technology. You cannot blame them, they were born when cell phones and other gadget became commonplace. They do a lot of research online to find out different information on how to do things and use different equipment.
This generation of candidates typically would research a company online and read reviews of products before making a decision.
They are competitive
This generation of people are more competitive, not only do they want to do things the way they want, but they also want to be the best at what they do. They believe that other people like them are doing what they are doing so they always want to beat the next person to the game.
They want what they want right now! When things do not seem to work their way, they tend to compete with others that are also in their line of business.
They love change
With the amount of information available at the fingertips of Gen – Z candidates change means nothing to them as they can decide to change their career anytime without giving it a second thought.
Since it is quite easy for them to become experts in any chosen field because of the wealth of information that is open to them. Because of the information they have, it makes it easy for them to be one thing today and be another thing the next day.
They are independent
Unlike other generations that appreciate the need for collaboration to achieve success, this generation of people prefers to work and achieve success independently without the support of anyone else.
During the time of the millennials, organizations brought down boards that they used to divide cubicles to create a collaborative and co-working environment for their staff members. With the emergence of the Gen Z workforce, organizations should consider pulling up the demarcation boards because this generation of people wants to work alone. They have an entrepreneurial spirit.
They want to be heard
With the amount of knowledge that members of these generations have at their fingertips they believe they know what to say. This makes them feel like they should be heard just like other people even when they are in a lower position.
While they may lack the experience that comes with time, their ability to adapt to change, process information quickly and ability to compete with people that have more experience than they do make them a voice to be heard.
Just like we said earlier, the generation Z candidates represent the new workforce. The members of this workforce are people that were born into the digital world. This set of employees place value on things that are quite different from their predecessors.
Considering the distinguishing characteristics, what does the generation Z workforce want from employers and organizations and how can you recruit Gen Z?
A company culture that aligns with their values and lifestyle
This generation of people know their worth and they will not just accept any offer that doesn’t sit well with their personality. Gen Z candidates look forward to a competitive salary that will match their lifestyle.
An organization that gives room for failure
Unlike other members of previous generations, Gen Z candidates are not known to beat themselves up when they fail. They often see failure as an opportunity to do better, in fact, 80% of generation Z candidates embrace failure and see it as an acceleration to their learning and innovation.
Career development plan
Generation Z candidates in their job search lookout for organizations that provide an opportunity for career growth and development. According to research, 64% of Gen Z candidates take career growth and development as a priority.
Work from home opportunities
As a result of their tech nature and their ability to work independently, Gen Z candidates would prefer to work in a company that offers work from home opportunities. Work flexibility is a top priority for Gen Z that is why they would prefer a company that is open to the remote working option.
Work-life balance
One of the things that come on top of the list for Gen Z candidates when they are job searching is an organization that offers a work-life balance. 38% of Gen Z candidates see work-life balance as a priority because of their entrepreneurial spirit, they would likely not want to be worn out from work.
The introduction of this new workforce sure holds some benefits for employers looking for new hires now. With their love for technology and their desire for ownership, no doubt Gen Z job seekers are the future of the workforce and they will surely make great employees.
Create a great company brand/culture
So far, we have seen that Gen Z candidates value company culture and would decide whether or not they want to work for a company looking at the company’s culture. As an employer, you take advantage of this to build a great company brand that would attract Gen Z job seekers to your organization.
Create a strong social media presence and promote your company brand there. Do well to display your company’s value and culture.
Present learning and development opportunities
If you are looking forward to attracting this new set of workforce, ensure you create an enabling environment that encourages employees to learn and develop their career while they work for your organization. Let prospective employees see that you offer learning opportunities.
These generations of people are open-minded so they always embrace learning opportunities. 70% of Gen Z believe that it is more important to be seen as having a curious and open mindset than a specific skill. (PRNewswire)
Millennials also look forward to learning and development opportunities in companies they would work for. A survey by Gallup reveals that 59% of millennials said that learning opportunities and growth are the most important to them when applying for a job.
Be Tech-savvy
One of the defining traits of Gen Z is technology. Just like the millennials, Gen Z members are driven by technology. Most of the knowledge they have is fostered by technology. Generation Z has been used to technology even from birth.
This means that to recruit this generation, you must know what they know “tech”. Statistics released by Funders shows that 91% of Gen Z workers say sophisticated technology would make them more interested in a workplace.
If you want to attract the Gen Z workforce, then you may have to do away with some of your ancient desktops and printers and consider getting smart work tools that would make them work better.
Give continuous and immediate feedback
Gen Z employees are not afraid of hearing a “No!” from their superior because they embrace failure and see it as an opportunity for growth. They have an open mind and also love to be rewarded for their efforts.
If you want to hire Gen Z employees then you should be ready to give feedback rather than ignoring them. This workforce comes from a place where everything is immediate; instant texting, video calling on the go, etc. If it used to be your practice to ignore emails and messages, then you may be losing out on this generation of the workforce.
TriNet survey shows that 85% of employees said they’d feel more confident if they could have more frequent conversations with their managers.
Offer flexible work opportunities
The new generation of the workforce put their comfort in mind when searching for job opportunities. They would rather take a job that works around their lifestyle rather than fit their lifestyle around a job. This is why a majority of them would prefer to work from home rather than being in the office.
According to a Deloitte survey, 19% of Gen Z workers said that they would look to leave employers that didn't prioritise offering flexible working practices or supporting healthy work/life balance for its people.
To attract Gen Z workers to your organization be ready to create a work environment that offers flexible work practices and work-life balance.
Offer a competitive salary
Offering a competitive salary is one of the ways you can attract Gen Z workers to your organization. Always make sure what you are offering for a particular position is fair enough, offering a salary that is below the skills needed to do the job will likely not work for a Gen Z worker.
According to EY survey, “…39% of Gen Z respondent mentioned competitive salary as a key priority when looking for an employer”.
If you find fixing a salary structure for a particular role challenging, then you can make use of mysalaryscale.com to see what other companies are offering for that same position.
Attracting and hiring Gen Z workers may not be an easy thing to do considering that they are a dynamic and diverse group of workforce. It sure takes some form of recruitment experience and expertise to attract and keep the Gen Z workforce in your organization.
You don’t have the experience? No need to worry. Engage our Gen-Z recruitment service as we help you hire talented Gen Z youngstars for your team.
Do you have more questions? Leave a comment in the box below.
i find this very interesting and rewarding, thank you for disseminating this information it really go a long way to and also assisting me in my Talent acquisition management.
thank you.
Thank you very much for your response.
I certainly welcome some clues about this article, but even though various surveys have proven the need for Gen-Z embrace into our workforce, it is evident to me that a lesser or no emphasis has been employed, as in, to delve into demerits of the generality of things upon the Gen-Z especially at this time and in the future. With this perspective, I believe that when the complete plus and minute is done, then the result will be seen standing triumphantly glittering.
Thank you Nsikan for your response