3 key takeaways from ‘Millennials are from Mars; Gen Z are from Venus

Guest blog by Sophie Brockbank, Tempo

On 26th September, Tempo held a breakfast panel event at Bruntwood’s Neo Building to talk about how to attract and hire top Gen Z candidates.

This topic is more important than ever as Gen Z, set to be the most disruptive generation yet, are reaching 22 and entering the workforce. In 2030, 75% of the workforce will be Gen Z. Companies need to prepare themselves for the influx of this demographic but as Gen Z enter the working world with their own set of values and beliefs, how can employers ensure they are setting themselves up for success in the war on talent.

What do Gen Z expect from employers? What can employers do to ensure they are attractive to the next generation of candidates? What role does the hiring process play in this?

With the help of Jennifer Atkins, Head of People at Bruntwood and Simon Halkyard, Resourcing Manager at ASDA, Tempo looked at what employers could do to best future proof their companies.

Here are our top 3 takeaways from the panel event:

1, Opening up your recruitment methods

Traditionally, talent acquisition has placed its entire emphasis on skills but this skill vs behavior relationship needs to be reevaluated. Behavior is actually a more reflective indicator of how an employee performs, than a skill-based indication. Some companies have even abandoned CVs and cover letters and instead ask candidates to ‘show them who they are’ to assess their soft skills. The biggest challenge to this paradigm shift is in how hiring teams can assess candidate behaviors but there are a combination of tools that support this assessment.

2. Be authentic and honest

Graduate candidates want to know what the world of work looks like as much as what the company does I.E. What is involved in the day-to-day, what will they experience and what part of the company is suited to the behaviour/skill mix of the candidate. Candidate’s appreciate an honest opinion of what it’s like to work at the company, even harshly honest viewpoints on roles or responsibilities. This should be part of the recruitment process, with video, and peer meetings as well as communication over social channels.

3. Consumer grade experiences are key

Gen Z have grown up in a world where good customer experience is a given. When interacting with Gen Z candidates, employers must consider their experience across every touchpoint they have with them including their recruitment process. Neglecting the candidate experience throughout the hiring process will not only result in employers losing out on top candidates but also damage a company’s employer brand, ultimately inflicting their bottom line. In the case of Virgin media, a bad candidate experience led to rejected candidates cancelling their Virgin Media subscriptions.

It’s clear employers need to look at their recruitment process in a far more holistic sense. Employers need to understand the mindset and values of Gen Z and recognise the implications these have on their modern talent strategies. Equally, this requires employers to change how they approach recruitment and the role the hiring process plays in the wider process. Neglecting this will cost employers access to top candidates and ultimately damage their long term business success.

Interested in hearing more on this subject? Book your free ticket to Tempo’s next event ‘Future-proof your workforce: preparing for Gen Z here.