5 Best Practices for Recruiting Gen Z

Generation Z is expected to bear the brunt of the economic crisis due to the lack of job opportunities and internships.

Whether you’re hiring now or preparing for the future, this young batch of workers will be eager for lower entry-level positions and gig work to gain experience.

So how can recruiters and talent acquisition best communicate and engage with Gen Z? We covered the must-know tips and tricks in a webinar with Phenoms Keca Ward, Sr. Director of Talent Experience and Natalie McKnight, Sr. Director of Customer Success. Check out some of their Gen Z recruiting best practices below, and watch the webinar on-demand to get the full scoop!

1. Have a communication strategy in place.

Keep candidates engaged throughout the entire process—from the moment they visit your career site all the way through the interview process.

Be proactive with your hiring status by posting an update or notification banner on your career site to let young job seekers know you have open roles, internships, or gig work they can apply for. If you’re not hiring now, invite them to sign up to your talent community to get updates when new positions become available.

Once you have an email address, you can start campaigning to job seekers immediately. Send information about open roles and upcoming virtual events, as well as tips to ace the interview. After they’ve submitted a resume, be sure to follow up—even if they aren’t the right fit.

2. Give context to show empathy.

With little work experience to fall back on, it’s important to reassure Gen Z candidates to not panic about the current economic climate. Let them know these types of situations have occurred before, and that the economy will bounce back. Offer advice and best practices that can help set them up for success—like how to craft a stellar resume—to put them at ease.

In addition to sharing these tips during phone interviews, consider posting them on your career site blog and social channels. By creating content that's hyper-relevant to Gen Z, they will see that you truly have their best interest at heart and understand their situation.

Related: 3 Ways to Campaign to Candidates with Empathy

3. Connect on multiple channels.

While a personalized career site is a must-have for every employer, it isn’t enough. Be sure to utilize a variety of communication methods and maintain an extensive digital presence. According to a study from CMO Council, 88% of Gen Z prefer an omnichannel branded experience—recruiting chatbots, email, and SMS are essential tools that enable you to better connect with job seekers.

Now’s the time to also ramp up your social media presence. More than half (54%) of Gen Z say social media influences them most. Regularly posting on social platforms—such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—provides job seekers with a glimpse into the daily life at your company.

5. Make campaigns stand out with engaging content.

On average, Gen Z will pay attention to content for a span of 8 seconds. To stand out and drive engagement, be sure to leverage plenty of video content and images when highlighting your company culture.

Showcase events—including virtual happy hours—and spotlight employees. The more you can shed light on your company culture, the better. When creating videos, try to keep them short—no more than 60 seconds—to hold their fleeting attention.

6. Provide virtual interview tips.

Setting expectations is important for every candidate you interview—but it’s especially important for Gen Z. For many new job seekers, this might be their first time interviewing for an internship or a professional job. Be upfront and provide tips, such as what to expect during and after the virtual interview.

Younger generations might have a stronger grasp on technology, but interviewing for a job is likely a new experience for them. Ease the transition by explaining what tools they will be using and who they'll be speaking with, as well as an overview of the entire process. The more details, the better.