Hiring Gen. Z Candidates Today: Why 1 in 3 Zoomers Are Reconsidering Their Careers
The children of Generation X and the millennials, Gen. Z-ers — also known as “zoomers” — are an especially attractive target for recruiters. They’re known for being loyal, likely to stay in their first jobs for three years or longer — a dramatic difference from the average millennial’s tenure. Gen. Z candidates are willing to make a long-term investment in your company, so it’s worthwhile to source and recruit from this demographic.
The majority of Gen. Z candidates are still in high school, which means you need to start reaching out to them early. More importantly, you need to consider how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected zoomers’ career preferences. Through recent national surveys, Yello Sourcing Marketplace partner Tallo recently gathered some telling statistics about Gen. Z’s mindset. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
99 Percent Want to Establish Employer Connections Now
Even if you don’t hire candidates right out of high school, Gen. Z-ers want to know who you are. Eighty-one percent strongly agree it’s more important than ever to establish connections with employers even if there are no immediate job openings at the company, and an additional 18 percent somewhat agree. This is a significant change from before the pandemic, as only 59 percent of Gen. Z-ers reported feeling this way in December 2019.
One in Three Gen. Z Candidates Are Reconsidering Their Career Choices Due to COVID-19
More than a third of Gen. Z-ers report that they are reconsidering their career choices to avoid industries they see as negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are turning toward three specific fields:
- Workforce safety and health
- Marketing sales and content production
- Cloud computing/IT
At the same time, Gen. Z-ers are turning away from two traditional choices:
- Construction
- Hospitality
40 Percent Are Less Likely to Leave Their Hometowns for Work
Location is also an issue: 40 percent of Gen Z-ers report the pandemic has made them less likely to look for jobs outside their hometowns.
91 Percent Want Employers to Know About Their Experience Before Reaching Out
Given their innate comfort with creating digital presences and heightened interest in working from home, 91 percent of Gen. Z-ers believe employers should know their professional details before reaching out. What’s more, 62 percent believe employers should also know personal details.
94 Percent Prefer to Connect Via Email
The seriousness of the present has served to reinforce Gen. Z’s preferences for how they hear from recruiters and companies. It may come as a surprise, but email tops the list, and social media is dead last:
• 94 percent want to connect via email
• 63 percent want to connect on a professional site like LinkedIn or Tallo
• 50 percent want to connect on a job board
• 44 percent want to connect by phone
• 29 percent want to connect by text
• 14 percent want to connect through social media
DE&I: Gender Pronouns Are Important to Gen Z
Tallo’s insights into Gen. Z revealed one of the best ways for your company to stand out from the pack. With everyone working from home, meetings and conferences are shining a spotlight on who makes up a company’s workforce, and Gen. Z survey respondents made it clear they are concerned about diversity and inclusion:
88 percent said it’s important that recruiters or potential employers ask people about their preferred gender pronouns, but only 18 percent have ever had a conversation where they were asked. So asking that question separates you from 82 percent of recruiters.
The most important takeaway for companies is that if your industry offers an easily understandable post-COVID growth path, there has never been a better time to get your opportunities in front of Gen. Z. At the high-school level, many career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) hold activities and events that connect students with future employers.
The Yello Sourcing Marketplace seamlessly connects with Tallo — the nation’s largest population of self-identified early talent, including college and high school students — to help you reach these professionals of tomorrow, all seamlessly integrated with Yello.
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