Reevaluating Recruitment and Retention for Gen Z

As Gen Z comes of age and enters the tech workforce, the ways in which recruitment professionals approach the hiring process will change.  This shift is currently happening, as Gen Z’ers are entering the workforce earlier than Millenials did.  In fact, 33% of Gen Z ages 16 to 19 work, as opposed to 26% of Millenials teens. 

However, 50% of hiring managers struggle to connect with early-career employees, many of whom are Gen Z.  Even more significantly, 74% of hiring managers say that Gen Z is the most difficult generation in the office, making it challenging to integrate new employees.  

Several factors fuel the Gen Z hiring gap.  The first is changing workplaces following the pandemic.  During COVID, Gen Z saw a 79% increase in layoffs compared to other generations.  Another factor is workplace friction that results in aggressive responses for everyone involved.  This has resulted in 70% of Gen Z’ers being at risk of reneging on a current job offer.  Finally, employees and employers tend to have misaligned career expectations, resulting in high turnover rates. 

To keep Gen Z employees in the workforce, companies can implement several goals.  For example, establishing clear expectations is key.  Maintaining transparency and workplace respect are also huge factors, as is nurturing meaningful connections and communication. 

In order to support the new wave of young workers, employers should reevaluate their hiring practices and adapt to changing workers.  Luckily, there are many ways to do so effectively.