Reaching the Next Generation of Recruiters

Generation Z is beginning to join the workforce. They have incredible digital savvy and have grown up in a world of personalized, targeted communications, giving them an innate sense of what works when it comes to messaging. This sets them on the right track to become effective recruiters, but it also means that they expect high standards when it comes to reaching out to hire them as consultants.

Many recruitment agencies have not adapted their recruitment strategies to target this new generation, but with the rise of direct one-to-one social platforms personalization, unique experiences, and simplicity need to be at the forefront of any modern recruitment strategy. Luckily, there are some actionable ways in which companies can make their recruitment strategies more appropriate for Gen Z.

Harnessing Social Media

Successful recruitment strategies tap into human behavior. Younger candidates have grown up on social media, especially personalized platforms. Research from Omnicore shows more than 25 percent of UK smartphone users have Snapchat, which is especially popular with young people between the ages of 16 and 26.

The key to successful social media recruitment strategies is genuinely engaging, original content that makes job applications easy for candidates. Take, for example, McDonald’s Australia’s ‘Snaplications’ campaign, through which the fast food chain asked applicants to submit a short video through an augmented reality ‘lens’ within Snapchat. It was novel and fun, tapped into their target audience’s behavior, and let applicants show they have the right skills. Many applicants for this type of entry-level job don’t have work experience, so a traditional CV is not a good reflection of their potential.

Recruitment agencies can adopt a similar approach. Essentially, the Snapchat campaign reached out directly to candidates in an exciting and accessible way – and that is undoubtedly replicable across platforms. A good starting point is to solidify your company’s presence on relevant platforms to show what it is like to work with you. Snapchat also allows organisations to show personality through sponsored filters and ‘lenses’ within the app which can be customized with text, artwork and corporate logo.

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Tap into New Tech

Social media isn’t the only way to use the latest tech – recruiters must start to come up with ways to meet potential job seekers on the services and devices they are already using. Once again, McDonald’s is leading the way with its ‘Apply Thru’ service, which is the first to allow people to apply through voice assistants. Speaking of which, Amazon’s Alexa is an excellent piece of tech that taps into the qualities that recruiters often look for in their own teams – they’re efficient, polite, responsive and fun, so it makes perfect sense for agencies to incorporate Alexa skills (as Amazon call these voice-enabled apps)  as an extension of the company.

Consider Experience and Apprenticeships over Qualifications

More people are starting to come around to the idea that a university degree isn’t the be-all and end-all for a legitimate job application. Disillusioned by high university fees and encouraged by the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, which encourages more businesses to offer apprenticeships, younger candidates are instead looking for work experience to gain the skills they need.

The recruitment industry is perfect for offering apprenticeships – it is a skill-based profession that can’t necessarily be taught from a book. Apprenticeships offer a mutually beneficial solution – agencies can train young people to become the perfect recruiters, while candidates can save on university fees. And they would be in good company, as tech giants like Apple, Netflix, and Google have recently stated that they don’t consider university or college degree a prerequisite for candidates.

The recruitment firms that use technology to their advantage will have the pick of the top Generation Z talent. With a bit of creativity, consistency and commitment, there is no reason why agencies can’t have the first choice of the best candidates.

MORE:  A new generation requires a new way of recruiting

Peter Linas

Peter Linas
Peter Linas is international managing director at Bullhorn.

Peter Linas

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