Get Ready to Recruit Gen Z

With the first members of Generation Z about to graduate college and already beginning to enter the workforce, it’s time for companies to be proactive about learning how to attract the iGeneration, says a recent blog post from HR People+Strategy.

Father-son authors David and Jonah Stillman, representing Gen X and Gen Z, offer insights for companies preparing to recruit and retain the next generation.

• Don’t make the mistake of treating all young people the same. Members of Gen Z are not millennials.

• Gen Z grew up during the Great Recession, making them “pragmatic, independent and in survival mode when it comes to looking at [their] future careers.” While millennials want to find meaning in their jobs and help to make the world a better place, Gen Z is more concerned with money and job security.

• Gen Z is very competitive. “At a young age, we were told by our Xer parents that there are winners and losers, and that more often than not, you lose,” says Jonah. They are independent and prefer a company culture that showcases individual talents.

• Gen Z is a DIY generation and will bring this mentality to the workplace. Gen Zers often feel that other generations overcomplicate things; as a result, they look for ways to streamline processes and procedures and eliminate the middle man.

• Gen Z thinks opportunity for advancement should be based on performance, regardless of longevity. It shouldn’t matter if you’ve been at the job three weeks or three years.

See the full blog posting: “Move Over Millennials, Gen Z Is Here.”