Strategies for hiring Gen Z: 3 recruiting trends to effectively engage and hire

Gen Z is a digitally-native generation with different ideas, values, and expectations, and if you want to effectively reach them, you may need to update your hiring process. Let’s make hiring Gen Z more efficient and engaging. According to NACE’s Job Outlook 2022 report, employers plan to hire 26% more graduates from the Class of 2022 than they did from the class of 2021. And with 61 million people from Gen Z now entering the workforce, recruiting them is requiring teams to create digital experiences for the digitally-native generation. 

Below are 3 Gen Z recruiting trends to more effectively engage and hire.

Incorporate AI and texting automation to keep them engaged.

Did you know the average person checks their phone 150 times a day? And according to Business of Apps, 64% of Gen Z smartphone users “are constantly connected online with 57% admitting that they feel insecure without their mobile phone.” Let’s take it one step further. A report from Snapchat found Gen Z spends an average of 4 hours and 15 minutes a day on their phone–and almost all of them have a smartphone (95%).

Gen Z grew up with technology–they didn’t have to learn it like their predecessors. They have grown up with computers, the internet, social media, and texting. 

According to the Financial Services Job Seeker Trends Survey 2021, 79.4% of candidates prefer scheduling an interview via text over email or a phone call. Not to mention, texts have a 98% open rate versus 20% with email.  By incorporating AI and texting automation into your recruitment strategies, recruiters can keep Gen Z engaged throughout the entire process. Candidates can quickly reply to texts no matter where they are and recruiters can engage 4x more candidates 5x faster than email. Plus, text-powered chatbots pre-screen candidates and allow them to schedule and reschedule interviews from the ease of their phones. 

Promote Flexibility with on-demand video interviewing.

Did you know that 42% of the HireVue interviews completed in 2021 were done outside normal business hours? The hiring experience is a reflection of the employee experience. In fact, 78% say the overall candidate experience is an indicator of how a company values its people, making an elevated one a powerful competitive advantage for employers. 

Offering on-demand video interviewing allows candidates to put their best foot forward–which may not be 9-5 when there are school and work demands. 

Use automation to promote DEI goals and mitigate unconscious bias. 

According to Intel, diversity “will be a workplace deal-breaker for Gen Z.” Over a third of Gen-Zers say if given two similar offers, they would undoubtedly choose the company they perceived as more diverse and inclusive. Gen Z candidates are seeking companies that align with their values, and they’re 204% more likely to engage with that employer when candidates perceive the hiring process as fair.

Technology solutions like HireVue Builder, which is validated by data scientists and IO psychologies to actively combat bias, allows hiring managers to build and structure interviews with validated questions to provide the same experience for all candidates ensuring consistency and fairness. 

Want to learn more about how to recruit Gen Z? Check out our blog post here. And if you’re ready to transform your digital candidate experience, request a demo.