Albert Galarza is the Global Vice President of Human Resources at TELUS International.
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For most companies today, the workforce has evolved to span multiple generations. Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials — each demographic brings something unique to the workplace. The generation that's top of mind for many companies today? That's Generation Z, which accounts for 30% of the global population and already makes up about a quarter of the workforce.
Born between 1996 and the early 2010s, Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with the internet. These individuals are true digital natives and are more advanced than others when it comes to digital fluency. This is also true of their digital dependency in most, if not all, aspects of their lives.
Altogether, this means that if you want to appeal to Gen Z in your company's recruiting, training and recognition programs, you will need to incorporate the next-gen tech they know and love. Culture technology is the ideal way to attract top Gen Z talent as well as to generate higher employee engagement.
Use social media to enhance corporate culture.
When you consider their connection to the digital world, it's perhaps not surprising that Gen Z individuals spend more time on social media than their millennial counterparts (nearly three hours per day, compared with two hours and 38 minutes for millennials). It stands to reason, then, that companies should use social media to reach and engage Gen Z workers. A 2019 Business Insider survey found that Instagram (65%), YouTube (62%) and Snapchat (51%) are the most popular social sites for Gen Z, so it would be worthwhile to try and work these channels into your recruitment campaigns.
Social media holds value as a recruitment tool because it allows you to target your preferred candidates — but it also supports employee advocacy, wherein your existing employees help to promote your company. By encouraging your Gen Z workers to share content about your workplace culture and tagging it with a custom hashtag, you can attract other Gen Z candidates and continue to grow your talent pool.
Highlight your company's values online.
Along the same lines, social media lends itself to sharing company updates on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Providing an inside look at the aspects of your culture that are most desirable to Gen Z — such as meaningfully contributing to the planet's and their fellow citizens' well-being — is a great way to familiarize potential employees with your organization's values in action.
According to World Economic Forum, 72% of this generation believes "race equality is the most important issue of today." In part, that's because, according to Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse to date. Using social media to highlight your company's employee resource groups and your commitment to supporting external programs that promote diversity and inclusivity will resonate with Gen Z. Companies should also be mindful that the employees shown in their online presence are a reflection of their diverse workforce.
Invest in an internal social platform.
You can leverage Gen Z's love of social media by using an internal social platform, too. With features similar to social networks, HR tech platforms can enhance communication and enable team members to connect in ways that mimic how they keep in touch with family and friends.
Internal social platforms allow employees to keep in touch quickly and easily and even share a laugh, regardless of how busy they are. They also encourage employees who are introverts to get more involved and create opportunities for employee recognition, particularly for remote teams. Fun features like emojis, reward badges and GIFs make these chat applications feel familiar and are easy for Gen Z employees to integrate into their workday.
You might consider investing in an online volunteer portal, too. Inviting team members to participate in volunteer opportunities that interest them or align with their skill set in exchange for paid time off can help you build a rapport with Gen Z workers.
Promote learning and development.
A report on Gen Z behavior by Barnes and Noble College states that "for Gen Z, learning is one continuous, multifaceted, completely integrated experience — connecting social, academic and professional interests," and that "they also make no distinction between devices or online territories." When you're developing your training programs, look to technologies that facilitate this type of learning.
This includes the use of video. According to Google, 80% of Gen Z teenagers say YouTube "has helped them become more knowledgeable about something." That makes video a good tool for educating and training your Gen Z employees. Be sure to make your learning strategy interactive.
Gamification, role-play simulations and other video- and mobile-based collaborative activities are also worthy of consideration. These can all help teach Gen Z to solve real-world problems while keeping them engaged.
To stay competitive where talent acquisition and retention is concerned, brands must become more sophisticated in how they use next-gen tech to deliver intuitive, automated and personalized HR experiences. Leverage the tools and platforms at your disposal to build a better relationship with the employees who will soon represent the bulk of your workforce.
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