Stop Using Boomer Strategies to Hire Gen Z

By Kristin Baird

If your recruiting efforts include hiring Gen Z, now is a good time to review your hiring practices.

“I can get a job anywhere. I’m looking for a culture.”

This statement was made by a bright and talented Gen Z woman at the top of her graduate class. Her education and qualifications make her a desirable candidate for just about any organization. It was clear that she will have her pick of jobs. Here is what I gleaned from our conversation:

• Her confidence in our discussion made it clear that, although she is being interviewed, she is the one who is doing her due diligence about the companies. In other words; She’s interviewing you.
• She is clear about what type of culture she is seeking.

WHAT’S IN A CULTURE?
Like many millennials and Gen Zs, she wants:

• Meaningful work
• To feel valued
• To know she is contributing to something that matters
• Flexibility
• Work/life balance
• Opportunities for growth and professional development
• Feedback and support
• Transparent communication with her boss and administration
• A voice

What this means for employers is that we must change the way we structure jobs, interview, and select candidates when hiring Gen Z or any generation, for that matter. The big question is are you presenting your organization, department and job in a way that pique the candidate’s interest?

MAKE THE MOST OF THE INTERVIEW
I was recently talking with an experienced manager who was having difficulty hiring for open positions. In our coaching conversation, I asked her to walk me through a typical interview. “Carla” described her process for reviewing the resume with the candidate and having them review the job description.

There are a few major flaws in this approach:

1. You should have reviewed the resume in advance of the interview. Covering that information in detail implies that you haven’t prepared for the interview and is a waste of precious conversation time that could be spent delving into the candidate’s fit.
2. There is no such thing as an inspiring job description. Reviewing a job description does nothing to show candidates how they will be contributing to meaningful work. That message must come from the discussion.

Having a qualified job candidate in the room is a precious opportunity that should never be squandered, yet many managers admit not spending enough time preparing for, or summarizing and scoring, the interviews. These two factors can lead to many missed opportunities.

A great employee relationship starts with a single interview. How are you making the most of those precious interview opportunities?

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