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Every company wants to attract hot young talent, but seasoned recruiters have learned that what worked ten years ago doesn’t have the same results today. Each generation has its own “love language” when it comes to the workplace, and for that reason, Millennials and Gen Z respond to different things than their older generations.
For employers, learning to write job ads that speak to what appeals to today’s young workers is critical to drawing the best of the best in your organization and increasing retention. But how do recruiters and hiring managers learn to speak their language?
With Millennials and Gen Z making up almost half of the population, according to a report by Nielsen, connecting with this massive group is critical to the success of your future recruiting endeavors. We’ve identified four important points employers should keep in mind as they write job ads to recruit younger workers.
Tap into What They Care About
For younger workers, corporate responsibility – or acts of service – are incredibly important. In fact, LiveCareer’s recently released Job-Hopping Report found that the importance Millennials and Gen Z place on volunteer work is pretty staggering. The report found that members of Gen Z include volunteer work on their resumes 38 percent more often than Millennials, 140 percent more often than Gen Xers, and 420 percent more often than Baby Boomers.
Millennials’ resumes, too, show a commitment to volunteer work that outpaces that of their older colleagues. This generation lists volunteer work 78 percent more often than the previous generation, Gen X.
Younger generations not only place a higher premium on volunteer and philanthropic work but they are also attracted to companies that offer volunteer/philanthropic opportunities. For example, the vast majority of Millennials surveyed – full three-quarters – said that a company’s social and environmental commitments are a consideration when deciding where to work. Moreover, two-thirds of those surveyed indicated that they would not work for a company that didn’t have a corporate responsibility program.
Thus, hiring managers and recruiters should note that mentioning corporate responsibility in job ads is critical to attracting workers in these generations.
Focus on Future Learning
Cultural fit and having a job with purpose is important to Millennials. Therefore, writing job ads that highlight what makes your company unique is critical to attracting these workers. When writing job ads, ask yourself: what is special about this organization, and how will the person who fills this position contribute to the company’s future? Further, what skills or professional enrichment opportunities will this role offer the person who fills it?
If they exist, detail your professional development opportunities. Tuition reimbursement, time off to take online courses, management training, and other professional development opportunities can attract young workers looking to grow their careers. If your company doesn’t already offer these opportunities, consider adding them. There are offerings available that will fit any organization’s budget.
Pay Attention to Transferrable Skills, Not Years of Experience
Remember, Millennials have been in the workforce for less than ten years, and Gen Z is just beginning to enter the workforce. When you are looking to recruit these workers, focusing on skills rather than on past work experience is critical. Most of these workers will come with valuable hard and soft skills but will have to gain experience on the job.
So, while your list of required skills can include hard and soft skills, skip stringent work requirements that this group of job seekers may not be able to meet.
Job Titles Should be Straightforward, not Whimsical
Employers who are looking to hire Millennial and Gen Z workers often try to create quirky job titles that they think will appeal to younger job seekers. However, rather than sounding hip and cool, zany job titles can often backfire for these workers.
While employers might think that job titles that incorporate offbeat descriptors like “wizard,” “rock star,” or “guru” might appeal to younger workers, Gen Z and Millennials want clarity when it comes to job titles. Since nearly all job searches now happen online, younger generations want easy-to-search job titles that are self-explanatory.
In other words, name your job titles in such a way that job seekers can find them. In all likelihood, a Gen Z or Millennial working looking for an entry-level marketing job will not search for “Marketing Protégé” when using a job board. Instead, posting an ad for a “Marketing Assistant” will get more eyes on your opportunity.
Using clear, unfussy job titles that are optimized for online searches and are shareable on social media will do more to ensure that your job is seen by a larger audience.
Access additional findings on Gen Z and Millennial job seeker audiences and information on the state of job hopping and job tenure via the Job-Hopping Report link above. A free PDF download of the full report is also available.
About the author: Since 2005, LiveCareer’s team of career coaches, certified resume writers, and savvy technologists have been developing career tools that have helped over 10 million users write persuasive cover letters, develop better interview skills, and write resumes via their free Resume Builder.
