How to Recruit Young Workers
The writing is on the wall.
As the pace of boomer retirement increases, so must your commitment to hiring your organization’s next generation of superstars.
Our youngest generation of professionals has different values and priorities when it comes to work. If you’re recruiting this demographic, make sure you address what’s most important to them:
- They want to learn. Millennials and their younger counterparts have grown up in a time of rapid change and continual knowledge acquisition. They’re not just willing to learn; they thrive on it.
- They demand work/life balance. They want to work for employers that provide flexible work arrangements and allow them to balance their personal and professional lives.
- They need technology. Younger job seekers view technology as the norm, not an innovation. They’ve used it throughout their education and consider it essential to work.
- They crave feedback. Due to their age and relative inexperience, young workers may lack confidence in their abilities.
- They value performance over tenure. The younger generation thrives when they perceive opportunities to be rewarded for their efforts, as opposed to “external” factors like seniority.
Tips for Recruiting Young Stars
#1. Leverage your company website.
Turn your job seekers page into a true career portal. In addition to a standard FAQ and employee documents, add job search and career resources that demonstrate how much you value your most important asset: your people! Build your employment brand by adding facility tour videos or interviews with young employees that “pull back the curtain” – and show what it’s really like to work in your organization.
Make your employee section even more valuable by:
- Optimizing for mobile. Younger candidates are more likely to use mobile technology to search for jobs. Make it easy for them to find your available positions and apply right from a phone or tablet.
- Optimizing job postings for search engines, including keywords younger candidates might use when searching.
- Skipping the subtlety. Politely, but directly, ask for referrals on your website. Provide a simple, online way for young stars to refer other young stars.
#2. Leverage your current millennial employees.
Younger demographics are particularly peer-influenced. As a result, your Gen Y employees are a great choice for connecting with young candidates, both in person and online.
Teach your millennial employees how to be true brand ambassadors, sharing information about your corporate culture and explaining the benefits of working for your organization. And if you haven’t already, create a program that rewards employees for referring exceptional candidates who are ultimately hired.
Improve Recruiting Results by Casting a Wider Net
No matter whom you’re trying to recruit, success in today’s tight employment market requires a broader range of sourcing tools. To ensure timely access to the people you need, cast a wider net by partnering with a national staffing firm like PrideStaff. Contact us today to learn more about our On Target fulfillment process.
