Leveraging technology to find and hire young talent 

A young workforce is vital for many companies—where they lack experience; they make up for freshness of perspective and relatability to the next generation of consumers.   

Hiring young workers fosters age-based diversity and keeps an organisation relevant. In many cases, younger employees are also more tech-savvy. But attracting young talent is no mean feat. This is further complicated by the competitive nature of the job market and the more extensive set of subjective values that younger workers take into account while choosing job roles and companies.   

Organisations need to build a work culture that attracts young workers, and a large part of this culture is a technology-first attitude. Young workers, especially Gen Z, grew up in a connected world where technology and digital connectivity were ubiquitous. They grew up using technology for everything, and job application and recruitment will not be an exception.   

To attract the best young talent, organisations need to leverage technology and undertake the following initiatives.  

Digital communication is key  

To attract young talent, companies would do well to meet them where they are hanging out instead of expecting them to come looking for jobs. Gen Z is extremely comfortable with digital channels of communication and would prefer interacting with recruiters through them.   

Email is still king in this regard, though lots of big brands have been leveraging social media to reach a young talent pool too. Job openings can be marketed on social media like any other commodity. So, in the modern world, companies need to leverage digital communication technology to successfully attract young talent to be a part of their organisation.   

Have a strong vision and mission focus  

Younger workers tend to be more purpose-driven and desire to effect social change. As such, Gen Z candidates are likely to prefer working for organisations that have a strong vision and mission focus, especially when the vision and mission align with their own values.   

As such, companies looking to attract younger workers should prominently display their vision and mission on their website, what they stand for, in their recruitment communication, and on their social media channels. Additionally, companies should also avoid window-dressing their organisations to look socially responsible and instead focus on actually effecting social change. This is likely to be more appreciated by younger candidates.  

Use social media for employer branding  

It's essential to build a brand to attract employees in much the same way that companies do for customers. Younger candidates tend to be social media savvy and appreciate companies that are the same.   

Companies that want to hire young people must leverage social media to engage the right prospective employees at the right time in the right place. While LinkedIn is the preferred social media platform recruiters lean towards, don't be afraid to take to other more popular platforms like Instagram and Snapchat to reach out to younger candidates.   

The casualness of these platforms might seem off-putting, but that's the point—Gen Z grew up in a democratised digital world, free from the shackles of the formalness of the old guard. By embracing casual social engagement, companies are signaling that they are ready for Gen Z in all their free, open, social and digital glory.  

Improve your recruitment experience  

Younger workers tend to place a premium on experience. Companies should focus on improving their recruitment experience if they want to appeal to young candidates. This includes the user interface of their career site and the user experience of recruitment forms, notifications, updates, and follow-ups. The careers site should display relevant information that young applicants can use to make a decision. The same should be modern, seamless and exhibit digital savviness. 

Use technology  

In a recent study by SCIKEY, titled Tech Talent Outlook for 2022, 82% of employees preferred working from home. It is becoming evident that more and more employees are opting for hybrid workstations. Young candidates are on a similar trajectory.   

The pool of young applicants is vast, and with the rise of remote work, increasingly geographically scattered, sifting through this pool to find talent that is a good fit for your company requires you to leverage modern digital tools such as artificial technology (AI) and machine learning.   

AI can help deploy programmatic advertising that targets the right set of potential applicants with the right messaging at the right time and in the right place. It can also help you design a better user experience for applicants and identify the most suitable applicants from a large pool.   

When it comes to hiring young talent, technology is a valuable tool and a virtue signal. Companies that leverage technology and social media effectively will not only be more efficient at finding the best young employees but also be better at attracting them.