How to Hire Gen Z

For so long, all we ever heard about was employing millennials. They’re now the biggest population in the workforce. But along comes Gen Z to mix it up.

So how do we identify a Gen Z individual? Let’s look at the demographics currently in the workforce:

Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964

Gen X: 1965 – 1980

Gen Y: 1981 – 1996

Gen Z: 1996 – (anywhere between 2009 – 2015 depending upon who you ask)

So let’s look at the latest demographic to join the workforce – Gen Z. Gen Z professionals care about a few things in particular, according to Glassdoor research (and my experience as a recruiter as well):

✅  Technology — even if they don’t want to work in tech specifically, they want to work for companies that are digitally advanced

✅  An emphasis on flexible work versus cultural “perks” like free snacks and “Hey, you can bring your dog to work!”

✅  Diversity and inclusion, diversity and inclusion, diversity and inclusion

As a recruiter for 25+ years, I am curious about how the focus will continue to shift from Millennials to Gen Z as this upcoming generation makes its way into the workforce.