When you’re competing for top talent, it’s all about matching candidates’ needs to your salary, benefits, and company culture offerings. This is true of all demographic groups, and members of Gen Z are no exception. And since 60 million Gen Zers – those born between 1997 and 2102 – are expected to enter the workforce in the next decade, you’d better be ready.

Who Are Gen Zs?

Some of the qualities that characterize Gen Zers, aka Zoomers, are:

• Flexibility: They need a sense of purpose in their work, along with autonomy so they can balance job performance with their personal lives. According to one recent study, 28 percent of Gen Zers rate work/life balance as their top career goal.
• A desire for security and growth: With lives shaped by the September 11 attacks, the Great Recession and the global pandemic, Gen Zers crave the security of steady, reliable growth in all aspects of their lives.
• A need for financial support: Add tuition debt to the ramifications of all the other life-altering experiences they’ve had, and it’s understandable why stability in their financial lives is also high on Gen Zers’ priority list.
• A flair for cutting edge technology: Gen Zers have never known a world without the internet or social media. Mastering new technology as it develops is second nature to them. They will quickly shut down any interest in employers whose tech is outdated in any way, shape or form.
• Diversity: Nearly half of Gen Zers are non-Caucasian, making them the most racially diverse workforce segment in history. They want to work for equitable, pluralistic companies.

And What Do They Want From an Employer?

Of course, the needs and demands of Gen Zs line up with their characteristics. So, prepare to offer them:

• Leeway in their work hours and schedules, along with the option to work from home or anywhere else, as long as they get the job done.
• Ongoing learning, development and mentorship opportunities. Zoomers feel comfortable and assured around – and can learn key soft skills like empathy and conflict resolutions from – their older counterparts. So in addition to the latest training offerings, consider a multi-generational mentor program at your company.
• Resources, education and support so they stay on financial track. In addition to comprehensive healthcare plans, consider offering other financial benefits to Gen Zers. Tuition reimbursement and/or loan repayments are a great place to start. You can also provide workshops on how to service or consolidate debt.
• A diverse and inclusive culture. This includes social inclusiveness. Gen Zers want proof of work being done to address social issues that are meaningful to them. Corroborate your claims with visible, palpable results.

Developing the right recruitment strategy for talent of all ages is a multi-faceted and constantly changing challenge. What works for Gen Zs is different than the formula for Millennials, Gen Xers, and other specific groups. And as soon as you nail another one, there will be a new group on the job marketplace horizon.

Working with a professional employer organization (PEO) is the best solution for a growing number of small to mid-sized companies, as it provides the recruitment and benefit administration expertise they may otherwise be lacking. And, via the co-employment arrangement that comes with a PEO partnership, your company can offer customized benefits packages competitive with Fortune 500 firms.

If you’d like to learn more about a PEO or similar business partnership, contact Key HR today.