New Report Reveals Gen Z Candidates Expect Open Communication and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Focus From Prospective Employers

Global Survey of Recruiters, Hiring Managers and Talent Acquisition Professionals Provides Key Insights into the Recruitment and Hiring of Gen Z Population

First Advantage Corporation, a leading global provider of technology solutions for screening, verifications, safety and compliance related to human capital, and Talent Board, a non-profit research organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience, recently released a new “Generation Z Recruiting Study” report, revealing critical insights into how talent acquisition teams are recruiting Gen Z workers.

The Gen Z population represents a growing percentage of the total workforce today – a number that is expected to rapidly expand as more individuals enter the workforce over the next few years. From 2019 to 2020, First Advantage saw a nine-fold increase in the number of Gen Z individuals being screened using their solutions. To better understand what recruiters and talent acquisition professionals are experiencing in their recruitment of the Gen Z population, First Advantage partnered with Talent Board to develop and deploy a global survey. Based on the results, which garnered anonymous feedback from more than 230 recruiters, hiring managers, talent acquisition and human resource professionals, this new report sheds light on a host of Gen Z recruitment insights.

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Among the findings, candidate “ghosting” (where the candidate is unresponsive to communication) occurs more than half the time, making it the top challenge for recruiters. The report uncovers some of the tactics and technologies businesses have employed to overcome this and other challenges that employers often experience.

The report goes on to uncover additional opportunities to help attract Gen Z talent. Other key takeaways include strategies for recruiting Gen Z, incentives for attracting and retaining Gen Z as well as technologies that help improve the Gen Z hiring and onboarding experiences. The report also delves into how companies are working to improve the application process, screening and interviewing of candidates and onboarding of new hires, among other topics.

“The survey’s findings are a timely and useful resource for talent acquisition teams throughout the world who are trying to recruit Gen Z,” said Kevin Grossman, President of Talent Board. “Hiring individuals from Gen Z is imperative. Younger workers are essential to fostering innovation and fresh ideas – and keeping a company’s culture vibrant. But the turmoil in the talent market and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are making hiring and onboarding these crucial workers even more complex. The insights uncovered in our report should be of help to just about every employer.”

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Underscoring the importance of the timeliness of this survey, the report states, “Clearly, Gen Z’s presence in the workforce is on the rise. The World Economic Forum predicts that Gen Z will make up about 27% of the global workforce by 2025. In the U.S., Gen Z@ will represent nearly one-third of the workforce within the next decade. Without question, recruiters will be looking for creative ways to appeal to this growing demographic.”

Joelle Smith, Chief Experience Officer at First Advantage, commented, “The world of recruiting has changed, the competition is fierce, and candidates have more choices than ever. Generational preferences directly affect retention strategies. We saw this when Millennials entered the workforce, and now it’s time to recognize the characteristics that set Gen Z apart from their predecessors. This group of digital natives will soon be the largest talent pool in the market, and aligning talent acquisition strategies to a seamless candidate experience is critical for success. This report provides insights into what the next generation of candidates expect from the hiring process and uncovers what employers can do to attract and retain this talent in 2022 and beyond.”

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