What Do Gen Z Want from Employers?

Employers are waking up to the needs of the ‘woke’ generation and a revolution in employer branding.

Factors such as diversity and inclusion in the workforce, investing in sustainable business and gender pay equality are no longer the exclusive preserve of ESG managers, but are front and centre of the battle to recruit the cream of young workers.

For our Employer Brand Report, we asked a nationally representative sample of 1,000 UK adults to tell us the most important factors that determine who they would and wouldn’t work for.

The results showed an almost three-fold increase in the importance Gen Z (16 to 24 year olds) place on the social consciousness of organisations compared to the attitudes of their older counterparts.

Today’s graduate recruits will base their job hunt on more than just pay and benefits.

These changing views will lend extra support to legislators and social activists seeking to create a revolution in the workplace.

Recruitment, especially of in-demand skills, is an expensive business. The investment in making the necessary ESG changes is more cost-effective when factoring in its growing importance as a driver of recruitment decisions.

Gen Z is a generation bought up with climate change as a reality and an expectation of social justice. Applying a recruitment strategy that worked 10 years ago will not meet their expectations or demands.

Active listening and careful monitoring of your employer brand amongst Gen Z is critical to future successful recruitment strategies.

Sensu provides Employer Brand Research and Tracking reports. We work with companies and recruitment marketing providers on better understanding target audiences and using these insights to shape recruitment strategies and evolve corporate values.