With the new year still fresh, Recruiters Websites has put together a 4-part series cleverly titled “2019 Recruiting Ideas” to help your organization prepare for what are poised to be some of the most impactful ideas and issues affecting recruiting this year. To keep with the idea of new and fresh, our first topic for discussion is a new generation of talent to consider when scouring the candidate market. For more than a decade, Millennials have been the topic of much discussion and the butt of more than a few jokes (avocado toast, anyone?), but the spotlight has begun to shift and a new and unique group of individuals is poised to dominate the hiring conversation:  Generation Z.

Generational Diversity

According to Pew Research Center, individuals born from 1997 onward are identified as Generation Z. By this definition, in 2019 we will see Gen Zers entering the workforce in meaningful numbers, and for the first time in modern history, we will see five distinct generations working side-by-side. This is an incredible opportunity for the sharing of experiences and skills like the workforce has never seen. This also means that more than any other generation, Gen Z will be equipped with a wide-ranging perspective thanks to their multi-generational colleagues.

Avoid the Millennial Mistake

While the topic of Millennials was quick to provoke eye rolls and accusations, it may be time to shelve those tired memes about millennials riding their dogs to work and only drinking locally-sourced, hormone-free seltzer. As misunderstood as Millennials were, the biggest mistake we are witnessing is in painting Gen Z with the same hyperbolic brush. A failure to truly understand and adequately prepare for a Millennial workforce still resonates across industries, with many organizations realizing too late they were ill-adapted to attract Millennials in a job market that favored talent. Like Millennials, Gen Z is an eclectic group of individuals who shun labels and are eager to make a difference in the world, but how that translates to the workforce is very different from their predecessors.

Understanding Gen Z

A lot has already been written on Generation Z and much more is sure to follow, but one of the most stark and recurring observations is their approach to work. Unlike Millennials, who were qualitatively viewed to be in constant pursuit of their “dream job,” Gen Zers are more like the Greatest Generation than Millennials. Generation Z is driven more by financial stability than the ideal career. This makes them more likely to remain loyal to employers who provide stability and benefits. This point has been reinforced by a Door of Clubs’ survey that revealed 61% of Gen Zers stated they would stay with the same employer for 10 or more years.

With the large-scale introduction of a new generation into the workforce, 2019 is poised to be an exciting and transformative year for recruiters. Having been recruiters ourselves, we know there is more to the job than filling positions. Being a trusted adviser is essential to continued success, and as a trusted adviser, it is important that you are equipped to keep your clients abreast of the latest trends and ahead of the hiring curve. In the coming weeks we will continue to share some of the most impactful ideas that will define the year in recruiting.