The Job Search by Generation: What Recruiters Need to Know

Knowing your target audience is a key part of marketing. But it’s also critically important to recruiting – after all, successful recruiting relies on some key marketing principles.

To succeed in sourcing candidates, the first step is to make sure your job posts are seen by the people most likely to be interested in and qualified for the position you’re trying to fill.

Did you know 58% of job seekers will search for information about potential employers on social media? Time to review your company’s online presence… is it appealing to potential employees?

Also consider the level of position you’re trying to fill. The youngest generation in the workforce (Gen Z) will be looking for entry-level positions, with 62% of them discovering jobs on social media and 48% of them likely to apply for those jobs through social media. Conversely, Gen Xers are looking for higher-level positions requiring more experience, with 31% of them likely to discover jobs on social media and only 24% likely to actually apply for those jobs through social media.

In case you were wondering – 56% of Millennials are likely to discover jobs on social media with 48% of them being likely to apply for those jobs through social media.

So… should you be posting jobs on social media as part of your recruiting strategy?

How you market your job postings and promote your company as a desirable place to work is going to have a huge impact on your recruiting success. Think about what different types of candidates will find most valuable when reviewing potential job opportunities:

What’s the job title? Job seekers of different generations place different values on their job prestige… so the job title matters. 64% of Gen Xers say prestige is their highest priority in their work, and 53% of Gen Zers say prestige is their highest priority. Millennials fall right in the middle, with 58% placing prestige as their highest priority.

How flexible are you? The expectation of flexible working options is higher than ever, so if you have those options, you need to showcase them. 64% of Gen X, 76% of Millennials and 69% of Gen Z workers expect to have access to flexible working options when considering a new job position.

Can you speak to job security? 46% of Boomers and 44% of Gen Z workers rate job security as the most important aspect of their work. If your online presence doesn’t promote confidence in your company’s longevity and job security, you might have some difficulty landing these candidates.

As the newest generation (Gen Z) of workers enters the labor market, employers are still learning how to best recruit and retain them. Having entered into adulthood during the COVID pandemic and political controversy, they place value in high salaries, great benefit packages and unique perks. Your ability to offer these options will greatly increase your chances of recruiting and retaining these workers.

Your recruiting strategy is going to have unique factors depending on your location, industry, job position, and internal company culture. While keeping all of these in mind, don’t forget to account for your target audience – the unicorn candidate you’re seeking - as well.

Apply this Marketing 101 principle to your recruiting strategy, and you’re sure to succeed: reach the job seekers you’re targeting by offering what they value most, and putting your job postings where they’re already looking for jobs.