As a program owner or manager, you know all too well the challenges that come with finding quality staff members for your organization.
And if you’re looking to attract and keep younger talent, such as Gen Z, then the task can seem even more daunting. With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, the pressure to find young employees is greater than ever before.
But fear not, as we are about to reveal some proven tips and strategies to help you add some young rock-stars to your ever growing team.
Here’s a quick taste of what to expect:
Some of these tips may seem unconventional, so be sure to keep an open mind and test them out!
We’re passionate about sharing these with you because “the old way” was not working for us anymore; especially post pandemic. This naturally led us on a path to try some “outside the box” methods to help attract new talent.
As a result, we are now in a better position than ever before, and we want you to thrive as well!
| PRO TIP: Once you attract and hire young talent, you’ll need to ensure you’re following some best practices based on Gen Z’s psychology in order to retain them. Since retention is a whole different beast, we’ve created a separate article to help you with that: Keeping Young Talent: Proven Tips to Retain Gen Z Employees In A Modern Workforce |
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Speed is definitely one of the factors that Gen Z look for when considering a job as they want things fast, and right away. When you rely on traditional methods like CVs, it not only makes it a challenge for you, but it puts up a barrier to entry for your future star employees.
With more and more job seekers using mobile devices to search for their future careers, attaching a CV is often cumbersome and might broadcast to everyone that your organization is stuck in the past, and hasn’t moved on with the times.
This will not only put off Gen Z, but literally any potential person who lives in the 21st century and has embraced technology.
“Ok, but how exactly do I become mobile friendly?” you may ask.
Great question!
The simplest way is to build an easy to use online form with built in automations that you can embed directly into your website (or have a link for). Let’s compare this modern approach with the old so you can see the difference.
Here’s what a traditional application process would look like:
Compare this tedious process to one that a modern organization would use:
As you can see, the modern process is not only simpler (fewer steps) but half the steps are completely automated, so it saves you even more time!
If you’re wondering how to actually build this automated application process for your business, feel free to book a demo with us by clicking the button below. We’d be happy to walk you through it LIVE and answer any questions – all without any kind of salesy pressure or sleazy pitch.
| BONUS TIP: Once you’ve created your form using Activity Messenger, be sure to save the permalink and set it up as a redirect using your website URL so it looks something like this: www.<your website>.com/joinus – this link is much easier to share if you encounter someone in person who you think will make a great hire. Simply ask them for their number, and text them this link. It will then take them directly to the online form! |
From our experience, Gen Z’s hate three things:
That’s why in the process you saw in Tip #1, the automations are mostly text-based.
It’s also why texting is getting its own section – yes, it really is that important.
So what’s another way to use texting? By using it your default call to action.
Let’s say you’re advertising a job position for your organization, don’t say “Email us” or “Visit Our Website”. Instead, your call to action should be: “Text <insert number> for more information”
Or how about: “Text <insert number> if you think you have what it takes. We have a $500 signing bonus with your name on it!”
If that tagline doesn’t get someone interested in working for your business, nothing will!
Once you finally get some texts from interested candidates, you know what to do next right? (Hint: send them the link)
With the labor shortage we are experiencing, speed of contact and standing out can lead to better candidates. Imagine missing out on a potential hire that could have fundamentally changed your business all because your email ended up in junk?
In our opinion, you should join three types of Facebook groups in order to attract potential staff members:
Before posting your job listing in these groups, be sure to read the rules and reach out to the Admin with what is allowed and what they recommend for best results (they will often appreciate you reaching out and will help you).
There may be a small fee to post any type of “ad” or promo in these groups. The cost depends on the size of the group, so there is no set amount.
Regardless, the point is that you should follow the rules otherwise you will get banned. And if it’s an active local community, you and your business are at a risk of looking like the town fool.
Yikes!
But once you know the group’s rules, you can then post as often as allowed. Ideally you should post a few times per week, and test out different times. As an example, if you want to hire students, it would be unwise to make a post at a time when they would most likely be in class (duh!)
The creative behind the post you make will also be a huge factor, so be sure to play around with all the variables such as:
Having a local community leader vouch for your business is also a big plus. So if you have relationships with any of them, reach out and ask them to comment on your post. Even something as simple as: “I know Suzy, the owner of this facility personally and she’s fantastic to work for!” can go a long way.
Because let’s face it, most people don’t have a great experience with bosses. So when they see a comment like that, you get instant credibility.
Indeed is an excellent platform for finding job candidates. It offers tools like sponsored ads which make it easier to get your job postings seen by the right candidates.
Initially we didn’t want to do this. But we were desperate & then started getting results. We ended up attracting more candidates and allowed us to only hire the best which led us to a better team than ever.
Then 3 things happened with our clients
How you can do it
Regardless of what sport or activity your organization offers, we can pretty much guarantee that there is a large Twitter & Instagram account out there with an audience that will reach your next dream hire.
Reach out to these accounts and give them a brief overview of your story and ask them their price (do not ask if they’ll post for free; they will ignore you).
Here’s a template you can steal:
| Title: What are your rates for a shout out?
Hi <Insert Name>, We are a local <ABC> business that has proudly served the <Insert Town> community for <X> years. I’m sure you guys are aware of the current labor shortage that is making it difficult for us to serve our community. We’re reaching out today to see if there is a way we can design a shout-out on your <Twitter / Instagram> account in order to attract and hopefully recruit more amazing people to join our team? Let us know if this is something you would consider. Sincerely, |
Should you both agree on a price, don’t forget to design everything so that it sends your potential applicant to your Online Form!
If you have a sizable database of customers, then chances are that someone in that list knows a person, who knows another person with a twenty-something son or daughter, that is looking for a job.
So let them know that your business – which they already love – is looking for talent.
Send out an email blast letting them know the type of qualities you are looking for, and offer an incentive should their recommendation lead to a successful hire.
Anything from discounts, to free services or even straight cash can really jump-start this process for you. Feel free to use the template below to help get you started.
| Title: Looking for talented & hardworking team members!
Hi <Customer Name>, As you may know, <ABC> company is dedicated to providing the highest quality <Insert Sport / Activity> programs to the <Insert Town Name> community. We want everyone in our community to fall in love with our sport. As such, demand has never been higher. But in order to serve our customers, we need passionate coaches that want to make a positive difference in people’s lives. That’s why we are reaching out to you today to see if you know of any individuals that would make a great fit for this ever important role. If so, please forward them this email or simply send them the link below, which they can use to apply online: www.<Your Website>.com/joinus While previous experience is helpful, it is not mandatory as we will provide all the training. Here are some other benefits potential candidates can look forward to: <List All Benefits> Let Us Pay You To Help Us! Best of all, should your recommendation result in a successful hire, we will happily add a $200 gift card to your account which you can use towards any future services or products from us. Some terms and conditions apply, so feel free to get in touch with us for more details. Sincerely, |
This one might sound like a bit of a long shot, but if you have strong communication skills then it can be worth a try.
Let’s say you run a sports facility and notice that a local grocery store is always staffed with lots of local students and athletes. I would approach the manager of this grocery store and help them understand the dire situation you face when it comes to staff shortages – chances are high that they will sympathize.
Then ask if there are any staff members who are looking for more hours, but the grocery store simply can’t offer it to them for whatever reason.
For example: If Sally the cashier can only be offered Mondays & Wednesdays and she’s looking for more hours, maybe you can offer her Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays!
Your primary goal is to find candidates with “gaps” in their schedule which they are looking to fill with work.
Obviously, the way you approach and organize this will depend on your situation, your communication skills and most importantly labor & privacy laws in your Country / State / Region. A business won’t give up anyone’s private information (nor should they).
BUT… they can most definitely send out a simple email to their staff mentioning that if anyone is interested in extra work, there’s an awesome local business (yours) that will give them extra hours, and all they have to do is visit your website to apply.
Oh and be sure to provide some certainty and peace of mind to these managers when it comes to scheduling. The last thing they need is for you to completely poach their crew, only to end up in the same staffing situation as you.
This has to be a win for the worker, a win for the business you’re approaching, and a win for you.
School is not cheap, which means there is a high chance that a local student is looking for ways to make money, and pay off their student loans.
Plus if they’ve made it to post secondary schooling, they likely have some competency when it comes to hitting deadlines. This makes for a solid pool of applicants (assuming you can work with their schedule).
Here are some options of how to recruit from Universities & Colleges:
i) Attend Career Fairs: These are great events which let you connect with young talent in-person. You can showcase your company culture, job opportunities, and answer questions directly from potential candidates.
ii) Information Sessions: Hosting an information session allows you to educate students about your company and the career opportunities available. Focus on why your program is a fun and exciting place to work, or why the work is meaningful (these factors are just as important, if not more important than money to the younger workforce).
iii) Offer Internship Programs: Offer internship programs to university students by giving them hands-on experience with your business. This not only helps you identify potential star employees, but also provides valuable work experience to the students.
iv) Collaborate with Faculty: Teachers and coaches know who the best and brightest are. If you are able to approach and build a relationship with the right faculty staff, you can open the door to a flood of highly qualified candidates.
v) Leverage Alumni Networks: These networks are powerful as they can provide you access to a pool of individuals who have proven themselves to be able to take directions, learn on their own, figure out problems and honor deadlines. Every school has one, so be sure to reach out and see how you can take advantage.
vi) Local College/Uni Bar: Unconventional? Maybe. Effective? Depends on your drinking skills. No but seriously, if you can work with a local bar to post some kind of poster or banner, then you can build up a lot of attention towards your recruiting efforts. Every college or university student needs a local watering hole to blow off some exam stress and spend a fun night with their friends. And fun costs money, which means to have lots of fun, they likely need a job.
Believe it or not, a vast majority of younger applicants in the workforce don’t consider the paycheck as the most important factor when looking for a job.
This doesn’t mean competitive pay won’t help your case, but in this day and age you need to offer a lot more.
The best way to showcase that you’re more than just a place that hands out money in exchange for hours worked, is to have a clear and well-defined company vision.
Having a mission statement on your website that’s easy to look up is a great start.
If you don’t have one, now would be a great time to get those creative juices flowing and come up with something that others want to be a part of.
As an example: are you just a facility that sells spots to a NINJA program? Or are you on a mission to help kids get fit, make friends and boost their self confidence so they can handle any obstacle that life throws at them?
Once you have your mission and values set, not only will this help you attract better candidates – as they will inevitably research you before applying – but it will help improve your conversions when it comes to closing customers.
Mark Zuckerberg didn’t ask young, hungry college engineers to join his “social media website” back in the early days of Facebook. His mission was: “give people the power to build a community and bring the world closer together.”
The website that had to be built by writing thousands of lines of code was simply the vehicle which helped them bring their vision to life. This is how they literally siphoned talent from bigger, more established tech companies to join them. They were on a mission. They weren’t there to just build a website.
See the difference?
We saved the most obvious tip for the end. This way you don’t forget about the importance of offering adequate compensation.
While its true that Gen Z doesn’t have money as their #1 priority, it doesn’t mean it’s not top three. What they essentially have is a cut off point. A number beyond which the position you’re advertising won’t necessarily be any more enticing – unless you’re willing to go far beyond the industry standard.
We’re talking like, 300% to 500% above and beyond. Something that could be considered “stupid money.”
But since you’re trying to run an actual business with margins, overhead and payroll, we will safely assume that you plan on being smart with your money.
So what exactly would be considered a competitive, yet reasonable rate?
This is where you’ll either have to do some research or use my favorite method: ask them what they’re currently making, and say that you’ll try your best to match and/or beat it.
I had one athlete who actually took a downgrade in pay because she hated her manual labor job so much that working inside of our sports facility (where everyone is having fun) was basically a no-brainer.
She turned out to be one of our best hires!
Once you’ve attracted the right employees, you’ll need to ensure that you do everything in your power to retain them. As you can imagine, this is easier said than done.
Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you!
We not only tested every retention strategy under the sun, but also poured through the latest research on what the current workforce is looking for in order to stay loyal to their companies. We then put it all together in a nice, neat little article that you can check out right here: Keeping Young Talent: Proven Tips to Retain Gen Z Employees In A Modern Workforce
We hope you find it helpful!
Need help implementing any of the systems or tools we mentioned in this article? Click the link below to schedule a FREE demo of Activity Messenger and see how it can automate your most mundane business tasks so you can stop wasting valuable time, and get back to doing what you love!
