Hiring has changed dramatically, and if you’re a small business owner, it can feel impossible to keep up. It’s not just the shift to online recruiting. The tried-and-true practices many of us relied on are becoming less effective as Gen Z takes over the job market.
Over the past 18 months, my team hired hundreds of part-time coaches and camp counsellors in one of the toughest labour markets in recent memory. 97% were Gen Z candidates. By adapting our recruitment process to meet this generation where they are, we came out ahead. We’re fully staffed, expanding our programs, while competitors down the street are cutting hours just to stay afloat.
Here is what we learned about Gen Z’s, how to attract them, and how to adapt your hiring process to fill your part-time positions.
Ever tried attaching a CV while looking for a job on your phone? Trust me, it’s not fun. What if you stopped requiring a CV and asked applicants to fill in a form instead?
Most of the staff we hired told us they were looking for a job while on their smartphone. This means you can easily lose out on quality applicants simply by not having a mobile-friendly strategy. We hired incredible part-time staff without ever seeing their CV.
Another trend we noticed is that some of our best part-time recruits weren’t actively looking for a job. They stumbled upon us, thought the job looked fun, and filled out the form out of curiosity. They told us they would not have applied had it been more complicated (like asking for their CV and cover letter).
A form also makes it much easier for you to compare, file, and reach out to candidates since the information is stored in a single place.
👉 Click here to see the application form we use.
We found that most Gen Z’s don’t check email regularly and rarely answer phone calls from unknown numbers, so we started texting them instead. Complete overhaul of the response rate. Texting software can help you with this.
Once we are interested in interviewing a candidate, we send both a text and an email. With the current job market, you can miss out on great candidates simply because you don’t integrate texting into your strategy.
Here is a sample SMS you can use:
A first contact over Zoom is a great way to connect and saves everyone precious time. We usually organize a Zoom group interview with 2-3 people to get a quick sense of who they are. This saves time and reduces the impact of no-shows on your daily schedule.
You can start with a free booking software like Calendly to streamline this process. This isn’t meant to replace in-person interviews, but it is an excellent way to vet candidates. You can discover if the job seeker is still interested, double-check basic skills, and get a sense of their personality.
👉 Click here to see the form we use to schedule Zoom interviews.
Still doing staff scheduling on Excel? Still printing onboarding documents?
This might be a shock (I know it was for me), but many Gen Z’s don’t have Excel or own a printer. Now’s the time for your business to move your hiring and onboarding process online.
From the application process to staff onboarding and scheduling, using the right software should no longer be considered a “nice-to-have.” This also helps you make a statement as a tech-savvy, environmentally conscious employer, which applicants really care about.
Hiring a new employee involves a set of repetitive tasks from the application to the first day on the job. What if you could automate some (if not most) of the process?
You need software that can help you do the following steps effortlessly:
An automated system should help alleviate repetitive tasks and attract better candidates. If multiple steps require too much manual work, it might be time to look for an alternative.
👉 Want to check out more videos? Discover our YouTube channel to watch a range of additional walkthroughs, webinars, and marketing tips to help boost your daily operations. You can also find the latest episodes from our podcast, AMplify, for tips you can utilize right away.
As a small business employer, understanding the hiring process, how it has evolved in the last few years, and what you can do to stand out will help you get ahead. A small investment in the right software can make all of this possible.
Now that you better understand what Gen Z’s are looking for and how most of your hiring tasks can be automated, you might be interested in a tool that satisfies the above traits: Activity Messenger.
Our software takes a new approach to staff management by offering automated workflows designed for camp and class management.
