Inside the Mind of Gen Z: Understanding Candidate Expectations

The event “Inside the Mind of Gen Z: Understanding Candidate Expectations,” hosted by Talia King from Connectr Talent Technology on July 9th, explored the preferences and needs of Gen Z in their early careers. Key themes included workplace readiness, social media influence, authenticity, and leveraging employee-generated content to shape employer branding.

Thank you to our incredible guest speakers, Dereck Maruma from Tapin, Grainne Longman from Lloyds Banking Group and Yasmin Howell from Connectr Talent Technology for your time and insights into this topic!

Gen z demands transparency and authenticity

Tapin presented some powerful statistics from their 2023 “ThisIsBlackGenZ” report, highlighting significant barriers and desires among black Gen Z candidates. This report also included data from other demographic groups for further analysis.

• 92% of black candidates cited lack of communication and feedback as a major hurdle in recruitment. Either positive or negative feedback, this lack of communication is seen as an indication of the company culture and can deter applicants.
• Gen Z demands transparency and authenticity in DE&I and wellbeing efforts.
• Statistics showed varying priorities in terms of company values, such as DE&I for black candidates (41.6%) and mental health for neurodivergent candidates (62%).
• Authenticity and active communities are crucial for job satisfaction and retention among black candidates.
• Only 45% of black females feel comfortable being their authentic self, compared to 86% of white women.
• 6% of black employees are calling for training on racism and colourism, as well as support from a mentor or allies
• 91% trans, 47% black, 59% diversely-able and 63% LGBTQ+ are actively changing themselves at work just to try and fit in.

A key theme from this research, and echoed amongst all guest speakers today, was that Gen Z want more than just to read about DE&I and wellbeing on a company website. They want the social proof of what it is like on the ground with the company day in and day out. Are companies really delivering on their DE&I claims, or simply saying they do online?

Gen Z candidates want a holistic view of the company, and will reach out to employees on LinkedIn or chat to digital mentors to ask for their input. This is where having employee advocates being their authentic selves can really help (read more on employee advocates on our last event write up  ‘When Candidates are your Customers’)

“Do you have the platforms and systems in place to allow people to express whatever version of themselves that they want to, as opposed to feeling like they almost have to perform in a certain way?” – Dereck Maruma

British Airways are shifting the narrative

Yasmin (Head of CX) at Connectr talent technology, recently ran a survey with British Airways who have used our technology for over 5 years to build a thriving talent pool and candidate experience reaching over 30,000 young people in the UK.

Two groups of early careers candidates were surveyed, Group 1 (see image left) who did not interact with the British Airways Connectr platform during their candidate experience, and Group 2 (see image right) who did. Group 2 had a tailored candidate experience, interacting with digital mentors and bitesize e-learning content curated by British Airways. Both groups were asked ‘How would you describe the British Airways brand in 3 words?’. Common words that came up for Group 1 were: Classy, Sophisticated, British and Prestigious. Comparatively Group 2 described British Airways as: Trustworthy, Global, Caring and Welcoming.

For British Airways this shows they are shifting their brand perception positively, from a legacy image to a more inclusive one. Tailored content and digital mentorship played a vital role in achieving this shift and making them attractive to a much wider and more diverse group of talent.

Content that resonates

When exploring the various content topics across all our early career facing platforms, we found very similar themes to the data shared by Tapin. The careers contact that resonated most with candidates were:

• Developing Self-Awareness
• Are you workplace ready?
• Sustainability & Net Zero
• Wellbeing
• Interview & Assessment Tips
• Be a Part of our Future.

These modules hosted on Connectr Talent Technology received the highest ratings and completion rates from users. What we see is most impactful with Gen Z when curating content is to include visible demonstrations of company values. Tangible examples of this include photos, office walkthrough videos and employee testimonials. Candidates do not want to read a list of company values and goals; they need social proof!

What would make you feel included at work?

Yasmin also shared the responses of over 1000 young people to the question ‘What would make you feel included at work?’. Responses were grouped into the following themes: ‘Awareness & Visibility’, ‘Respect & Acceptance’, ‘Support & Policy’ and ‘Bonding & Connections’.

60% of the responses fell into ‘Awareness & Visibility’ and ‘Respect & Acceptance’ with a near even split. Here Gen Z emphasizes the need for diverse teams, visible leadership from underrepresented groups, and being valued for contributions over their background or culture.

About 20% of responses focused on support frameworks and inclusive policies. The majority talk about some form of mentoring and having adjustments/spaces at work, for example: prayer rooms and quiet workspaces. Feedback systems and the ability to feedback anonymously was also a recurring response.

The last 20% focused on team bonding and connections. Young people wanted to socialize with not just their day-to-day colleagues, but also wider teams and groups by way of networking events and social activities.

The challenges of social media for early careers

Historically, Lloyds Banking Group social media presence was restricted, but there has now been a huge shift where senior leadership now actively encourage social media usage. Lloyds Banking Group now demonstrate the real work environment through authentic employee stories, ‘a day in the life’ style videos, and active social media engagement. They encourage employees to share genuine experiences on platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn, shifting from a controlled brand image to a people-centric narrative. Even requesting past/present/future employees to leave reviews on Glassdoor for what it is like to work there. All of these platforms help young candidates get a feel for the reality behind working at Lloyds Banking Group.

How to encourage social media usage?

Employees should be encouraged to repost official released content. It is important for viewers to see an employee with a personal profile too because the employee comes across more genuine. Just ask employees to be cautious on how they present themselves online and be clear on group values. Ultimately employees should feel comfortable with what they post.

Another good example of content to share on personal profiles are these Mentor badges, shared by employees of M&S and British Airways who volunteer on their early careers platforms. Highlighting their own personal achievements, but also portraying the company in good light too.

An area of concern surrounding social media posts however is the length of time to get content signed off by corporate. By the time you post it may no longer be relevant or have the same impact as trends can change rapidly. Do you have scope for reactive content? It is important to have a clear social media strategy to best reflect your employer brand.

To wrap up we had a few questions from the attendees.

What is employer interpretation of employees bringing their authentic selves to work?

Some examples of what employers can do are:

• Greater flexibility
• Inclusive dress code
• Provide spaces (quiet workstations, prayer rooms)
• Adapt to communication preferences

A great suggestion some companies implement is a ‘how to work with me’ profile for each employee. For example, an employee can share in their profile scheduled family commitments when they are not around or preferences such as ‘I like written over verbal instructions’.

How do you engage with different age groups?

Tailor to their level of understanding and experience. Some 14 year olds may have been a carer and as such are extremely mature. Alternatively, some 19 year olds may be less mature and less independent. The big challenge is workplace readiness and providing spaces for preboarding and skill-building conversations. This is how you did it at school, but this is how you do it at work!

“When they are on our programmes… we very much say to them on day one, you are here as a colleague today, you are my colleague and I will treat you that way. And here is the expectation in the workplace around mutual respect, understanding, listening and learning from each other.” – Grainne Longman

Connectr offers early career platforms that enables employers to enhance the skills of their early talent through concise and engaging e-learning content. Additionally, these platforms facilitate mentoring by providing a secure and informal communication channel between users and current employee advocates. This interaction allows users to gain a deeper understanding of the company’s culture and authenticity.

How to involve parents and teachers?

Parental and teacher involvement has been recognized as crucial in guiding young people’s career choices, emphasizing the need for employers to educate and collaborate with these influential groups.

Grainne shared how Lloyds Banking Group run skill fairs which are open door Saturday events across the country in pop up locations. These provide not only an insight into Lloyds Banking Group and the world of work, but they also educate and reassure parents who come along to support their children. On our early talent Connectr platforms we are seeing a growing trend in ‘Teacher’ & ‘Parent’ zones for targeted information and learning.

Lloyds Banking Group are also now offering work experience for teachers to help their understanding of the modern workplace and how to best support young talent. This unique approach provides teachers exposure to different work environments and allows them to stay current with industry trends and advancements. As a result, teachers can better support their students and serve as role models, demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning and career development. Employers should help teachers understand their role is not just an educator for exams, but to prepare students for the world of work!