Generation Z and the Career Strategist

‘Generational theory’ gives us a framework that we can use to look at the youth market. It’s far from perfect, but it does provide some valuable recruitment perspective insights into how we can engage with future talent.

Perhaps it’s worth considering what we mean by ‘generation’.

In my view, Strauss and Howe provide a great definition in ‘Generations’, a book which did much to stimulate the whole debate. They define a generation as

“An aggregate of people born over a span of roughly 20 years, a group whose members share common experiences, which lead to a common set of beliefs and behaviours and, in turn, a sense of perceived membership of that generation.”

The foundation for a generation is a common history, which today normally means a shared exposure to economic, social, cultural and technological change. Generations can easily vary geographically, and across social strata. Importantly, it’s not an absolute measure of ‘people of a certain age’.

This is probably the generation we’re most familiar with – the people who are currently entering university and the workforce.

Traditionally, they’ve been saddled with a range of characteristics: anti-commitment, a tendency to change jobs quickly, an interest in finding a work/life balance, self-confidence and they’re CSR-friendly.

Personally, I don’t agree that these factors are limited to Generation Y, and could be the result of economic circumstances as opposed to generational differences. Having said that, there are clearly some phenomena – such as those who ‘over-parent’ or ‘helicopter parents’ – that do seem to affect this group.

Another characteristic often linked to Generation Y is optimism.

The Sunday Times (June 2008) sums this up nicely:

“I think my generation feel freer to follow our own paths. There are so many options open to us. It’s a cliché, but you only live once. You have to find a job you love, and experience as much of life as you can.”

The quote was from a recent graduate about to take a year off. It’s likely that, when he came back, he would have found a very different graduate marketplace. Much has been written about the economic downturn totally changing the graduate landscape, but it’s summed up really well by this comment for Demos:

“Their generation is the first in a century that is unlikely to end up better off financially than their parents.”

The economic change has led Generation Y to show one very definite characteristic: pragmatism.

Since 2008 ‘employment conservatism’ has emerged amongst graduates, with the most important characteristics being a desire for stability, security and personal development.

In February 2011, Target surveyed 600 graduates on its database and 80% said that job stability was more important than in 2008, while the biggest fallers – in terms of importance – were things like ‘work/life balance’ and ‘exciting personal challenge’.

It’s not the case that all graduates suddenly have a desire for a stable, long-term career as their number one priority. But there is a significant shift in that direction and marketing should reflect this.

There’s another trend that seems to be emerging: a growth in the number of career strategists. These are people who decide on a career – and often an employer – a long time before university. It’s not a new phenomenon but changes in technology and connectivity have empowered career strategists like never before – while changes in the economy have motivated these changes.

I can illustrate this through a conversation I had with a career strategist last year. He was from an inner London Comprehensive School and was interviewed as part of a study for a professional services firm.

So, you might look at this guy and think ‘Get a life’, but I think he’s a good representative of a phenomenon that’s affecting a growing number of young people: “Pay now, play later!.” It shows an eagerness to sacrifice time and pleasure now for future rewards, and it’s reflected just as commonly in the willingness to work long hours and sacrifice social life as it is in making early career decisions.

In my opinion, career strategists represent a good source of candidates, in terms of internships and those getting job offers. For example, over 50% of interns we interviewed last year fell into the ‘career strategist’ category.

If employers want to engage properly with Career Strategists, they need to reach back into the educational cycle. Inevitably, that means they’ll start to interact with ‘Generation Z’, or those born after 1998. 

In terms of an exact definition, it doesn’t really matter – there’s been a noticeable shift with the younger members of Generation Y sharing many of the attributes of Generation Z:

• They are highly connected and pretty much dependent on mobile communications and Primary Digital Devices (PDDS)
• They’re less sceptical about advertising so more likely to see Behavioural targeting as helpful rather than intrusive
• They’re self-branders across multiple social channels
• They’re redefining ‘face-to-face’ interaction as they do not see the difference between SMS, instant chat or traditional face-to-face
• There’s the phenomenon of ‘instantaneous influence’. As soon as a brand communication goes live, they’ll interact with it and share their experience (positive or negative)

This creates lots of opportunities for marketing:

• These individuals (particularly Career Strategists) are going to like actionable content. They’ll be actively looking for ways to introduce themselves and make contacts (social media makes this a realistic aspiration)
• Referral marketing (particularly with incentives) will have greater rewards
• An interlinked social media strategy (with lots of touch points, and behavioural and contextual work) will become more effective.

“I’ve never experienced such a wet generation, I’m embarrassed to look at British Kids… physical graft and grunt is something (they’re) struggling with.”
Jamie Oliver

They tend to:

• Be impatient, instant-minded, and lacking the ambition of previous generations
• Have an ‘acquired Attention Deficit Disorder’ with a high dependency on technology and a low attention span
• Be individualistic and self-directed
• Be the most demanding, acquisitive, materialistic and entitled generation so far.

These traits have an effect on employability, well-articulated in a SIO report on the Employability Skills challenge:

“Businesses cited examples of candidates failing to attend the first day of work, approaching their roles with a poor attitude and generally exhibiting a low work ethic to their daily roles. New employees didn’t go above and beyond the minimum requirements of their role. They failed to work effectively within their teams, to share responsibility when needed and to work additional hours to satisfy the needs of the business. They rarely volunteered to take on additional tasks and failed to recognise that such behaviours had a positive impact upon their role, team, company and career progression.”

The report suggests the way to deal with these issues are things like education, mentoring, and work experience so the younger generations can adapt to the world of work.

But there is another way of looking at it. To some extent, employers need to adaptto the new workforce to make business and workplace gains. A recent report (Generation Y and the Workplace), highlights a number of issues that employers might need to address:

Sustainability This generation is looking for a micro-level approach to a green workplace where they can actively contribute within the company.

A personalised workplace They desire an organised sense of belonging and inclusion – reflected in things like personalised workstations.

Opportunities to learn and develop on an ongoing basis This generation needs guidance in the form of a navigator not a street directory. They’re looking for real-life role models and mentors who walk the talk.

A social construct at work This will incorporate, and add to, an individual’s social network. They want a community to be understood, accepted, respected and included.

Scepticism aside, there are some trends that seem to separate Generation Z from previous generations. These present opportunities in terms of (for instance) work style and connecting with Career Strategists. If you want to avoid Generation Wet, focus your attention on Career Strategists.

Research

With the largest research department in recruitment communications, work can provide employers with targeted insights into how Generation Z perceives them, and the most effective messaging for attracting them.

Marketing Strategies

Whether we develop social media strategies or traditional sourcing solutions, we can help organisations get their messaging in front of Career Strategists.

Engagement

Attracting the right candidate is only part of the battle with Generation Z. It’s just as important to prepare them for the world of work, or adapt working practices to maximise their potential. Our consultancy team can offer advice to increase the employability of Generation Z.

To find out more please contact Graeme Wright on 0207 492 0054 or at graeme.wright@workcomms.com