Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z candidates are stepping into the workforce with a mindset shaped by digital fluency, social consciousness, and a demand for transparency. As more Gen Z talent enters the global workforce, recruiters are having to rethink how they attract and engage this new generation of candidates.
To successfully connect with Gen Z, recruiters must rethink their playbook. That means showing up where Gen Z is already looking, speaking their language, and offering a candidate experience that’s as seamless as the technology they live and breathe.
Preferred Job Search Methods
Despite their reputation for being digital-first, Gen Z candidates still value face-to-face interaction, especially at hiring events like job expos and career fairs.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), over 43.5% of students who attended career fairs in 2023 secured at least one interview offer, confirming that these events remain a critical gateway to job opportunities
But visibility isn’t enough. Gen Z also relies heavily on college career centers, job boards like Handshake, and your own company’s career site to explore opportunities. Maintaining strong partnerships with campus career offices and participating in their recommended platforms is essential.
💡 Tips for Recruiting Teams
Before your next hiring push, do a pulse check: Which job boards are top-performing at your target universities? Are you actively listed there? Are your postings mobile-optimized and current? If not, you’re already behind.
And when you do show up at a career fair, show up well. That means more than just a branded booth—bring your culture, your people, and your story. Gen Z isn’t just looking for a job; they’re looking for alignment.
Personal Connection Matters for Gen Z Candidates
Let’s talk about trust.
For Gen Z, the relationship with recruiters is pivotal in their job search. According to em-lyon Business School, Gen Z candidates consider their interactions with recruiters to be a decisive factor in accepting a job offer.
That means a transactional hiring process won’t cut it. What Gen Z wants is a two-way street—transparent communication, timely updates, and genuine conversations. When recruiters treat candidates like numbers, they disengage. When recruiters invest time, they convert.
💡 How to Set Up a Solid Recruiter-Candidate Connection?
Prioritize relationship-building from day one. This doesn’t require flashy perks or gimmicks. Instead, provide personalized communication—emails that use the candidate’s name and reference their goals, not templates. Respond to questions quickly and keep them informed at every step of the hiring journey.
You can consider sharing your contact information with prospective candidates to be available as much as possible throughout their recruitment process.
Keep candidates informed at each stage, set clear expectations, and address their questions promptly. Transparency and open communication are vital in building trust with this generation.
If your bandwidth is tight, tools like Rakuna’s Interview Scheduling Software can help automate routine tasks while giving you more room to engage meaningfully with top candidates.
Embrace Technology and Social Media
(Briggs, Gen Z is extremely online 2023)
You know it, and Gen Z lives it: they’re constantly online—and your recruitment efforts should be too.
This isn’t just about pushing job posts. According to Pew Research Center, 97% of Gen Z owns a smartphone, and 91% are on YouTube, followed closely by Instagram and TikTok (Auxier & Anderson, 2023).
The takeaway? Your brand presence on these platforms matters. Not just ads, but real content. Day-in-the-life videos, employee takeovers, culture highlights, and mission-driven messaging resonate deeply with Gen Z
💡 How to better reach Gen Z talent through Social Media?
Start using storytelling as a recruitment tool. Post reels of your company culture on Instagram. Let interns take over your TikTok for a day. Share authentic behind-the-scenes content that showcases the human side of your organization.
And don’t ignore the infrastructure. Your website should be mobile-first, your application process should be fast (and bug-free), and your responses should feel like they came from a human, not a robot.
Also, do not assume that Gen-Z talent still mostly hang around big social platforms like LinkedIn, X, or Facebook. There are rising social platforms like Substack Notes, Threads, or Bluesky. Check out this short introduction to these platforms and how recruiters can reach candidates.
Gen Z is digitally native, deeply values authenticity, and places high importance on human connection. If your recruitment strategy is built on old-school assumptions or slow-moving systems, you’ll lose them—fast.
To win over this generation, you’ll need to:
-
Prioritize real-life touchpoints like job fairs and college career centers.
-
Build authentic relationships through open, personalized communication.
-
Create a digital-first experience that reflects how Gen Z lives and works.
Adaptability isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s a necessity. And the companies that do it best will be the ones that don’t just attract Gen Z talent—they’ll keep them.
Wait, that’s all?
No, far from it! This quick overview draws from insights featured in Rakuna’s Guide to Effective Gen Z Recruiting, tailored specifically for corporate recruiters who want to build long-term talent pipelines.
This “Hiring Gen Z” Guide will provide insights into:
- Essential Knowledge to understand Gen Z as the next wave of talent
- Strategies and Best Practices for Hiring Gen Z Effectively
- How to Best Manage and Retain Gen Z at the Workplace
