Companies looking to grow often seek out bright young talent for the fresh outlooks, timely skills, and innovative ideas they bring to the workplace. Because young workers are often eager to learn and build their experience, their enthusiasm can be a big plus when it comes to team building, morale, and productivity.
To help you reach the up-and-coming employees your business needs, here are 7 ways to attract young talent to your company.
1. Make sure your brand is on point
Your approach to recruiting should include being transparent and vocal around your company’s values and sustainability efforts.
Not only do statistics suggest that employer branding plays a significant role in your ability to attract talent, organizations that invest in branding are 3X more likely to make a quality hire.
Millennials in particular favour employers who support important social causes and are committed to diversity and inclusion.
2. Offer a flexible work structure
Younger generations of employees have long cited job flexibility as an important factor in work-life balance. The pandemic, meanwhile, has only intensified this trend toward a more elastic workplace environment.
Where it makes sense, it’s worth thinking about ways you could make gig projects, contract positions, freelance hiring, remote work, or hybrid roles part of your business model. You might also consider accommodating job-sharing or offering a 4-day work week.
3. Prioritize growth and development
Discussing your commitment to professional growth and career development during interviews with candidates can make you a more attractive employer.
According to LinkedIn’s 2020 Global Talent Trends report, 36% of Gen Z individuals and 25% of millennials consider employee training a top priority when considering a new job. 94% of all employees, meanwhile, say they’d stay at a company longer if it invested in their career.
4. Make the most of social media
You won’t get far in your mission to attract young talent without social media. LinkedIn alone has more than 774 million users, making it one of the top social and professional networks world-wide.
To increase your chances of connecting with the 27% of Canadians actively searching for work (not to mention the additional 47% who are open to new opportunities), make sure you’re using popular social media platforms and tools to post business content and job postings, and actively recruit young job-seekers.
5. Leverage multimedia content
Video isn’t just an efficient way to conduct an interview. According to CareerBuilder, adding video content to your job posting lends a “show”—versus simply a “tell”—element to company messaging that can increase applications by as much as 34%.
Consider pumping up your posts with a visual employee testimonial or engaging day-in-the-life workplace tour. You might also put the appeal of audio content to work by starting a business podcast as a means to reach out and connect with younger talent.
6. Join a student co-op program
Participating in a college or university internship, work placement, or cooperative education program is a great way to introduce your business to soon-to-be-graduates in your industry or field.
Not only are programs like these valuable for accessing a pool of skilled and qualified individuals, they may reduce your recruitment, onboarding, and training costs while qualifying your business for a tax credit or wage subsidy.
7. Find out what’s important to the talent you’re after
At the end of the day, the most effective way to attract young talent to your business is by learning what matters most to them—be it job security, health benefits, or a level of professional autonomy.
Researching career priorities online, running surveys over social media, and working with a knowledgeable recruiter are all valid ways to get to know your target candidates better.
