How to Attract Talent from Multiple Generations
The multigenerational nature of today’s workforce represents one of the main hiring challenges for engineering and equipment companies. Each generation has their own expectations and wish lists, so what appeals to one generation might not appeal to the next. Here are some tips to create a recruitment strategy to attract talent from multiple generations..
Understand Job Priorities
If you want to appeal across generations, you need to know the priorities of Gen Z candidates and the priorities of baby boomers. Gen Z, for example, value training. Baby boomers, on the other hand, want to work for companies that have an identifiable mission and look for people and environment that inspires them. If you want to appeal to different generation, you need a mission statement and organizational culture that inspires, but you also need to build in ample opportunities for skill development and growth.
Communicate with Your Team
Anyone can go online and read about generational trends and stereotypes. While some assumptions about specific generations have an element of truth to them, it’s important to note that candidates and employees won’t always follow stereotypes. It helps to actually talk to your team members and ask them about their ambitions, skills, challenges, etc. This will give you a much better understanding of what different generations in your local region want in an employer.
Benefits and Perks
Each generation has a different relationship with employee benefits. Gen Xers and baby boomers care about perks and benefits more than millennials and Gen Z candidates. Many baby boomers value health insurance, flexibility, and retirement plans in their benefit packages. Younger generations have a lot skepticism about Social Security, so they tend to care more about 401(k)s than Social Security benefits. With younger generations, it is important to communicate what the benefits are and how they will help them. Young professionals don’t always know a lot about healthcare, retirement plans, and other perks because these types of things aren’t taught in schools.
Upskilling
Employees are retiring later in life than they used to. Still, many of baby boomers are nearing retirement age. Meanwhile, millennials and Gen Z are rapidly expanding their influence in the workforce. If you want to attract talent, you need to invest in upskilling. You will appeal to the candidates who want to develop their skills and knowledge base while ensuring your company has the right distribution of leadership and technical skills.
With Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers all working alongside each other, it is more important than ever to maintain a recruitment and retention strategy that accommodates multiple generations. The key is to understand the values and drivers of each generation and narrow in on the specific goals of the employees on your team.
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