The blue-collar workforce has shifted considerably over the past several years. These days, recruiting the right talent for your restoration business comes down to attracting Gen Z workers. But identifying the right strategies and tactics to implement so you can attract the right talent is easier said than done.
This generation has different needs and desires, and if you aren’t meeting them, you’ll struggle to acquire the right team. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to finding and recruiting Blue-Z workers.
How to Find and Recruit Gen-Z Workers for Restoration
For restoration businesses looking to bring in more of the Blue-Z workforce into their organization, it requires a re-evaluation of your current recruitment strategies. This means abandoning antiquated recruitment practices if you want your organization to appeal to the younger labor force.
The modern recruitment process is all about speed. Outdated hiring processes stretch out to a few weeks with many candidates wasting valuable time when they don’t get offers later. This can be resolved by automating the process so that candidates are filtered right off the start. It is also important to give candidates the opportunity to self-filter so they can choose the position that best fits their qualifications and skills.
As more Gen-Zers are stepping into the workforce, they will create a ripple effect in the workplace, especially since most of them have a radically different perspective from millennials and Gen-Xers when it comes to jobs and careers. For example, many Gen-Zers are values-driven. They choose their employers based on how they align with their personal values and ethics. Another way that they will impact the workforce is their investment in technology. Organizations that wish to attract them must be well-equipped in terms of technology.
The generational difference also means you can’t rely on traditional methods of attracting young talents into your business. Here are some insights and strategies you can use to help find and recruit young talent:
Be Tech Savvy
This isn’t ground-breaking information, and your recruitment team is probably already aware of this but obviously, Gen-Z is more tech-savvy than the generations ahead of it. This means they spend most of their time in the digital space. This also explains why it’s been a challenge for blue-collar industries to hire them as most are inclined to working on a computer.
In fact, a recent study claims that 91% of Gen-Z workers indicate technology offered by the employer as a crucial factor that would influence the job or career they pursue. This generation also saw the meteoric rise of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. It is an integral part of their daily life.
But it’s not just social media platforms that enable restoration businesses to target the younger workforce. Take Tallo, for example, a digital platform designed to match potential candidates with job opportunities. The use of job seeker sites and platforms enable businesses to establish connections with potential Blue Zers. LinkedIn is another example. While it’s not your typical job seeker site because it is all about building social and professional connections first, it is right up the ally of this new generation of workers. Facebook is another – even though it is a social media site, a lot of users rely on it to hire and look for jobs.
These new job sites are equipped with new technologies, such as candidate job matching, instant messaging, and video interviews to facilitate a recruitment process that would appeal to this audience. When used intuitively, these job seeker platforms can provide the end-to-end hiring solution that restoration and blue-collar companies seek.
So, to target the recruitment of Blue-Z workers, it’s important to leverage online platforms to reach them. But take note: they will spend more time reviewing job opportunities rather than jumping at the first one they find. They are far more critical about their choices, so you want to evaluate first what they are looking for in a job to ensure you can offer it to them.
Build Your Online Presence
The secret to successfully recruiting young talent is not just about searching for them – you need to make your brand more appealing to them, as well. Your brand’s online presence is one of the primary factors that the Gen Zers will look into when evaluating where to seek employment.
A lot of the young talent these days spends their time researching about companies online before speaking to them. They will look at your social media profiles and a career page on your website (if you have one) to assess your company culture and to get a hint of your brand.
If you want to attract the right people into your team, it only makes sense to make your company visible online and keep up with these online assets.
Make sure you leverage your online platform to showcase what your company is about. Do you support any social causes? What is your brand ideal? Generation Z loves philanthropy, so make sure to spotlight any initiatives you have and make that part of your company’s marketing materials.
Know That Referrals Are King
As we’ve mentioned, the Blue-Z workforce is a highly discerning bunch. Just like their online consumer behavior, a lot of them spend time researching a company before they choose to pursue a job opportunity. Therefore, referrals can be a powerful tool that you can use to compete for the best blue-collar talent in the market.
Encourage existing employees to refer friends who they know are skilled enough to fit the job positions that must be filled. While the Gen-Zers are opinionated, they are easily influenced by the opinion of their trusted peers. The key word there is “trusted”. They want to be referred to your company by the people whom they trust.
This is supported by research conducted by Harris Interactive that claims Gen-Zers trust the people within their network or community more than traditional advertising. A referral system is one of the best recruitment strategies we can suggest due to its proven track record with Blue Zers. Simple, offer rewards to your employees for every successful referral to the organization.
The new crop of blue-collar workers wants to be able to pursue positions and employers who can guarantee a good paycheck and high satisfactory level. They will base their decisions off the experience of their peers.
Be Present
Campus recruitment is another traditional technique that will most likely hold its place despite the changing recruitment landscape. Campus hiring events are considered to be one of the best platforms for hiring young talent. Even though it is known as the best avenue for hiring white-collar jobs, it can also be utilized for hiring blue-collar talent.
Even if you don’t manage to acquire a direct hire this way, use this opportunity to build relationships with potential hires. Millennials and Gen Z jobseekers cite their relationship with recruiters as one of the deciding factors that influence their job choice. Make it easy to win over young talent by forging a relationship with them.
It’s a good idea to invest in recruitment tech that automates the process of checking in with passive candidates, such as email engagement, instant messaging, and meet-ups for coffee.
Recruitment Tips for Blue-Z in Restoration
With a new generation of employees joining the blue-collar workforce, there is a need for recruitment managers to adapt their hiring practices. As we’ve seen, the expectations are different for Blue-Zers. Use these tips to help…
Build Relationships
Building relationships with candidates is something that HR managers should focus on. Young candidates put a premium on their recruitment experience when deciding which company to pursue. Foster that positive experience by providing them what they crave and understanding their needs. That only happens when you take the time to communicate and build a relationship.
Collaborate
The next step is to collaborate closely with members of your organization to identify challenges and pinpoint which candidates can offer the best solution. Talent and skills are of primary consideration when hiring. Make sure you don’t lose sight of that.
Never Stop Recruiting
Even when there are no current vacancies, it is important for your business to proactively source talent. This will enable you to fill in the gaps when you suddenly have slots open. In a tight job market, you need to think one step ahead.
Portray Your Passion
Finally, make sure you can acquire successful recruits by selling the opportunity at every stage of the hiring process. Recruitment managers play a vital role in conveying the passion of your business and emanating that to your potential new hires.
Conclusion
Finding and recruiting the Gen-Z workforce involves adapting your recruitment tactics to appeal to their values and priorities. It’s important to establish your online presence, too, because that is where the talent you are looking for spends most of their time.
It’s essential that you highlight your organization’s purpose and value. Gen-Z talent is more opinionated than previous generations, and they aren’t shy about walking away from a job offer if it is not in alignment with their values and principles. Keep all of this in mind as you set out to find the right talent.
For more help with growing your water damage business, visit More Floods or call us today!