How should employers recruit Gen Z candidates?

At College Recruiter, we define Generation Z as those born after 1996. The oldest of these, therefore, emerging from colleges and universities or are already well into the workforce if they didn’t obtain any post-secondary education.

This generation is different from the millennial generation. Very different. So catch yourself before you start making assumptions about them. Gen Z is a transformative generation. It is unique and not like anything you’ve seen before. Some quick facts:

One of the most defining characteristics of Gen Z is its diversity. 

• They are the first non-White majority generation. 
• Gen Z is the first digital native generation. They are the biggest consumers of media, and have consumed media since a very young age, including streaming movies, shopping, social media, etc. They do not remember a time when information wasn’t a click away. The interesting thing is, 79% believe they spend too much time online, according to J. Walter Thompson Intelligence. They understand computers, and their users, as being connected to all other computers in the world.
• While they often shop online, they actually prefer to buy from small, local family-owned shops in person. As consumers, they are somewhat turned off by huge corporations.
• Throughout their lives, Gen Z has been exposed to economic strife, including the Great Recession. The U.S. has been at war their entire lives, and school shootings have become the norm. As such, they seek security and stability.