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In less than two months, the Class of 2024 will start entering the workforce--and how you attract and engage these new employees could matter greatly for your company.
Many of the soon-to-be college graduates are Gen Zers, the generation expected to overtake Baby Boomers in the workforce this year. But this particular class is unique, says Tara Ceranic Salinas, a professor of business ethics and the department chair of management at the University of San Diego's Knauss School of Business, as they "got hit with COVID during their high school years."
That means many of them have experienced remote college classes and internships and even witnessed shifting attitudes toward work as they prepared to start their own careers.
Here's what to know about these unique new candidates--and how to effectively welcome them into your company's ranks:
The average member of the Class of 2024 graduated from high school in 2020 and started their college career in the thick of the pandemic. As a result, "flexibility is now baked into the way that they want to work," Ceranic Salinas says.
Indeed, according to Deloitte's 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, Gen Zers prefer remote and hybrid work, citing benefits for work-life balance, mental health, productivity, and finances. Seventy-seven percent of Gen Z respondents who were in a remote or hybrid role even said they would consider looking for another job if they were asked to start working on-site full-time.
Still, some Gen Zers have concerns. Eighteen percent said they've experienced "proximity bias" and worry this will hurt their career (and recent research indicates they may be rightfully concerned). Some of these young workers are also feeling isolated and find it difficult to connect with colleagues and find mentors.
But here, employers can step in and help, says generations expert and author Ryan Jenkins. That could mean bringing teams together for some intentional in-person time or even setting aside a few minutes at the top of virtual calls for non-work discussion, he says, to name just a couple of examples: "It's really about the connection, not necessarily the presence of people."
Because at least a portion of their college experience likely took place remotely, members of the Class of 2024 might have some room to grow, Ceranic Salinas says, particularly when it comes to communication and professionalism: "One-to-one interaction is exceptionally challenging for them in a way that we've never seen."
But companies can think creatively about ways to integrate more "soft skills" training into onboarding processes, she adds. "Instead of having that new employee orientation be a binder that barely gets covered, maybe it's a little bit more in depth," she says. "'This is what we expect of you. This is how we expect you to dress. Here are some good examples of client interactions that we've modeled for you.'"
Companies like Deloitte and PwC have already arranged special training for some young recruits on presentation and professional skills, according to The Guardian.
But Gen Zers also bring unique skills to the table that shouldn't be overlooked, says Mark Beal, an assistant professor of practice in the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information and author of ZEO: Introducing Gen Z, The New Generation of Leaders.
For instance, they are generally adept at learning and implementing new technologies--85 percent of graduating seniors have "heard of tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E," according to an August 2023 report from Handhake, compared to 61 percent of 2023 graduates a few months prior. And, Beal says, they are more focused on working "smarter not harder" than other generations.
"Mentor them, collaborate with them, empower them," Beal says. "They can deliver tremendous value, if you just open your mindset."
Working from home made it easier for many workers to achieve better work-life balance, but for Gen Z workers, that separation is now a must-have.
Work-life balance was the top consideration for Gen Z employees when choosing an employer for the past two years, according to the Deloitte survey--even ranking above learning and development opportunities and pay. And for the Class of 2024 in particular, 67 percent say it's "very important" to have "flexibility to deal with personal responsibilities," according to the Handshake report.
Thus, Jenkins adds that employers should keep work-life balance at the "forefront" in marketing and recruitment materials as well as conversations with new Gen Z candidates.
But also, when they are at work, Gen Zers want to feel aligned with their company's purpose, Beal adds: "They want to go work for employers and they feel like they're actually contributing to a better world, a better society."
And if that's something that company leaders can say about their business, he says, that's "something they should be articulating."
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