Engaging Employers
In the past year, the center worked to engage, listen, and learn from employers about their experiences and perspective on hiring and retaining Gen Z talent and to better understand how employers think about the role they play in helping the next generation of workers navigate and build careers.More than 50 employers completed a survey that was distributed through JFF’s employer and partner networks; in addition, nearly 40 employers participated in in-depth focus group conversations with center staff.These employers included:
- More than a dozen industries with notable representation from business and financial services, STEM, IT, education, and building and construction trades
- Various sizes with the majority reporting less than 250 employees; nearly 20% were employers with more than 5,000 employees
- The majority of their workforce were non-Gen Z workers at present, though this was identified as a changing landscape by many
Key Takeaways
Hiring and Retention
Most employers are interested in hiring Gen Z talent with most survey respondents (77.7%) sharing this as a priority and many (43.6%) have specific strategies in place to do so.Employers are clearly recognizing the importance of hiring Gen Z workers as labor market demographics continue to shift.By 2030, it is estimated that 30% of the American workforce will be from Gen Z who in many cases, are replacing retiring Boomers – at present more than 4 million Boomers are turning 65 every year.
Employers are thinking creatively about retention strategies and are focused on factors beyond compensation.For example, in a focus group with technology employers in Alabama, employers reporting using flexible work schedules, intentional efforts to create a sense of belonging, and partnering with city officials to highlight the perks of living and working in the region as key retention strategies.
Employers that lean into offering career exploration and work-based learning opportunities – especially those that are developed in deep partnership with education and training providers – perceive these efforts to be helpful in attracting Gen Z talent.The majority of employers are doing some form of career exploration or work-based-learning programming for young people, but the scale, scope, and consistency of these efforts varied significantly, often due to resource constraints.Employers that reported multi-faceted strategies – for example, sponsoring clubs at educational institutions, hosting career days, having internship programs, and intentional networking activities – were especially likely to perceive these efforts as effective in engaging and retaining top Gen Z talent.
Career Navigation
Employers recognize that they have a role to play in helping Gen Z workers navigate and build their careers.Providing mentorship and coaching, providing various forms of work-based learning, and strengthening the technical skills of next generation workers were all identified as popular strategies to support these workers in making good decisions and taking steps forward in the early years of their careers.For example, one employer noted that as part of new hire onboarding, young workers are exposed to the functions, tasks, and responsibilities of a wide range of roles within the company, both to enable to young person to see where they fit in, but also to open their eyes to the possibility of different career trajectories.
Employers expressed challenges in helping next generation workers navigate an educational landscape that includes thousands of two- and four-year degrees, over 1 million credentials and certifications, apprenticeships, and other training programs.Notably, this varied by industry with some industries – especially those that have a history of direct correlation(s) between specific degrees or industry credentials and certifications and specific roles – were better positioned to help early career professionals navigate these decisions.
Skills
Durable skills are critical for employers, and many raised some flags about Gen Z workers and key durable skills such as professional communication, problem solving and conflict resolution, and an overall preparedness to be successful in a dynamic workplace that demands strong, flexible interpersonal skills across engagement with coworkers, supervisors, and customers.While some employers are intentionally trying to strengthen durable skills through strategies such as coaching, mentoring, or even formal training, many employers expressed an expectation that workers come prepared with these foundational skills.
Employers are open to the concept of helping Gen Z workers assess their skills and reflect on how those align with navigating and building careers but feel less equipped and confident to do this work for a number of reasons, including the challenges of assessing key durable skills, the complexity of recognizing skills that might have been developed in non-traditional or alternate contexts, and basic issues of bandwidth and capacity.For example, some employers in the business and financial services industries indicated openness to the idea of hiring young workers without four-year degrees but struggled to assess the quality of the knowledge and skills they had gained through short-term, certificate-based training programs.
Stay Connected
Stay connected to the center’s work with employers and Gen Z talent!Visit the ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF to learn more and sign up to get updates on future work.
If you are an employer interested in partnering with the center on Gen Z talent, contact:
Erica Bouris, PhD
Senior Director, ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF
