Is your organisation still using the same strategies to attract talent as it did five years ago? Are you finding it increasingly difficult to bring the right candidates into your company in order to build a well-rounded team?
For the first time in history, there are five generations in the workplace- making it the most age diverse workforce employers have ever seen.
Today’s workforce has experienced a huge amount of change over the last 40 years and each generation brings vastly different experiences and knowledge to the workplace- giving companies with successful multi-generational teams a powerful advantage. However, as each generation is driven by different motivators, goals, and expectations, creating a talent attraction strategy and workplace culture that appeals to all age groups is becoming increasingly challenging for employers.
Where to start
Who are the current generations in the workforce?
Depending on the source, the current workforce is mainly made up of 4 or 5 generations: The silent generation or traditionalists (78-98), baby boomers (77-59), generation x (58-44), millennials (43-27), and generation z (26-11).
The silent generation makes up 2% of today’s workforce, as many have now either fully or partially retired. Additionally, those still working mainly prefer to take on part-time roles that allow them to work less hours and act more as advisors within companies- making them unlikely candidates for active job searching.
Understanding each generation
In order to effectively appeal to multiple generations, companies must first have an understanding of who they are and how they differ.
It’s important to remember that some companies are, by nature, more attractive to certain generations than others. For example, the silent generation and the baby boomers are highly driven by brand loyalty and tradition, therefore they are more likely to be drawn to companies that they are familiar with. In contrast, their successors- generations x, y, and z, are much less embedded in traditional ideals and are likely to forgo loyalty for the better option.
However, these preferences and differences should not deter companies from trying to attract talent from a wide-variety of generations. People of all ages contribute different perspectives and skills throughout their career. Organisations can use these differences to their advantage, growing innovative, creative and sustainable workplaces.
Picking a platform: LinkedIn
In today’s digital age, there are countless channels that employers can utilise to find talent and vise-versa, making it difficult to know which one to invest the most time and effort into.
According to our recent talent survey which was completed by 12,000 candidates aged 19-64, 21.5% of job seekers said LinkedIn was their preferred channel to look for a job. Our data also showed a steady increase in the use of LinkedIn as a job search tool from across all generations from 2022 - 2023.
But just as each generation differs in what they look for in a career and employer, they also differ in their media consumption habits: older generations tend to use more traditional channels such as job boards and personal referrals, where younger ones are more drawn to tech-driven tools that incorporate mobile apps and online communities.
LinkedIn provides users with an easy to use website, a user-friendly mobile app, and a large professional network and online community - allowing employers to cater to multiple generational preferences. It also gives companies the opportunity to showcase workplace culture, highlight leadership teams and employees, and promote open roles through various content formats under one singular platform.
Optimising LinkedIn
In order to attract and retain talent from multiple generations, it’s imperative that companies not only understand each generation's needs, drivers, and wants, but that they recognize where they differ and where they align in order to tailor their LinkedIn profiles and messaging in the best possible way. The goal is to appeal to each generation without alienating the others.
Define your brand and values.
According to Randstad’s brand research report, based on feedback from over 12,000 UK workers, Gen Z and Millenials have been placing a greater emphasis on values than the generations before them - so it’s important that your organisation’s purpose and values are defined clearly on the company’s LinkedIn page.
You’ll want to craft a company overview that not only showcases what makes you unique and attractive as an employer to all generations but one that is also consistent. Flip-flopping between values and simply listing every single thing on each generation’s preference list won’t be helpful in attracting new talent, in fact it will likely drive most of them away.
For example, our data shows that 53% of candidates under 25 wouldn’t accept a job if an employer’s values didn’t align with theirs on social and environmental issues, where just 26% of the oldest age group felt this way; baby boomers and gen x more much more likely to be influenced by a company’s benefits and career advancement practices. But while gen z and millennials are highly passionate about things such as sustainability for example, research shows that factors such as career progression and learning opportunities are still the most important to them.
In addition to detailing values, initiatives for career development, and social responsibility, employers can also benefit from including articles about how their organisation is embracing sustainability or sharing employee testimonials on career progression throughout the years.
Be transparent about salary and flexibility.
Our recent talent survey showed that the number one thing candidates aged 57 and under value most is salary, so much so in fact, that 60% of all those surveyed wouldn’t even apply for a job that didn’t advertise the salary. That’s a big number of talent to miss out on if the open role’s salary isn’t clearly stated. If you aren’t able to give the exact salary due to factors such as experience, consider stating the average salary for the role or providing a salary range - just make sure to explain why the salaries may differ!
For candidates 58+, salary transparency was only second to location. And location was the second most important factor to all those surveyed under 57. Companies should not only provide the location of the role, whether that be the head office or an offsite, but they should also consider adding how commutable it is by car and/or public transport.
Candidates over 58 and under 30 both find that roles do not offer enough flexibility around location. With the new post-covid era and the work-from-home revolution, location flexibility has become a huge deciding factor on whether candidates consider a role or not. Additionally, candidates between 31 and 57 feel that there are not enough roles that offer flexibility around working hours. Many of these Gen X candidates have families and appreciate the ability to work flexible schedules in order to not only achieve their career goals but also be able to be present in their personal lives- they don’t want to miss out on either.
If your company has a general flexible working policy in regards to location or hours, make sure that the policies are clearly stated on its LinkedIn page. If the policies change depending on the role, make sure that they are detailed on each job ad.
Showcase the importance of work-life balance
Data from our recent workmonitor report, which surveyed 35,000 workers aged 18-67 across 34 markets, shows that economic uncertainty hasn’t caused people to abandon their desire for a healthy work-life balance. More than half of those surveyed (60%) wouldn’t accept a position that would disrupt this balance.
Additionally, the newer generations in the workforce don’t necessarily have the same mindset when it comes to dedication and commitment within a company than those before them. Our research shows that 58% of workers aged 18 to 24 would likely quit a job if it prevented them from enjoying their lives and similarly, 37% of Gen z have already quit a job that didn’t fit in with their personal life.
Whether it’s the desire to have more time to enjoy their personal lives and hobbies or the want to start a family or simply be more present with their families - each generation is looking for a company that understands the importance of work-life balance.
Create straight forward and inclusive job descriptions
All candidates looking for a job want to know straight away what the job is and what the requirements are. Use recognisable and general titles in your job descriptions. Not only will this help avoid confusion amongst applicants but it will also help drive traffic to the job page as it will be easier for search engines to pick up.
In addition to being clear about what the job will entail and the experience that will be needed to succeed in the position, you’ll also want to make sure to avoid using age-biased adjectives to describe available roles. Words such as mature, young, seasoned, high-energy have the potential to alienate certain generations; instead try to focus on skills, knowledge and experience (not in years but in demonstrated ability) that are needed to succeed in the role.
Have a well-rounded application process
The younger generations are known for being extremely tech-savvy and they also tend to be more tech-trusting than their older counterparts. Gen z and millennials both grew up in a digital world and while millennials may argue that they still remember the introduction of the internet and dial-up connection, by the time they entered the professional workforce the digital age was at full-force. They are much more likely to be comfortable applying for jobs on digital platforms and utilising tools like quick-apply, whereas baby boomers may not believe that those tools are as valuable as a good-old CV application.
Therefore, it’s important to make sure that your application process is easy to use and credible for all generations. Having various ways to apply for open positions will help make your job ads more approachable to all ages. This can be done by enabling ‘easy apply’ through LinkedIn while also allowing for a submit CV option/CV form on the job description. That way, the experience of applying for a job is comfortable for everyone.
Furthermore, all generations value feedback, especially millennials who are eager to learn and progress in their careers. Make sure that you have a policy in place for applicants and highlight on your LinkedIn page that feedback is provided.
In order to recruit and retain a multi-generational team to be reckoned with, companies need to tailor their linkedin profiles in a way that shows they are able to meet the needs and wants of more than one generation. Finding similarities between each generation's preferences and working on tailoring your messaging towards those rather than each and every difference, will help you create a cohesive and inclusive space for potential talent of all ages.