A growing number of candidates are regretting their career decisions, according to new research *. In 2018, 40 per cent of Gen Z respondents reported that they would not repeat their decision to accept the job offer they had accepted and only 51 per cent said they could see themselves having a long career at their organization.
Candidate regret leads to turnover, low engagement and low productivity; more than one-third of candidates who regret their decision intend to leave their position within 12 months.
Lauren Smith, vice president of Gartner’s HR practice, commented,
To address this increase in candidate regret — and stem the ensuing issues with underperforming talent and/or high turnover — organizations need to better understand what Generation Z candidates want
As digital natives, Gen Z candidates, those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, understand that innovation and change are a constant. To ensure they are staying relevant as technology and business processes advance, Gen Z workers are keen to leverage various types of development opportunities, from training programs and boot camps to continuing education. Data from Gartner’s Global Labor Market Survey found that in 2018, 23 per cent of Gen Z candidates listed development opportunities as a top attraction driver, compared with only 17 per cent of their millennial predecessors in 2013.
Along with development opportunities, Gen Z candidates expect flexibility in their work arrangements. In addition to the ability to work from any location, these workers believe work should accommodate play and play should be incorporated in work.
Smith said,
With this latest crop of workforce entrants, we are seeing an increased focus on work-life integration and the ability to pursue interests simultaneously both in and out of the workplace.
New Priorities
Compensation is no longer a guaranteed method for keeping the young workforce in seat, according to Gartner. In 2018, 38 per cent of Generation Z candidates said that they would leave a job because of compensation, compared with 41 per cent of millennials in 2013. Gen Z candidates also differ from their millennial predecessors on seeking a defined career path. According to data from Gartner’s Global Labor Market Survey, in 2018, only 25 per cent of Gen Z candidates listed future career opportunities as a top attraction driver when considering a job; in 2014, 34 per cent of millennials felt the same way.
Managing Differently
Lauren Smith said,
Given that today’s graduates are focused on learning and developing skills, employers looking to gain a career commitment from their Gen Z employees must ensure they offer these opportunities Our research shows that more than anyone, it’s an employee’s manager who influences the type of development an employee gets on the job.
In today’s digital age, graduates know they possess unique skill sets that are very much in demand and make up for a lack of experience. Management approaches must adapt to this new reality and shift from an “always-on” approach to a “Connector” manager approach. Connector managers foster meaningful connections for their direct reports to and among employees, teams and the organization to develop an employee’s specific capabilities. Not only are managers crucial to ensuring their employees’ portfolio of skills stays relevant — a key concern of Gen Z — but they can improve the performance of employees by up to 26 per cent and triple the likelihood that their direct reports will be high performers.
Smith concluded,
Employers who want to capitalize on the influx of Gen Z candidates into the labor market must consider how best to appeal to these individuals and reduce the desire for them to seek alternative career opportunities.
- by Gartner
Interested in recruiting young talent and the future of work? We recommend the Future of Work Summit 2019 and Recruitment and Retention Conference 2019.
Aphrodite is a creative writer and editor specialising in publishing and communications. She is passionate about undertaking projects in diverse sectors. She has written and edited copy for media as varied as social enterprise, art, fashion and education. She is at her most happy owning a project from its very conception, focusing on the client and project research in the first instance, and working closely with CEOs and Directors throughout the consultation process. Much of her work has focused on rebranding; messaging and tone of voice is one of her expertise, as is a distinctively unique writing style in my most of her creative projects. Her work is always driven by the versatility of language to galvanise image and to change perception, as it is by inspiring and being inspired by the wondrous diversity of people with whom paths she crosses cross!
Aphrodite has had a variety of high profile industry clients as a freelancer, and previously worked for a number of years as an Editor and Journalist for Prospects.ac.uk.
Aphrodite is also a professional painter.
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