Use technology for employee retention and attraction of younger generations

Is your company using digital technology to its full potential when it comes to recruiting and retaining younger generations? If you aren't, then you may be losing out on some top talent. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most effective ways to use digital technology in your recruitment and retention efforts.

More than 96% of younger workers have smartphones that they use in their daily lives. They also have advanced electronics and technology at home, play video games, use technology in their hobbies, and have real-time access to information and people. It stands to reason that they would expect nothing less on the job.

• Millennials are more likely to switch jobs for a more attractive tech stack. They are also more likely to look for opportunities where they can use new technology. So if your company is not using new technology to recruit and retain talent, you are missing out on some of the best skills in the market.
• And Gen Z, who are beginning to enter the job market, are even more aligned with new technology. They are known as digital natives because most of them can’t even remember a pre-smartphone world, and they were swiping on iPads before they could even walk. They identify so strongly with their personal devices that they are an extension of their sense of self.

Why does it matter?

Younger employees increasingly make up the bulk of the workforce, especially in the lower- and mid-level, which are critical for your everyday operations. This greatly impacts your company since younger employees are notorious for being quick to change jobs (Millennials and Gen Z are known to job hop). Not only is this staff turnover expensive, but it affects productivity, knowledge base and morale. Not to mention the exit costs when an employee leaves and the cost of recruiting and training new hires.

Technology in employee retention and attraction

Younger generations are more open to new technology and more adept at using it. After all, many of them have been steeped in it since childhood. And in turn, having these individuals on staff will affect how adaptable and innovative your workforce is. But it also could affect their decision to sign up or stay with your company:

• Deloitte’s 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey showed that 29% of both generations valued learning and development opportunities as one of the top reasons for working at their current organisation. Evolving work demands and skills requirements are front of mind for both groups Gen Zs (37%), and millennials (38%) predict that the most notable workplace shift within the next 10 years will be artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies being used to automate many jobs or job functions fully. So, employers who can help professionals adapt to this changing workplace are likely more appealing.
• This study from Dell showed that 80% of Gen Z want to work with cutting-edge technology, and 91% said technology would influence their job choice.

Technology in recruiting

According to hiring collaboration platform, the Hire Lab, there are several ways that you can incorporate technology into the hiring process to make it more attractive across generations. These include:

• Use social media platforms that appeal to generational groups since these platforms represent networking opportunities, and referrals are essential to the recruiting process.
• Connect with authors of industry-related content on LinkedIn or post your own because this is an excellent way of growing your brand awareness.
• Communicate with younger people via social media apps, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

An increasingly important way for companies to stand out is by leveraging digital technology – which younger workers expect with any job. Real-time access to information, communication and immediate feedback is an expected attribute of everyday life for younger workers.

As a specialist B2B digital marketing agency, we would love to partner with you and share our knowledge of using digital platforms to connect with younger audiences, including the attraction, recruitment and retention phases. Download our brochure if you want to learn more about our employee experience programmes.