As Gen Z enters the workforce, the latest technologies they have grown up with will inevitably start to influence the technology we see in the workforce. Employers need to be open to embracing new ways of having conversations with this younger, tech-native talent pool. Gen Z is defined as those born after 1996 and are the first generation to come into the workforce haven’t known a life before technology or the internet. While older generations prefer to apply for a job online using a desktop, and millennials want to use their time efficiently to search for jobs on their phones, with Gen Z, everything is an app (or should be). And if there isn’t an app for it yet, this entrepreneurial generation will post on social to launch the start-up and build one.
In our Millennial Careers: 2020 Vision Report, our research predicts that Gen Z will comprise 24% of the global workforce by 2020. With this in mind, companies looking to attract top Gen Z talent over the next three to five years will need to appeal to their digital preferences.
One tool to consider adding to your recruitment process is video. Video is the most prominent content medium used by the younger generations; over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and almost 5 billion videos are watched (just on YouTube) every single day. Experts estimate that today, video accounts for 80% of all global internet traffic. With numbers like these, there is no doubt that video content is king. Whether we like it or not, company’s intent on a successful digital transformation should consider adding video interviewing into their hiring process to stay competitive. The benefits that video offers can help to keep companies ahead of the competition when it comes to finding the right candidates.
Using video in recruitment can improve your hiring process. Here are some of the potential benefits for your company:
- Increased candidate reach; opening your company up to global talent
- Presents your employer brand in a compelling and engaging way
- Increased job post views
- Increased application rates
- Provides an opportunity to test and interview candidates
- Enhanced candidate experience
- Boosts search results
- Increased candidate to culture match
- Reduced costs
- Gives your company a mobile edge.
HubSpot recently revealed that video now accounts for 50% of all mobile traffic, and a whopping 50-75% of business executives view and share work-related videos at least weekly. A mobile-first strategy is rapidly moving from being a ‘nice to have’, to being the core of the hiring process for many companies who wish to recruit top talent. Video can give your company an edge in mobile searches and is the perfect tool to experiment with innovative technologies such as social video and gamification in the hiring process.
Savvy companies will continue to evolve their recruitment process alongside this technology, adopting further sophistication as it becomes available while taking mindful steps to counteract its pitfalls. We are still understanding the full implications of its use on the recruitment journey, but that does not mean organisations should just wait and see.
On CNBC’s Squawk Box series ‘The Learning Curve’, ManpowerGroup’s Managing Director, Mark Cahill, was interviewed about the recruitment process and how it is changing. Mark explains how companies need to not only upskill existing talent as technology becomes more sophisticated and companies deal with skills shortages, but they also need to bring new technology into their hiring process.
By using video as an interview tool, companies can easily connect and engage with busy candidates in different cities who might not find it as easy to meet with you face-to-face in the early stages of the recruitment process. For example, companies in the Northern Powerhouse cities are hiring contractor talent from hotspots like Birmingham and London, with a potential view to attracting candidates permanently in the future. Using more advanced hiring tools will help to address several regional growth issues. Demand for graduates and high-skilled workers will be affected by the development of these emerging strategies. Increasing connectivity, science, and cultural investment in hubs outside the south-east will help to deepen the UK’s labour market.
Videos offer a unique and engaging way for companies to present their employer brand and employee value proposition, explain the hiring process, and to test and interview job applicants. There are also sophisticated tools to automate even the assessment of candidates through their video interviews using AI and machine learning. Here are eight potential uses for video that we recommend considering:
- Live video for interviews and/or initial screenings
- Candidates recording video resumes and/or introductions
- Candidates recording presentations
- Candidates recording answers to pre-selected interview questions
- Video AI assessment of candidates
- Video job descriptions
- Employer brand videos for the career site explaining the hiring process
- Employer brand videos to be shared on social media profiles.
Attracting and retaining the right talent should not be a battle between human and robot. With the right skills mix, personal interaction will augment rather than compete with technology. It’s important to blend high-tech with high-touch when recruiting for open job vacancies.
ManpowerGroup provides a wide spectrum of workforce solutions. One of these is coaching clients through the implementation of new tools and teaching best practices for organisations looking to attract the tech-savvy talent of a new generation with video.
If you’d like to learn more about the importance of blending high-tech with high-touch during the hiring process, get in touch today.
