Everyone has been talking about hiring tips for millennials, but what about the next generation…the centennials? Born after 1997, the first centennials are on the cusp of entering the workforce.
Having grown up with smartphones and social networks, the centennial generation will have more digital skills than any generation to date. They don’t know a world without online connectivity and unlimited content, and as a result they expect things to happen instantly. According to a recent study conducted by Microsoft, humans have an attention span of eight seconds, that’s less than a goldfish! So what can we blame for the human race’s deteriorating concentration? Largely, we can blame the effects of an ever-present digital lifestyle. This probably has the most impact on the generation known to be the most digitally savvy.
But what does this mean for employers hiring centennials?
Recruiting talent will get a lot more social
With the adoption of new mobile and social technology, recruiters have been busy trying to keep up with the different ways to identify and communicate with prospective candidates. Recruiters have long been using LinkedIn as a platform to identify and connect with prospective candidates, but more recently, companies have started to use technology not traditionally aimed for recruiting purposes to find candidates. Take SnapChat, for example.
Known to be the most digital-savvy generation, it will be key for recruiters to adapt to the centennial lifestyle in order to identify job seekers and grasp their attention.
Candidate experience will become crucial
The ability to provide a positive candidate experience will be increasingly important – from the initial interview, to the background check, to signing on the dotted line.
With the shortest attention span of any generation, it is crucial for employer’s to make the candidate experience as positive as possible or they run the risk of losing the candidate’s attention or their interest. Moreover, this generation cares a lot about how they “matter” to an organization and want to feel valued. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 29 percent of employees feel valued at their jobs. That means employers have a ways to go in terms of employee engagement when it comes to centennials.
The hiring process will need to be retooled
The background check can often be the most taxing part of the hiring process. For starters, candidates are naturally leery of background checks. Furthermore, background checks add time to the decision making process – time that the centennial generation may not have. With this new generation, companies will need to retool the hiring process to streamline processes, expedite background screening, etc. or run the risk of losing their candidate and, more severely, run the risk of losing the candidate to a competitor with a faster and more efficient hiring process.
Accurate Background aims to simplify the background check process, making it ideal for employers who need to expedite hiring, especially for the reason of attracting and retaining centennial talent. Accurate Background delivers fast and efficient technology combined with the industry know-how needed to avoid risk and provide great candidate experiences.
