To win the war for talent, you have to win over the young. More and more Gen Zs are leaving school and university and entering the world of work, and Millennials now outnumber every other generation in the workforce.
That means it’s vital to understand what these generations want. While every young worker is different, there are four key ingredients most look for in an employer:
Varied and interesting work
Younger workers want to be creative and lead interesting lives, so flexibility is key, as well as leaving space for a healthy work-life balance that allows them to be whole people. This doesn’t necessarily mean they want to work from home as much as possible; they’re social creatures, and many are eager for more personal interaction, especially those who entered the workforce during COVID.
The term “employer brand” has become a buzzword for a reason. These employees want to be treated as customers, not as cogs in a machine. Put even more simply, what they really want is to be treated as human beings–to know their employers care about them.
Growth opportunities
Part of demonstrating that you care about your young employees is giving them opportunities to learn and grow. Growth opportunities matter even more to them than pay and benefits.
These are ambitious people who want to be pushed out of their comfort zone. They want to know how to be more, do more, and step out of the established hierarchy to find their own unique potential.
Tangible impact
The younger generations crave meaningful work that allows them to make an impact on the world in their own way. That’s why they’re entering the vet industry, so don’t let their duties become formulaic–encourage them to contribute ideas, define their own roles, and discover what they’re truly capable of. In times of great change, people don’t want their work to run on train tracks–they need and want to be laying the railway.
Alignment with their values
Younger workers want their work to be value-driven. The career awakening caused by the pandemic has left them craving jobs that align with their passions, feed their sense of adventure, and give them a chance to broaden their horizons and discover their own power to make change.
Again, the vet industry provides the perfect arena for this. So don’t be afraid to talk about your practice’s values and ideals. Get feedback from your existing employees, get clear on what you stand for, and communicate it both internally and externally.
Be honest–this is not an exercise in set dressing. Young employees want authenticity above all
