Jade and Morgan shared their experiences in content creation, personal branding, and employer branding and discussed key strategies for building authentic connections, fostering engagement, and amplifying employer brands on social. Let’s dive deeper into the takeaways from the webinar and highlight the pillars for successful engagement with Gen Z through social media.
Meet Gen Z Where They Are
In today’s digital landscape, employers looking to connect with Gen Z should focus on a strategic presence on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok as part of their engagement strategy. Establishing an active and compelling presence on these platforms is not just about meeting candidates where they are, but it’s also about fostering a sense of community and familiarity. Cultivating an active following serves as a powerful talent acquisition tool by building your employer brand and generating an engaged talent pipeline of early career candidates year round.
Authenticity Is Key: Show, Don’t Tell
Gen Z craves authenticity, seeking genuine, unfiltered insights into a company’s culture and ethos. Morgan noted, the key lies in ‘showing, not telling.’ This resonates deeply with Gen Z’s preference for honest and relatable narratives over polished marketing pitches from company leadership.
Encouraging employees to create engaging, behind-the-scenes content that offers a glimpse into the company’s inner workings and culture is paramount. “Let your newer employees, like interns and new grads, do these types of things … because they know what other gen Zs want to see” Morgan stated.
Highlighting employee stories provides a transparent lens into the daily happenings within your organization and builds credibility. Furthermore, Morgan showcased her ‘day in the life’ of a Disney intern through a witty and lighthearted video that shows the power of humanizing your employer brand and how it can be beneficial to your company and employees alike. Allowing employees the creative freedom to craft compelling, relatable content fosters a genuine connection with your audience, transcending the boundaries of traditional recruitment advertising.
Embrace Taking Risks and Trying New Ideas
Social media is constantly evolving, and the mantra of ‘don’t be afraid to experiment and take risks’ remains a driving force in captivating Gen Z’s attention. Embracing a culture of experimentation and being open to potential failures aligns with Gen Z’s appreciation for bold, innovative approaches. “If you make something that’s bad or cringy or just doesn’t resonate at all, let people make fun of you because becoming a meme is one of the best ways to get PR with my generation,” adds Morgan.
Turning potential setbacks into opportunities for engagement highlights the significance of active participation and responsiveness. The example shared by Morgan about the potential benefits of becoming a meme explains the importance of authenticity and the ability to resonate with Gen Z. Encouraging a culture of learning, testing, and adaptation not only fosters a relatable employer brand, but also demonstrates a willingness to evolve alongside the ever-changing landscape of social media.
Strategic Influencer Collaborations: Maximizing Reach and Impact
In the era of digital influence, strategic partnerships with Gen Z influencers have emerged as a powerful vehicle for amplifying your brand’s reach and impact. With a curated audience actively seeking career-oriented content, influencers possess the unique ability to serve as a bridge between brands and Gen Z candidates. Aligning with influencers whose values and content resonate with the employer brand is crucial. Jade emphasized this point by saying, “Influencers are willing to work with you to share your jobs and share your opportunities. They’re already doing that and they already have a trusted audience where they know, okay, I can follow this person and they’re gonna share opportunities for me.”
Successful collaboration strategies, ranging from paid sponsorships to reposting content and hosting virtual recruitment events, demonstrate the diverse range of possibilities for building authentic connections and ultimately driving application volume. The strategic implementation of influencer collaborations can provide a competitive edge in the pursuit of engaging Gen Z talent.
Key Takeaways
The insights shared in this discussion make it clear that effectively engaging Gen Z demands meeting them where they are – on social media. By establishing an active presence on their preferred platforms, embracing authenticity through transparent employee-created content, testing new ideas with innovative approaches, and strategically collaborating with influencers, employers can amplify their reach and build trust with Gen Z candidates.
At its core, it’s about showing, not telling, participating in relevant conversations, and leveraging partnerships to drive impact. Employers willing to dive into Gen Z’s digital world, communicate openly, take creative risks, and amplify their message through influencers will be best positioned to attract and early career candidates moving forward.
If you’d like to take a deeper look into building a strategy to engage Gen Z candidates on social, read our guide that covers the whole process from defining your brand voice to positioning, content creation, and measuring results.
If you’re a Yello Sourcing customer and need help with your social strategy, ask us about using Brand Boost to repurpose your existing content for TikTok, Instagram reels, and Facebook in a digestible format for Gen Z.
