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Business 50 August | 2022 50 Putting information in the right place is also important: Salary, benefi ts and scheduling fl exibility must appear at the top of each job posting because Gen Z-ers typically read only the fi rst paragraph of posts on their mobile devices. " You need to put all the sizzle that's normally at the bottom of your job postings all the way at the top," Dorsey advises. One more factor to include in your job postings: stability. Again, this is not a characteristic many people would associate as important to young people, but it is— because of their experiences with job losses resulting from the Great Recession and the pandemic. "Stability is a hidden behavioral driver for Gen Z-ers that employers need to talk about," Dorsey continues. LOOKING GOOD Once Gen Z candidates arrive at a workplace, say, for an interview, they must be impressed by what they see. " e picture today is less about candidates selling themselves to employers and more about employers selling themselves to candidates," says Craig. Given the mobility of the current workforce, job-seekers today want to make sure they move to a place they want to stay. How to? "Each business must have a unique employment proposition," says Kleiman. "It's the fl ip side of the old 'unique selling proposition,' which told why customers should patronize a company. Today, employers need workers more than customers, so they have to answer the question 'Why should prospects come work for me?'" e answer can be a detailed array of qualities, or it can be simple, Kleiman notes. "One company boiled it down to two key words: ' e reason you come to work for us is because we care. We care about our employees, we care about our customers, we care about the community, we care about our environment." To be "authentic" and "real" to Gen Z-ers (an important criterion to most of them), detail how you do each of those things you claim to do. With your fl ower shop, you can speak to their environmental concerns, for example, by mentioning your sustainability initiatives such as "green" design mechanics, use of biodegradable products, waste recycling procedures, buying "local" and so on. Part of a unique employment proposition is a company culture that is attractive to Gen Z-ers. "Every organization must look inward and ask, 'Are there things we need to change in how we work with our employees and in our culture?" suggests John Dyer, a consultant in team- based process improvement. "'Do we need to reexamine the values we demonstrate day in and day out to develop an environment that attracts the best people?'" Inclusion is a vital part of that environment for a generation deeply concerned about social issues. "Gen Z-ers are the most diverse generation we've ever had," Dorsey says. " ey celebrate diversity and expect it everywhere." POLISH THE IMAGE Creating an attractive work environment is one thing; getting the word out to the public is another. "Every business needs to be concerned about its 'employment branding,'" shares William J. Rothwell, Ph.D., professor of Workforce Education and Development at e Pennsylvania State University. "What do people in the community say about working at a company?" e obvious place to start a public campaign is a company's website. e most important section is the page with job listings. "It's surprising how few employers have built great employment sections on their websites," Craig marvels. "And by that I mean not only position descriptions but also content that uniquely helps potential candidates understand a company's culture and opportunities." And don't make it diffi cult for people to fi nd your employment/career page; they shouldn't have to use the site map! One required element: video. "Gen Z-ers don't read," Phin states. " ey watch." He says that employers should post three videos. In the fi rst, the owner should say who the company is and where it's going. In the second, a narrator should describe a 'day in the life' of a typical employee of the business. In the third, employees themselves should give testimonials on how attractive the company is as a place to work. Businesses should also take steps to improve their images on Glassdoor.com—a website that many job- seekers use to assess prospective employers. Any negative reviews can highlight needed systemic or cultural changes.

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