Five Innovative Recruitment Event Concepts for Engaging Gen Z

Posted on 10th November 2023

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As global industries evolve as the result of unprecedented times and challenges, each generation’s aspirations change with them. Changing demographics, financial crises and huge advancements in technology mean that the concept of what is a “good” career option shifts from one generation to the next. Gen Z is made up of digital natives who have a social conscience and tend to know what they want – and when they want it (usually now).

Recruitment events pose a great opportunity for organizations to identify top talent, and for prospective employees to understand a bit more about the role in question, and the organization that they may end up working for. With an ever-growing list of job opportunities in tech, it can be a challenge to know which might suit an individual, and in order to attract the best talent, it is necessary for recruiters to get creative. The IT Salary Guide on MotionRecruitment shows that the average time to hire for a technical role is 60 days on average.

Hands-on workshops

Workshops that enhance candidates’ skills or offer them something that is likely to be valuable to their career prospects has two advantages: it attracts quality talent, because it is offering something of value to them, and it provides employers with an environment in which they can observe how candidates interact with each other assimilate information, react to challenges, and learn.

One of the biggest limitations of the interview environment is that you can only guarantee one thing: that you are employing people who are great in interviews. Until you see someone in action, it is impossible to determine how well they will fit with your organization, let alone a specific team. Another benefit of workshops is that they don’t have to be just for prospective employees; by opening up a workshop to your broader team you are upskilling internally and are able to see how people interact with each other, and who demonstrates skills that you are looking for.

VR Job Fairs

Recruitment events don’t have to be in-person. If you head for the VR (Virtual Reality) experience, you know that you are likely to be speaking the same language as your Gen Z talent. VR job fairs replicate the essence of physical job fairs, complete with virtual booths, interactive displays, and real-time communication channels connecting participants with recruiters and company representatives.

In this virtual environment, participants can create their own avatars, before exploring a digital realm of career paths and job opportunities. They can explore various virtual booths, attend captivating presentations, and even engage in spontaneous interviews. One significant advantage of these VR job fairs is their ability to dissolve geographical boundaries, enabling job seekers from all corners of the globe to participate. This inclusivity is particularly appealing to Gen Z, for whom geographical limitations are less important than previous generations, thanks to the rise of remote working and the digital revolution. Furthermore, these innovative events provide companies with invaluable insights into participant engagement and interaction, allowing them to hone their recruitment strategies for enhanced effectiveness.

Personalized Remote Office Tours

It is important that a candidate has a taste of organizational culture and office vibe during the recruitment and decision making process. While the conventional practice of conducting on-site office tours may not always be practical, particularly for roles that are remote or for candidates situated internationally VR can offer immersive, tailored experiences to help candidates get under the skin of an organization.

VR allows recruiters can enable candidates to virtually explore their office premises, virtually meet potential colleagues, and gain an authentic sense of the company’s cultural ethos, wherever they are located. These tours are designed to be adaptable to the unique preferences and queries of each individual candidate, ensuring a deeply personalized and unforgettable encounter.

Social Impact Hackathons

Gen Z love a bit of rivalry, and they tend to be more socially aware than previous generations. Social impact hackathons offer an opportunity to give candidates an insight into the kinds of challenges they may face and the opportunity to do good, while allowing you to test their mettle. Hirers can partner with local nonprofits and deploy internal and external talent to analyze the challenge, brainstorm solutions, and create innovative products or concepts to solve social problems. These events are not only fun and rewarding for all involved, but they offer a valuable insight into the candidates’ values and abilities.

Gamified challenge

When trying to attract and engage a tech-savvy, competition-loving cohort, gamification is a strong option. By gamifying standard practical recruitment assessments, recruiters can assess candidate competencies while they solve real-world problems or complete specific role-related tasks. Gamification doesn’t just engage candidates on a less formal (hence more authentic level), the scores and outputs provide recruiters with completely objective data regarding their capabilities. In a world where unconscious bias is of major concern, entirely objective candidate assessments are an incredibly valuable tool.

The world of tech recruitment is more volatile than ever. One moment there is a huge talent gap, the next there are mass layoffs. This means that security is becoming more of a priority to candidates, and reliability and retention are of paramount importance to recruiters. By thinking a little differently about the recruitment process, recruiters are opening themselves up to a world of possibilities. This different, creative recruitment approach will allow them to identify people who have the skills, competencies and values that are most likely to see them enjoy a long and successful career within the organization; and not just the person who is great at interviews.

Recruitment is a huge investment, so getting it right can save time and resources for an organization. For those struggling to recruit the right people, recruitment agencies or deploying innovative recruitment tactics could improve the quality of hires, leading to greater employee and retention.