How will employers reach generation Z job applicants?
As teenagers begin to age into the workforce, social networks are finding increasingly sophisticated uses among companies hoping to connect with this tech-savvy demographic. For generation Z, social media is always the most intuitive way to connect—even when it comes to a job application.
In Australia, McDonald’s and Snapchat partnered this summer for the “Snaplications” lens. A first for both companies, the sponsored lens lets Snapchatters apply to a job directly through the app. The branded lens shows the user in a McDonald’s uniform and asks them to record a 10-second video showing their personality, which is sent directly to McDonald’s. After the application is reviewed, candidates may be invited into a more traditional application process.
“As a business, McDonald’s is constantly evolving its approach to digital technology, for both the customer and employees,” said Shaun Ruming, COO of McDonald’s Australia, in a release. “Snaplications was born out of the growing desire to enable people to interact with the brand on their own terms, in their own time and in an enjoyable way.”
The partnership is an intuitive one for both companies. McDonald’s (or Macca, in Australia) can connect to potential millennial and generation Z employees, while also boosting its presence on the still-trendy app. In Australia, Snapchat has more than 4 million active daily users, with more than half of those (54%) under the age of 25. According to a release, McDonald’s is currently the biggest employer of millennials in Australia, and is seeking to create 6,000 new jobs per year.
“For most young people who apply for a role with Macca’s, this is their first entry into the workforce,” Ruming continued. “As such, their personality, positive attitude and enthusiasm are characteristics that are focused on and traits that this tech innovation captures in a simple, yet effective manner.”
Although the first to create a dedicated lens, McDonald’s is not the first to use Snapchat to boost its recruiting profile. Citibank is using Snapchat’s Spectacles to showcase a day in the life of its employees. In 2016, online retailer Everlane encouraged applicants to apply through a 60 to 90 second Snapchat story. AOL has previously used the app’s Discover section to show life at AOL and the company’s #BuiltByGirls program. Views of AOL’s job posting spiked by 40% the month of the video.
“Diversity and talent is how we’re going to compete in the future, so it was important for us that we focused in on women,” Monica Cepak, senior marketing manager at AOL, told AdWeek. “Because Snapchat reaches over 40 percent of the millennial audience globally, we felt that this was the best avenue for talking to millennials in a meaningful way and showcase to them what it’s like to work here at AOL.”
Gen Z is reshaping the workplace in other important ways. Companies are using automated chatbots, such as Mya or Canvas, to reach millennials who are more comfortable answering questions over text than on the phone. And beyond the application process itself, student loan repayment has been called the “hottest employee benefit of 2017,” with companies adding the benefit to attract and retain millennial talent.
Generation Z will bring many changes to recruiting, and brands and retailers will have to adapt—not least by creating ads that simultaneously promote products and boost applicant pools. Stay tuned for more on how this hyper-connected generation stands to change the workplace moving forward.
Source:JWT Intelligence.com