Insights

In today's job market, campus recruiting teams are being asked to balance finding ways to effectively engage with Gen Z candidates and meet ambitious diversity hiring goals with tighter budgets and leaner teams — which is no easy feat. However, armed with the right recruiting technology, talent teams can scale their efforts and connect with more candidates across the country, all while being cost-efficient and getting the most out of every effort.

Internship and entry-level job seekers today are losing confidence in the job search — and are sending out more than 50 applications before landing a role. Gen Z candidates in 2023 have expressed to us that they are constantly ‘getting ghosted’ — meaning that they are not hearing back from employers about many of the applications they submit — and are struggling to find companies hiring now and roles that fit both their skillsets and passions.

Despite prevailing economic uncertainty, the market for top talent remains highly competitive. Moreover, it has become increasingly apparent that companies that will continue to thrive are those that are investing in the future leaders of the workplace — Gen Z. In fact, according to industry experts, companies within the CPG industry in particular are at risk of falling behind due to an increasing demand for new tech skills to keep them ahead of the game. For example, while e-marketplaces like Amazon are growing rapidly at 27% each year, and e-marketplaces are responsible for 70% of consumer-goods sales between 2013-2018, less than 5% of CPG sales are conducted online. To catch up, CPG companies will need a strong pipeline of forward-thinking talent with in-demand skills.

Today's job market is highly competitive — and that holds true for senior roles all the way down to internship and entry-level positions. At the same time, it’s important now more than ever that to future-proof your organization and remain at the forefront of innovation within your industry, you invest in the newest entrants of the workforce — Gen Z. That’s because not only does Gen Z come with new perspectives and ideas, but they will also comprise nearly 30% of the workforce by 2025.

Despite living in a period of economic uncertainty and under the threat of a looming recession, today's job market remains highly competitive. At the same time, it’s become clearer than ever that for companies to succeed through times of economic turmoil and come out the other side even stronger, they need to be continuously investing in their future leaders: Gen Z.

When recruiting early-career talent, many employers tend to overlook community colleges as great sources for early career candidates. But community colleges can be an excellent place to find intern and entry-level talent with diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences. In fact, some ground-breaking professionals have attended community colleges, including co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak, legendary film director Clint Eastwood, former NASA astronaut Eileen Brooks, and co-founder & CEO of Costco, Jim Sinegal. With more than 9 million students attending community colleges today, employers seeking talent there will have access to a massive pool of capable students. To get started, here are some of the impressive community colleges to recruit from:

The pandemic changed the landscape for remote work, and Gen Z was the first generation to fully embrace remote positions as the norm. In fact, since much of their education was disrupted by the pandemic (which resulted in a largely virtual education environment for at least a few semesters), embracing remote work has been a natural transition for Gen Z to make.

After going through the process of finding the ideal candidate for a position and supporting them through the interview and hiring process, the last thing recruitment teams want to do is hear that the candidate backed out the offer for another opportunity. Not only does this create more work for recruiters, but it costs the company more money in the long run.

When it comes to recruiting talent, the pool at public universities continues to grow. There are about 8 million students enrolled in public 4-year colleges, accounting for roughly 43% of all college students in the United States, which are home to a diverse slate of candidates. In fact, nearly 80% of Hispanic and Latinx students, 70% of Black students, and 77% of American Indian or Alaska Native students attend public universities. With so many potential candidates from a variety of backgrounds, it is important to target the right schools when creating a campus recruiting strategy.