Insights

It’s no secret that the fall semester is the busiest season for campus recruiting teams. As students return to campus after summer break, university recruitment teams have been known to shift into high gear, looking for top talent to fill internship and entry-level roles with start days that are months away. But how does the fall season compare to the rest of the year in terms of open roles for early career candidates, and when exactly are students applying for those opportunities? Does this timeline change across different industries?

Career mapping and providing clear paths for internal growth remain important strategies for keeping great employees in-house, and understanding exactly when Gen Z expects to be promoted at work is an important factor in recruiting and retaining the newest generation of workers. While Gen Zers are often characterized by their desire for quick growth and career advancement, a closer examination of their promotion expectations in 2023 tells a slightly different story. In fact, over the past year, there has been a notable shift in their outlook when it comes to rising through the ranks at work in this economy, and employers looking to future-proof their organizations with fresh talent need to be taking note.

For early career professionals, kickstarting their professional journey can be both exhilarating and challenging. As they navigate the complexities of the professional world, they need support and guidance to unlock their full potential – such as a meaningful mentorship experience and opportunities for continued learning. The guidance of experienced mentors provides invaluable insights, wisdom, and encouragement to those just embarking on their career journeys, while ongoing learning opportunities equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their fields.

Embarking on a new professional journey can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking for early career professionals. To support students and new grads as they kickstart their careers, it’s crucial that employers provide interns and entry-level hires with a solid foundation for success.

Compensation plays a significant role in attracting and retaining top talent, and it is essential for early career talent teams and campus recruiting teams to have a clear understanding of what Gen Z candidates expect in terms of salary today. Neglecting to do so can lead to your organization missing out on top talent to your competitors, and can leave your team at risk for reneges. To help you better understand what entry-level job seekers are expecting in terms of compensation in 2023, we collected data from nearly 3,000 candidates about what they want to see in their future employers. Read on to learn why it's increasingly important to discuss salary with candidates today, what they expect in terms of their starting salaries, and whether employers today are meeting those expectations.

One prevailing misconception surrounding Gen Z is their reputation as job hoppers, or that they don't intend to remain with a single company for an extended period of time. However, while it's true that attention spans have decreased across generations, this perception doesn't necessarily apply to Gen Z at work. In other words, despite the prevalent notion that this generation consists of restless individuals constantly seeking the next best opportunity, Gen Z doesn't have a significantly higher inclination to quickly move from one job to another compared to the generations that came before it. Or at the very least, they don't intend to.

GPAs have historically been thought of as one of the best ways to measure a candidate’s readiness and potential to excel in the workforce, oftentimes serving as an initial screening criterion for internships and job applications. However, forward-thinking employers today are recognizing that academic prestige alone does not necessarily guarantee success in the workplace. In fact, many companies are shifting their focus toward a more holistic approach to recruitment, placing less emphasis on GPAs and instead valuing diverse candidates who bring a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table.

The early career recruitment landscape is always evolving, and if recruiters and employers want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to attracting the best Gen Z talent, they need to keep up with the latest campus recruiting trends related to the newest crop of workers.

The economy has been nothing less than unpredictable over the last few years (especially the last few months) — and consequently, so has the landscape for job hunters. And Gen Z, the newest entrants to the workforce, have definitely been shaken by what this means for their future in the labor market. While the second half of 2022 was marked by the threat of a looming recession, layoffs, and hiring freezes, Gen Zers remained confident that they would find an internship or job in the next year that would meet their standards. As 2023 began, however, their confidence began to wane.