How to create hiring policies for Gen Z and Millennials?

As of 2024, 52 per cent of the total workforce came from two generations: Gen Z and the Millennials. In fact, by the end of the current year, Gen Z is expected to overtake the baby boomers in terms of numbers in the global workforce. This is why recruiters now have to make hiring policies while keeping these two generations in mind.

Millennials are the generation born between 1981 and 1996, while Gen Z is the generation born between 1997 and 2012. While these two generations are chronological and considered tech savvy, there is a huge difference between them when it comes to core vibes, career options, work style, tech habits, mode of spending, and mental health.

Millennials and Gen Z are integral parts of the workforce, especially in developing countries. For example, in India, where the average median age is 28, the two generations are likely to dominate the workforce for the coming decades. 

So, how does a recruiter develop a clear strategy for attracting Millennials and Gen Z? However, before that, we need to understand the characteristics of the two generations and the obvious differences between them.

Differences between Millennials and Gen Z

In the recruiting landscape, there are vast differences between Millennials and Gen Z. A good recruiter needs to be highly attentive while creating a hiring strategy that will meet the demands of these two generations. On the surface, these two generations have similarities, like being tech savvy, socially conscious, and pro work-life balance. However, as we delve deeper, we see that stark differences need to be recognized to form an effective recruitment strategy.

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Career Choices 

Millennials, also called the ‘Burnout Generation,’ were born in the last two decades of the previous century. Hence, they can be described as the digital pioneers as it was during their initial years that computers and the internet became an integral part of people’s lives. This was also the time when the concept of a global village took shape and the emergence of multinational corporations (MNCs) on a large scale. This is apparent in their career choices as the generation ventured into areas such as:

• Marketing/Advertising
• Non-profits / NGOs
• Startups (the hustle grind life)
• Creative industries (writing, design, film)
• Tech 

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Meanwhile, Gen Z was born into an era where tech, such as computers and the internet were already well established, with this generation seeing the revolution of smartphones and social media. Therefore, this generation is also called the true digital natives. As the technology improved, it gave birth to several new jobs related to social media and game development. The generation has also felt the effects of global warming, which has given birth to several jobs in the green energy sector. The main areas that attract Gen Z are:

• Tech (with a Web3, AI, or cybersecurity twist)
• Social media influencing / content creation
• Gaming industry jobs (dev, streaming, eSports)
• Entrepreneurship (especially online businesses)
• Green careers / sustainability-focused roles

Also Read: What is Salary History and why do companies ask for it?

Work-Life Balance 

On the surface, both millennials and Gen Z are in favor of work-life balance. However, there is a stark difference between the two generations when it comes to definition and the ways to enforce it. 

While millennials prefer flexible working hours and working from home, other factors are at play, too. Since they have worked for years in offices, they have found it difficult to adapt to working from home. Once they did, they found it difficult to go back to the office. However, since they had worked for years in the office, they usually feel guilty if they have to demand work-from-home. 

Meanwhile, Gen Z, most of whom were deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, started their careers in work-from-home roles. As a result, they are more likely to demand remote working than their senior peers. While millennials see work as a perk, Gen Z sees it as a basic necessity.

Millennials also prefer toxic-free workplaces but can hustle it out for a while before they get a better offer. However, Gen Z is far less likely to tolerate such toxic places and may quit even without having a better offer in hand.

Also Read: What are pros and cons of Emotional Intelligence in hiring?

Work Style 

Regarding working style, Millennials grew up in an environment where team collaboration, brainstorming, and open offices. This is why they act as a team player, always valuing teamwork over working individually. However, Gen Z prefers to work independently or, at most, in small teams with flexible working hours.

Millennials are also very purpose-driven, so they opt for companies that have strong values and missions. Meanwhile, Gen Z is more focused on working for organizations that give them perks such as flexible working hours, seamless tech tools, and hybrid or remote working.

Millennials are always focused on improving themselves, so they actively seek feedback. However, Gen Z prefers to be quiet hustlers and is happy to work under the shadows.

Also, Gen Z grew up in an environment where their employment was affected by COVID-19. This made them very cautious about job security, benefits, and financial health. Meanwhile, their senior peers were bigger risk takers, as the job market was not as cutthroat back then as it is now.

Also Read: What is Caring Culture and why it is necessary in the workplace?

Mindset Differences 

Millennials who followed Gen X were allowed more freedom as compared to their predecessors. They grew up in an era where the ideas of optimism and idealism were in full flow. This is why millennials developed a sense that they were ready to take risks by venturing into startups and taking big loans for education. However, over time, their risk aversion took a downturn. One of the major reasons for this was the 2008 financial crisis, during which major financial institutions and economies suffered heavily. This led to severe job losses, with millennials being one of the worst affected groups. This came as a reality check to the millennials, who then started to understand that they had to adjust their expectations and not every company valued their passion.

On the other hand, Gen Z was already brought up on stories of the financial crisis, and whatever little doubt they had was entirely erased by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is why they adopted the motto of ‘surviving’ and ‘adapting’ in the workplace. The recent rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has further put doubt into their minds. This is why Gen Z is cautious and does not want to take risks, which is what their previous generation did.

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How do Millennials and Gen Z look for jobs?

Even the way how millennials and Gen Z look for jobs is different. The table below gives us a glimpse of how these two generations operate while looking for a new job,

Platform/Channel	Millennials	Gen Z
LinkedIn	Very active; use it to network and job hunt	Use it more passively; prefer it for credibility
Job Boards (Indeed, etc.)	Still a go-to	Use them, but with less trust
Social Media	Follow companies on IG/LinkedIn	Use TikTok, YouTube, IG for job tips & trends
Company Websites	Check them for mission & benefits	Check them for culture fit & diversity values
Word of Mouth	Still strong—referrals matter	Influencer advice & peer reviews matter more

Also Read: What is Internal Recruiting and how does it benefit a company? 

Not only this, but the two generations also differ when it comes to the entire recruitment process, such as CV formation, cover letters, salary negotiations, and so on.

Element	Millennials	Gen Z
Resume Style	Traditional format, keyword-optimized	Shorter, creative, video resumes or link trees
Cover Letters	Will write detailed, tailored ones	Often skip them unless required
Interview Expectations	Expect structured interviews	Prefer authenticity, casual tone, even TikTok Q&As
Follow-Up	Email thank-you note	Might send a DM, video, or creative follow-up
Salary Negotiation	Hesitant or polite	More direct and upfront about pay expectations

Also Read: What is Customer Service Orientation and how to assess it?

How to form a recruitment strategy for Millennials and Gen Z

Recruitment Strategies for Millennials 

To create a good strategy for hiring millennials, recruiters must focus on what they want. Recognizing these qualities, recruiters can tap into their needs. The strategy for recruiting millennials needs to keep in mind the following things:

• Emphasize Purpose & Impact: Recruiters need to inform candidates that the role they aspire for comes with great financial remuneration and serves a greater purpose. Millennials are a purpose-driven generation, so they are always attracted by responsibilities that help everyone around them foster teamwork and exhibit leadership.
• Offer Growth and Learning Opportunities: Millennials are now entering an age where they want to take up leadership roles. This is where recruiters should devise a strategy for promoting mentorship programs, career ladders, and training paths. Recruiters should also incorporate success stories of employees who took leadership programs before excelling in the company.
• Flexibility & Benefits: Companies also need to realize that post-COVID-19, employees now want flexible working hours. So, recruiters need to push for work-from-home or, at the very least, hybrid working to attract employees. Recruiters also need to ensure that their employees are granting mental health benefits and transparency about salary, leaves, and other perks.

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Recruitment Strategies for Gen Z

To create a good strategy for hiring Gen Z, recruiters must focus on things that offer candidates, such as independence, diversity, equality between employees, and work-life balance. The strategy for recruiting Gen Z needs to keep in mind the following things:

• Lead with inclusion and Mental Health: Gen Z prefers workplaces that leave them with significant personal time after the office. This is why recruiters should highlight work-life balance and wellness initiatives. In addition, companies should advertise about their DEI hirings, which attract a wide range of employees. Using personal stories of employees who were part of these DEI hirings can make a strong case for Gen Z to join the company.
• Make It Fast & Mobile-First: As mentioned earlier in the article, Gen Z are the true digital natives, as they were born into the technology era. The introduction of smartphones has also made them heavily reliant on these tools. This is why companies should invest in introducing quick recruitment processes with minimal steps to make it easy for Gen Z to apply.
• Be Transparent & Real: Gen Z has grown on digital platforms, so they have grown adept at identifying fake content on social media. This is why companies should be very transparent while using social media. This involves showing real behind-the-scenes posting correct salary information while advertising job postings. Being honest creates good brand imaging in the minds of potential candidates.

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Whether your company wants to hire GenZ or Millennials, it needs a robust recruitment strategy. This means using tools such as BarRaiser, which uses the power of Artificial Intelligence to provide end-to-end hiring solutions for companies that want to up their game in the recruitment landscape.

Our tool guarantees to take your hiring to the next level. Firstly, with our AI Interview Copilot, an interviewer gets a digital assistant who helps them navigate the interview process.

Even before the Interview begins, an interviewer can simply ask the AI Interview Copilot to create a structured interview question format within seconds. An example of this would be as follows:

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‘Create a questionnaire for the post of a senior product manager. The candidate should have at least five years of experience. Candidates should have experience with SaaS, B2B/B2C products, and platform development and should also be proficient in tools such as SQL, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Tableau.’

After this, the tool takes seconds to create a thorough question set. However, that is not all. During an interview, if the interviewer runs out of questions, they can simply ask the interviewer to create new questions by going through the candidate’s CVs or the interview context (as the entire Interview is recorded and transcribed).

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Moreover, our tool also monitors the behavior of both the candidate and the interviewer. The reasoning behind this is simple: a recruitment process is efficient as long as there is no bias present. This is why our AI bot creates two reports. The first is created with the recruiter’s help, and the candidate is judged on multiple metrics. The second report, however, is created by the AI on its own on the interviewer’s behavior to ensure that no candidates suffer from bias. This report is shared with all the stakeholders of the interview process, through which the interviewer can also give some feedback.

Using BarRaiser, we guarantee quality hiring that will bolster diversity and inclusion. BarRaiser is the best AI interview platform that features structured interviews and tools to ensure quality hiring while eliminating recruitment bias. With BarRaiser’s support, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong team of sales associates who will drive sales and deliver exceptional customer service.