Playing the generation game

Jo Faragher

There’s long been talk of a demographic time bomb. Last year, a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that almost one in three companies expects the number of employees over the age of 60 to increase significantly by 2020. So how should we adapt our hiring practices to suit each generation?

Another more recent survey also shows that workers from different demographics search for jobs in different ways. According to a study by the Indeed Hiring Lab, almost three-quarters of job queries by ‘Millennials’ (aged between 21 and 30) come from mobile devices. This compares to just over half of the queries made by Boomers (aged 51 to 70).

The study also sheds light on the types of roles different age groups are interested in: perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen X-ers search for management jobs, for example, while Boomers are interested in jobs where they can work flexibly, or for shorter periods.

What it does show is that recruiters should never make assumptions or try to impose a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to hiring candidates. Assuming that candidates will think the same as you or in a similar way to previous candidates could mean you’re missing out on experienced talent from another generation because you’re not communicating properly.

Depending on the role and the company you’re hiring for, it is possible to adopt an approach that covers most or all of the bases, and is as inclusive as possible. Encourage mobile job advert browsing, for example, but ensure there are full details and a means of applying for the role via a desktop computer.

But play up to those Millennial candidates too – after all they are predicted to make up 50% of the global workforce by 2020. Many show interest in jobs in administration or support, suggesting they’re looking for that vital first step on the career ladder in their desired field.

As with anything in recruitment, diversity of approach is key – limit access to viewing and applying for jobs to one channel, and you could be shutting off your perfect candidate.