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From Dance Moves to Career Moves: How Gen-Z Are Searching For Graduate Opportunities
It’s undeniable that LinkedIn is where the job application takes place...
But what journey are Gen-Z taking to discover new graduate opportunities?
Using the audience insights platform, GWI, we found that TikTok is Gen-Z’s favourite social platform (24.6%). When this is combined with the statistic that 40% of Gen-Z prefer to search on TikTok and Instagram over Google, it’s not surprising that graduate recruiters are turning to TikTok to advertise new opportunities.
Gen-Z are digital natives, as such their journey to discovery spans a wide range of platforms. To figure out their research process and what kind of social content shapes their career choices, we ran a live focus group with our Gen-Z network.
What platform is your favourite for finding out about a company?
Searching for companies and finding job inspiration on TikTok has been a recent shift. Let’s be honest: applying for a role in a company as a graduate can be intimidating. TikTok was seen to be the platform for breaking down the barriers when it came to calming down the initial interview nerves, all the way through the job application process. TikTok's appeal lies in its ability to showcase real and authentic content.
Additionally, there is a trust element to the platform. This aligns with the findings of a recent survey indicating that 30% of Gen-Z individuals place greater trust in creators on TikTok compared to other platforms. So, how do they assess the authenticity of the content? One strategy involved examining user engagement and taking the time to read the comments on the videos from other users.
“If a company’s community on TikTok is thriving, then it's a green flag.”
So how does Instagram stack up against this?
The consensus of the focus group perceived Instagram to be the idealised and perfected version of the company. Culture can’t solely be assessed by Instagram alone:
“I think Instagram feels very curated, we only see the best moments”
So if you’re thinking by now that the route to discovery and graduate application is complex - you are correct! Gen-Z tends to explore various channels before committing to an application. Notable sources included: TikTok, Instagram, Google and Glassdoor.
“All the platforms work together, in different orders, to inform my application”
Are Gen-Z bored of a ‘Day In The Life’ videos?
It’s the biggest cliche, a trend dominating employer brand content - but it works!
With the average trend on TikTok lasting around 2 weeks, what is keeping Gen-Z engaged with this style of content?
The authenticity and messiness.
They’re not interested in what the internal marketing team wants you to see. Instead, it’s about the glimpse from behind-the-scenes - the type of content you just can’t get from a job description. It plays into the human psyche of being curious!
Their advice? Partner with micro-influencers, use a blend of channels, and create content that is humorous, optimistic or romanticised in its approach to what employees do before, during and after work. It really is the sweet spot for Gen-Z.
So how can brands stand out to Gen-Z?
“It all comes down to whether you can visualise yourself at the company…”
Apart from a ‘Day In The Life’ videos, some of the most popular video content among our focus group included:
- Office tours
- Career progressions
- Interview tips
- The benefits of the job
- Social calendar events
So when it comes to targeting Gen-Z, it’s about creating authenticity across a blend of channels - easier said than done, right?
Contact us to find out how we work with recruiters to take their graduate marketing efforts to the next level…