A new generation is entering the workforce and it's no secret that hiring and recruiting Generation Z is a new feat for companies and agencies everywhere. Gen Zers think differently from previous generations; they love learning, and prioritize their values, purpose, and mental health first. Their worldview is different from those of generations before them and has shaped the way they search for work. These are not "30 year old boomers" who bring loyalty and a "no questions asked" attitude, but don't be mistaken, they will bring the attitude. They know what they want and expect to get it, and while it may seem entitled and it may seem easier to write them off and continue to look for the virtues we wanted in employees of the past, Generation Z cannot be avoided. Instead, law enforcement leaders are learning how to adapt their recruiting efforts to try to reach out to this rare breed of workers.
Knowing Gen Z
Before you can start recruiting Gen Zers, it's important to know them. Generation Z makes up more than 25% of the population nationally and 32% of the population globally. They have strong opinions and values, and they want to work somewhere where the culture aligns with those feelings. Unlike those before them, they are not as interested in career growth as they are balance in their lives and inclusivity. They are socially conscious, technological gurus who are just a few years out of college, and received degrees while experiencing a rough shift in their experience, trading socialization and communication for online learning and disrupted schedules. It's crucial to remember that they are the first digitally native generation, where technology is not just a tool used for convenience in their lives but is rather a skill harnessed over their lifetimes and fully integrated into their lives.
Flexibility in the recruiting process goes along way for Generation Z applicants as well. 66% of Gen Z candidates reported taking on a second and/or third job during the experience-seeking days of their career, making them also busier than the generations before them. Having a hiring process that works with their busy schedules offers them the ability to complete requirements in their free time and shows them that even from the start of their process, as an employer you understand their busy schedules and need for work life balance.
Attaching and Hiring Gen Z
As they come of age, Generation Z wants one very specific thing in life: purpose. They have retired the "hustle culture" mentality and won't be swayed by promises of stability in jobs, instead opting for greater social and environmental responsibility, and many Gen Zers enter law enforcement and public safety because of this need for a higher purpose. Having watched generations before them burn out at work, 66% of Gen Z employees believe that work defines who they are, making it less about the paycheck and more about their impact on their communities, which is exactly what you want in an officer.
Because diversity and inclusion initiatives are the most important things Gen Z want in their workplace, the most successful form of recruitment of Gen Zers has shown to be recruitment events and tactics that showcase your diverse, values-orientated agency. As the oldest members of Gen Z prepare to leave college and look for work, campus recruitment goes a long way in reaching out to potential new hires. By using campus events to highlight peer coaching and employee resource groups in your agency, Gen Z is seeing your commitment to their development and success.
Additionally, all age groups feel anxious when it comes time to enter the workforce, but Gen Zers take their mental wellbeing more seriously than those of generations past. Studies show that Gen Z workers have higher stress and anxiety levels than those before them, and nearly half of all Gen Z workers admit to feeling stressed or anxious at least most of the time, and they know it! They want to work for employers that understand the value of their wellbeing, and seek out jobs that make counseling, health awareness, and stress reduction less taboo and more accessible. Job posts mentioning wellness and mental health have doubled since 2019, and roles that come with high stress like public safety see up to twice as many applicants when discussing officer wellbeing plans. Some mental health and wellness benefits that really hit home with Gen Zers are:
Showcasing your wellness benefits to job seekers helps get rid of the stigma that has long plagued the field of Public Safety and invites an open conversation, letting your recruits know you see and value them as people and not a cog in the workplace.
Retention of Gen Z
From the start of their hiring process, Gen Z is interviewing you just as much as you are interviewing them. Do you promote wellbeing in your departments? Are your deputies and officers happy with their work life balance? Are you up to speed on the technological advancements that they are using in their sleep?
Gen Z isn't the end of policing; they are the change society has been looking for: great multi-taksers, more accepting of diversity, and outside-of-the-box thinkers. But they will move on from the profession if they aren't having their needs met. To retain Gen Z recruits, there are some requirements needed to maintain their motivation.
Allowing flexibility in your hiring process will go a long way with the new recruits of Gen Z. They seek the newest and most efficient ways in everything they do, and are quick to embrace what is already familiar to them. By utilizing technology like ProctorPRO to complete portions of their hiring process virtually and staying up to date with the technological advances and changes since the Pandemic, you are taking their schedules and needs into account, and you promote a culture in your agency that aligns with what they already know. Once they are out on the streets, they will find the flexibility they need in their mobilie patrol cars, and have their technological needs met by their laptop and/or smart phone in their vehicle.
Coaching and Mentoring for Gen Z needs to be more about empowerment and less about hierarchy. Gen Z thrives in an environment formed through open communication, informal collaboration and flexibility from management. They look for leaders who value their opinions and encourage them to voice their opinions, and provide ongoing ways for them to continue to grow and learns. This can be the most difficult part, as Gen Z is notorious for their short attention span; long lectures won't hold their attention. Using what we know about their technological expertise, research shows by implementing interactive or virtual trainings, Gen Z officers and deputies maintain their interest longer and are more engaged throughout the training sessions.
It's important that as we recruit this new generation, we expand our recruitment tactics instead of limiting it to what we know from the past. With so many agencies out there, candidates are hiring to several at once, and entertaining more than one offer in most cases. By meeting them in the middle and embracing their culture, your agency stands out among the masses and is more attractive to recruits. Communicating your values shows that they are aligned with your recruits and offer a meaningful career. Change is hard to everyone, but inevitable and crucial to the success of the policing profession.
References
Cilliers, E. J. (2017, January). The challenge of teaching generation Z. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 188-198.
Diaz, N. (2022, September). "The Z Factor: What Companies Need To Know About Hiring Gen Z," Forbes, Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/servicenow/2022/09/05/the-z-factor-what-companies-need-to-know-about-hiring-gen-z/?sh=630e103010fe
Jocelyn Francis, “Creating a Culture of Success: The Role of Professional Growth for Millennials and Gen Z,” Police Chief 87, no.4 (April 2020): 46–53.
Parker, M. (2017). Law enforcement: Next generation. Sheriff & Deputy, 69(3), 48-56. Retrieved from https://login.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/loginurl=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1924791302?accountid=4840