Recruitment tip 6: Align with staff values

As the dynamics of the workforce shifts, with Baby Boomers reaching retirement, Gen X and Millennials beginning to dominate and Gen Z entering, a company must evolve the way it aligns with its staff values if it is to retain employees and attract new workers. In the final instalment of our six-part series of recruitment tips, we explore how SMEs can adapt to ensure they are engaging with their target employees.

How is the workforce changing?

• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are reaching retirement: the number of Baby Boomers employed in the UK, as of 2022 data, has fallen to 3.71 million.
• Gen X (born 1965-1980) account for 11.4 million workers
• Millennials (born 1981-1996) now make up the majority of the workforce: 12.2 million
• Gen Z’s (born 1997-2012) proportion is growing and stands above Baby Boomers, at 4.3 million

As Gen Z account for a growing percentage of the workforce, creating a culture within your business which strongly aligns with their values will help you to attract and secure their loyalty, securing the future success of your business.

How to attract and recruit Gen Z

It is becoming clear that Gen Z are pushing for morally sound roles, with four in ten Gen Z employees stating they have rejected assignments out of ethical concerns. The generation is increasingly seeking roles which conform with ideals in terms of sustainability and social impact, making it vital for businesses to be on the same wavelength if they want to attract the newest generation entering the workforce. Businesses could:

• put in place robust environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies
• aim to attain B-corp status
• enact diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Examples of environmental initiatives in Capital Space

We have a range of environmental initiatives ongoing at Capital Space, as sustainability lies at the heart of our business centres. We have a dedicated volunteer group: the Eco-Champions, who meet quarterly to plan green initiatives within Capital Space. We also have EV charging points, solar panels, recycling plans and a wealth of green spaces, which can support our customers’ ESG policies.

Listening to your employees

Whilst Gen Z are becoming more present in the workforce, it is important to understand what else your employees will be looking for. According to research, Baby Boomers, for example, value loyalty and hard work, Gen X prioritise work-life balance and Millennials prefer purpose and collaboration. To better understand your pool of employees, and what they demand, it may be useful to carry out employee surveys, to gather specific data. To find out more about employee surveys read our Recruitment Tip #1.

If you’re after a local, serviced office space with flexible licences with a friendly, supportive onsite team, please get in touch.