The workforce of today is witnessing the arrival of a new breed of employees – Generation Z. Born between 1997 and 2015, Gen Z brings with them unique expectations and values that require adaptation across strategies for attracting, retaining, and nurturing this emerging talent pool.
Recently we asked our followers if their company adapted to embrace more Gen Z employees, and 38% of them said their company already was or is planning to bring in new talent by embracing change.
We believe adapting company strategies for attracting, retaining, and nurturing this emerging talent pool is essential. Here are 5 key aspects of creating a multigenerational work environment.
To create a Gen Z-friendly work environment, HR departments must embrace change and create policies that prioritize flexibility. Gen Z individuals seek opportunities for growth, meaning, and purpose in their careers. HR managers should foster an agile work environment by shifting from traditional hierarchical structures to more flexible organizational models that encourage cross-functional collaboration, and idea-sharing, and empower all employees to make decisions.
Gen Z values work-life balance more than any previous generation. Implementing policies that promote a healthy integration of work and personal life include flexible working hours, remote work options, and unlimited vacation policies. Encouraging a healthy work-life balance creates a positive environment for all employees to thrive, leading to increased productivity, loyalty, and engagement.
Gen Z has grown up in a world where technology is ever-present. To create a work environment that is conducive to their needs, departments should prioritize a digital-first approach, utilising innovative communication tools and collaborative platforms, as well as offering training on new technologies to optimise productivity and simplify workflows. By establishing a tech-focused workplace, businesses can achieve seamless integration.
Diversity and inclusion are essential for creating a positive work environment. Recruiters and HR departments should prioritise building diverse teams, implementing inclusive recruitment practices, and creating a safe and supportive workspace for all employees. Encouraging diversity in perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds fosters innovation and encourages collaboration, making the workplace more attractive to Gen Z talent.
A strong company culture is a crucial factor for employees when choosing an employer. Companies should focus on fostering a positive culture that aligns with contemporary values. This involves regular communication, providing opportunities for professional growth and development, recognising, and celebrating employee achievements, organising employee outings, and fostering an environment of open feedback and transparency. By creating a culture that fosters engagement and a sense of belonging, you can attract and retain top Gen Z talent.
Creating a Gen Z-friendly environment requires embracing modernisation, and change, prioritising work-life balance, embracing technology, fostering diversity and inclusion, and cultivating a strong company culture. By ensuring these elements are in place, you can attract and retain top young talent and drive towards future success.
If you are looking to join a fast-paced, forward-thinking company – why not join the Impact team?
HR professionals play a crucial role in today’s business world. They are responsible for a wide range of activities, including recruitment, training, employee relations, and compliance with labour laws.
As the nature of work continues to evolve rapidly, HR professionals need to develop new skills to keep pace with changing business requirements, just ask our HR team! Here are the top 10 fastest-growing skills in HR in 2023.
Leadership skills are becoming increasingly essential for HR professionals who want to make a significant impact on their organizations. HR leaders need to be able to influence and motivate employees, navigate complex business environments, and drive significant changes across the organization. Developing a leadership mindset is key to creating a high-performing HR team.
Today, HR departments must leverage digital marketing tools to reach the best job candidates. Social media, job sites, and email marketing campaigns are examples of digital marketing tools used in HR. Digital marketing also helps develop and keep the company’s brand attractive to potential candidates.
HR professionals need to be able to analyse data to measure the effectiveness of key HR initiatives such as recruitment, employee retention, and training. They also need to identify trends, patterns, and insights that drive better business decisions.
The ability to organize and manage large volumes of information is essential for HR professionals. They must be organized and able to multitask, juggle multiple projects, and pay close attention to details.
Tech recruiting is a skill set that is rapidly growing in importance as corporations turn to new tools and apps to streamline HR processes. HR teams must be familiar with the most sought-after tech skills for a given job description and be able to use technology to communicate with prospective candidates and ease the recruitment process.
HR strategy is the overall plan for a company’s HR function. This includes designing the policies and strategies that support organizational goals, and the company culture, and driving the performance of all employees. HR professionals need to be able to align HR strategies with the business strategy and objectives.
HR professionals must be familiar with accounting principles and finance. HR professionals who understand how finance works can help advance their careers. They can assist in budget planning and help identify opportunities to drive revenue growth.
HR professionals are increasingly responsible for ensuring accounting procedures are followed and accurate records are kept. This is essential to ensure there are no irregularities, errors, or discrepancies that will ultimately impact payroll or tax filings.
Training and development of company employees are some of the most important functions of the HR department. HR professionals are tasked with finding and incorporating top-learning methods, including e-learning courses, into their company’s training policies. Investing in employee training not only improves skills but also enhances employee morale.
HR team leaders must be familiar with Diversity & Inclusion policies. More companies are realizing the benefits of a diverse workforce and are putting policies in place to attract and retain diverse team members. This growing interest in Diversity & Inclusion (D\&I) issues requires HR professionals to develop an understanding of a diverse group of candidates and how to cultivate a culture of inclusion.
HR professionals must learn how to manage organizational changes and transformations (like company mergers or acquisitions) effectively. Change management and the ability to implement a strategy that allows a smooth transition for all employees is a crucial skill in today’s business environment.
In conclusion, the HR field is constantly evolving, and HR professionals must keep up with the changes to remain relevant. These ten fastest-growing skills in HR are essential to building a robust and effective team that can drive business success. It is essential that HR professionals continuously develop their skill sets to remain successful and drive value for their respective organizations.
Discover our latest HR roles on our LinkedIn.
Human Resources is a critical department in any organization. It is responsible for managing the most valuable asset of any company – its employees. HR professionals play a vital role in recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining the best talent. If you are looking to advance your career in HR, here are five tips to help you climb the career ladder.
1. Develop Your Skills
One of the most important things you can do to advance your career in HR is to develop your skills. This means taking courses, attending conferences, and staying up-to-date on the latest HR trends and best practices. You can also consider getting certified in HR, which can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.
2. Build Your Network
Networking is essential in any industry, and HR is no exception. Building relationships with other HR professionals can help you learn about new job opportunities, get advice on career development, and stay up-to-date on industry news and trends. Attend local HR events, join professional organizations, and connect with other HR professionals on LinkedIn to expand your network.
3. Gain Experience in Different Areas
To advance your career in HR, it is essential to gain experience in different areas of the department. This means taking on new projects, volunteering for committees, and seeking out opportunities to work on cross-functional teams. The more experience you have in different areas of HR, the more valuable you will be to your organization.
4. Be a Strategic Thinker
HR professionals need to be strategic thinkers who can align HR initiatives with the overall goals of the organization. This means understanding the business and its objectives and developing HR strategies that support those objectives. By demonstrating your ability to think strategically, you will be seen as a valuable asset to your organization.
5. Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is critical in HR. HR professionals need to be able to communicate clearly and concisely with employees, managers, and executives. They also need to be able to listen actively and provide feedback. By developing strong communication skills, you will be able to build trust and credibility with others in your organization.
Advancing your career in HR requires dedication, hard work, and a commitment to ongoing learning and development. By following these five tips, you can position yourself for success and climb the career ladder in HR. Discover our current roles today!
Even in today’s ever-changing marketplace, the role of the HR function remains at the heart of every business. Our HR division has unrivalled relationships with some of the most well-known brands and achieves outstanding success for our candidates and clients. We work with a wide range of businesses from SMEs to FTSE 100 organisations within media, creative and communications.
So how much do you think you know about Human Resources? Our dedicated team of HR recruiters share some of their favourite facts and figures for 2023.
If you’re looking for a new role within the HR sector, discover our current job roles and apply today.
Impact was delighted to host a roundtable discussion in celebration of Black History Month 2022. Our group comprised of HR professionals and EDI Specialists within the Media and Creative industry who are not only game changers but individuals accountable for D&I within their organisations.
The discussion was hosted by our ED&I Recruitment Consultant – Daniel Oluyomi Asaya who set the tone by sharing both his personal and professional experience as a Black Queer Professional. The space quickly became safe for others to share their individual experiences as well as brainstorm ideas that could lead to effective structural change within the Media space.
The consensus revealed that many People of Colour couldn’t speak up about their racial experiences within the workplace due to the lack of diversity and care from the Senior Leadership Team. Some also feared they might be called the “angry black person” or in some cases ostracised or punished if they spoke up about the microaggressions and racism they faced within the workplace. These microaggressions range from mistaking them for their Black colleagues, feeling undermined in their positions, to getting defensive when corrected about an offensive comment.
Another interesting observation was that many White professionals would rather not talk about race within the workplace due to lack of knowledge and fear of being called a racist. Also, discussing race forces people to confront their privilege which is an uncomfortable feeling.
It was generally agreed that race plays a huge role in both our personal and professional lives and should be talked about when and where necessary.
We discussed how some organisations have set up a network for People of Colour to interact, organise and heal. The downside was felt that most volunteers within these groups are often burdened with issues and projects relating to ED&I (just by virtue of their race or identity) without adequate support and budget. A solution to this was for companies to set out a dedicated ED&I group responsible for ED&I events and initiatives throughout the year instead of relying on employees from marginalised groups to drive this – frequently without reward and recognition.
Other initiatives shared included creating an E-mail and Podcast series aimed at profiling Black professionals during Black history month and beyond as well as an open day for young Black creatives.
After an insightful session, our takeaways included: –
For HR leaders and employers to make ED&I a necessity instead of a tick-box exercise. From attending ED&I events, and putting in adequate resources/budget to rewarding those putting in extra time and work to make them happen.
Having a leadership team that truly cares about embedding ED&I into their core strategy; woven into their values, performance management and reward will go a long way in effecting long-term change.
For allies to actively step in and get involved in creating positive change by using their privilege to not only amplify the voices of Black People and People of Colour but also speak up in situations where they may feel uncomfortable to do so. This could also mean taking time to listen to how a situation or comment may have affected someone and putting a conscious effort into changing behaviours and/or calling out behaviours/microaggressions that you now know make people uncomfortable.
Ensuring that you and your organisation are not just preaching DEI but fully getting into the work and being on committees to plan events to celebrate the cultural calendar, ensuring not to leave the work of this to people in those communities only.
Rolling out ED&I training throughout the year and incentivizing those who show interest.
Having a mentorship and sponsorship programme of Black People and People of Colour within the Media, Entertainment and Creative Space.
A big thank you to all our guests and we look forward to continuing this important conversation in our upcoming events. If you are interested in joining our future discussions, please email Daniel.asaya@impact-london.com
We welcome Daniel to the team, who will be enhancing Impact’s offering across the D&I spectrum and will be placing specialist ED&I roles, recruiting more diverse candidates into generalist roles and much more! With a strong career history in recruitment, we are delighted to have him on our team.
I’m a Nigerian-born Refugee with a Recruitment background in Higher Education, Professional and Financial Services. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about ED&I and mental health awareness and have worked with organisations and charities on various projects and campaigns. Outside my 9-5, I enjoy volunteering, singing, spending time with friends, at the gym or cooking some Nigerian jollof rice.
This was a slightly difficult one for me as I had a few other offers on the table. However, the opportunity from Impact felt like The One given my passion for ED&I and interest in the media and creative industry. I also had a very positive experience and vibe during the interview process and had the opportunity to learn about their long-term commitment to ED&I.
Amazing! Everyone on the team has been super nice and supportive. I’ve learnt more about our media and creative clients and network and the background music in the office creates a fun vibe. Love it here!
I will be enhancing Impact’s offering across the D&I spectrum and will be placing specialist ED&I roles, recruiting more diverse candidates into generalist roles and hosting and co-hosting HR/EDI roundtable discussions and events with their high-profile Media and Creative Clients and Network.
To engage and raise awareness on ED&I issues as well as support our clients to diversify their workforce by placing ED&I roles and recruiting more diverse candidates into generalist positions. Also looking forward to organising and hosting as many ED&I events throughout the year.
Follow our LinkedIn for the latest roles, and if you are thinking of your next career move drop Daniel a message directly via daniel.asaya@impact-london.com.
With a strong career history in HR recruitment, Emma is the newest member of Impact HQ as a Senior Consultant in our HR sector. With a career history in recruitment spanning from in-house small media agencies, to 360 recruitment, Emma’s got what it takes to match amazing talent with their dream jobs and add value to both candidates and clients!
I started my recruitment career in-house for a small media agency, and after deciding I was ready for a new challenge I decided to take the leap into 360 recruitment with a specific focus on HR, which I loved. Having worked in HR previously it seemed like the perfect fit for my experience and knowledge, and after taking some time away to try my hand at rec2rec, I couldn’t be happier to be back where I belong!
Impact immediately stood out as a place where diversity is important and celebrated. The culture and the values speak for themselves and, when you add the incredible client base that’s been built over the last 20 years, it’s difficult not to be impressed!
My first week was a whirlwind of meeting new people, getting up to speed, navigating a new office, and enjoying after-work drinks with my new team. Not to mention, my first week ended with the Impact summer party, which was incredible! The whole team have made every effort to make me feel welcome and I couldn’t feel more at home.
Everyone is genuinely ecstatic to be at work every day – and as cheesy as it sounds, it does feel like a big family. Nick and Jules are brilliant mentors and encourage everyone to be themselves, so you feel instantly at ease from your very first day.
I hope to make a name for myself in the HR space and continue with the amazing partnerships Nick and Jules have built over the last 21 years – but mostly, I can’t wait to match amazing talent with their dream jobs and add value to both my candidates and clients.
If you’re looking for a new role in HR, send your CV over to Emma today!