Alliances: Here are 6 Tips for Driving Gen-Z Recruitment

Is your alliance or professional organization ready for Gen Z? As Millennials advance in their careers, Generation Z is entering the workplace.

And while your organization may have proven adept at wooing Millennials into your ranks, Gen Z has its unique character and needs that must be met if they are to become a member of your alliance. Below, we’ve laid out five tips that alliances and professional organizations can use to drive Gen Z recruitment.

6 Tips for Recruiting Gen Z into Your Professional Organization

Ensure Your Organization Aligns With Generation Z Values

More than any other generation before them, Gen Z’ers value authenticity. You can’t fake it and expect your organization to attract new Generation Z members. Generation Z’s want to belong to professional organizations that reflect the values and ideals that are important to them.

According to a 2017 study conducted by Cone Communications, 94% of Gen Z believe organizations should help address social and environmental issues. More than any other generation, Generation Z expects that the alliances they join have an active hand in supporting the issues that are important to them.

Make Your Programming and Organization More Relevant to Generation Z

If all of your program is geared towards business owners, established leaders, and individuals on the cusp of retirement, you’re going to have a hard time convincing Generation Zs to show up. As with any recruitment effort, your team will have an easier time recruiting Gen Z if the programming and content you provide is relevant to them.

You need to provide programming that aligns with where Generation Z is in their career and what their aspirations are for themselves over their lifetime.

While you’re developing your programming, be sure to also look at who is delivering the program. If all your leadership or keynote speakers are the same (say, all white men over 50), you’re going to have a hard time convincing Generation Z that you value expanding your organization’s community. It’s critical for your leadership and programming guests to represent the full spectrum of your membership base.

Showcase User-Generated Content in Your Recruitment Efforts

To recruit more Generation Z members, start by showcasing the user-generated content already being created by the Gen Z’ers attending your events.

A 2020 study by Cloudinary found that 70% of Gen Z find third-party photos and videos helpful in making their conversion decisions. In other words, Generation Z values the user-generated recommendations of their peers over first-party messaging. This means they are more likely to believe the testimonial or experience being shared through user-generated content is authentic.

One important tip, be sure to ask permission from the original content creator before you start to incorporate their content into your recruitment efforts. A re-post or story share is fine (if you tag the original creator in the post) but give them a courtesy nod and a chance to object before you start using their content in any promotional material.

Provide Flexible Pricing

Think back to early in your career. Were you living the ramen and hotdog budget? Even if you weren’t, chances are you had peers that needed to pinch a few pennies every month. The same is true for many Gen Z’ers starting their careers – especially if you consider the rising cost of rent (up 12% this year alone).

Don’t let costs become a barrier to entry in joining your organization. Consider offering younger program members a flexible pricing model that allows them to spread membership costs over a set period or, even better, provide a reduced rate to younger professionals.

The reduced rate doesn’t have to be forever. You can always move members to elevated pricing tier once they have grown in their careers AND your organization has done its part to convince the member of the value of being a part of your alliance.

Provide Decision-Making Content For Their Stakeholders

It seems that few companies are paying for their employee’s membership these days. As cost may be a prohibitive factor in recruiting Gen Z’ers, you can better set your organization up for recruitment success by providing interested candidates with information and resources that they can take to their companies to make a case for membership.

Have A Strong Website

Gen Z grew up as the digital generation. Websites and the internet have been a constant part of their life. Having a poor-performing website is a liability when it comes to attracting new members. One bounce off a slow-loading page or a glimpse of an outdated design, and (whether it’s fair or not) that Gen-Z member prospect is going to judge your organization negatively.

The flip side of that coin, a strong performing website can enhance your recruitment efforts by providing your potential new member with a more engaging experience that meets their expectations:

User Testing for Gen-Z Member Prospects with Astriata

If you aren’t sure if your website is up to Gen-Z standards, we can help. Astriata has conducted usability testing for several organizations of all sizes. From tree tests and card sorting exercises to full-scale task-based usability testing, we can help you uncover the pain points of your current platform and put together a strategy that speaks to your younger target audience.

Fortune Favors the Action-Oriented

Bottom line, if your organization is having a hard time recruiting younger members, that may be a symptom of a more endemic issue. Look across your entire organization to identify the potential areas that may be alienating Gen Z’ers. Then, work with your team and trusted partners to take the actions needed to remove those roadblocks and begin recruiting more Generation Z members.

Looking for even more ways to improve your professional organization’s digital experience? Download our newest resource, “How Alliances and Professional Organizations can Improve Member Experience and Drive Recruitment Through a Stronger Website Experience” to learn more about the five digital marketing trends that will be driving growth for alliances in 2022.