It’s no secret that skilled trades like plumbing, welding, carpentry, and automotive repair need more workers as Baby Boomers retire. While demand for work has only increased over the years, the skilled labor workforce has considerably shrunk with the number of full-time skilled tradespeople down 16% from 2007 to 2022. In fact, if this trend continues, 2.1 million trade jobs could go unfilled by 2030.

A potential solution for overcoming these labor shortages? Attracting Gen Z candidates, or those born between 1995 and 2009, to pursue skilled trades. As the youngest cohort to enter today’s workforce, Gen Z is expected to become the largest generation in the labor market in the next 10 years. Not to mention, many are already interested in pursuing these types of careers with the number of students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges up 16% last year, the highest level since tracking began in 2018.

Below, we’ll provide guidance to help employers engage with and better attract this young generation to skilled trades professions.

Be Transparent About Pay

They may be young, but Gen Z has big aspirations when it comes to making money. According to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, Gen Z is looking to make an average salary of $171,633 in order to feel financially healthy, the highest income compared to older generations. It’s no surprise, then, that when it comes to finding their first job, the majority (59%) of new graduates consider pay to be most important, according to Monster’s recent State of the Graduate report.

While traditional thinking may point Gen Z towards a four-year business degree in order to reach their salary goals, it may not yield the high return on investment this generation is looking to make. Skilled trades, on the other hand, often enable workers to start earning more money a lot faster with less or no student loan debt. For instance, pay for new construction hires is now better than it is for new hires in professional services like accounting.

“The rising demand for skilled trade workers, due to a shortage in many sectors, drives up wages, often surpassing those of entry-level white collar jobs,” says Bill Townsend, founder and CEO of College Rover. “Employers can attract Gen Z by transparently marketing the competitive salaries of trade jobs on platforms where this generation spends time, such as social media and career-focused websites.” In addition to including a salary range or hourly rate in job descriptions, employers hiring should also consider mentioning benefits packages and any opportunities for overtime pay or raises.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Unlike their older counterparts, Gen Z has different ideas when it comes to when and where they work. According to Monster’s State of the Graduate report, the majority of new grads think working from nine to five is just as outdated as dial-up Internet — same with working full-time in an office. Instead, they crave flexibility and value time to spend with family and friends and pursue passion projects. In fact, 1 in 2 graduates say work-life balance is the most important aspect of any job.

That’s where trade jobs can provide Gen Z with the flexibility and work-life balance they are looking to achieve. Aside from the unexpected pipe burst in the middle of the night or an electrical outage on a holiday weekend, Geno Caccia, CEO of Caccia Plumbing, says one of the best parts about working a trade job is that you can often set your own hours and build a schedule that works for you. For instance, at Caccia Plumbing, he says, “We’ve implemented rotating shifts and on-call systems that allow our technicians to have more control over their time. I think for Gen Z, it goes beyond the paycheck. It’s about life outside of the office. Plumbing is one of those trades that provides the flexibility and opportunity to take control.” Promoting this kind of work-life balance will certainly appeal to Gen Z and help in attracting more workers to trades professions.

Provide Pathways for Career Growth

With news of mass layoffs in headlines, job security is undoubtedly one of the biggest concerns for Gen Z. So when it comes to looking for work, stability and opportunities to learn and grow are at the top of their list. In fact, many recent grads are specifically looking for practical/on-the-job training, ongoing certificate/training courses relevant to their industry, and even job shadowing programs when they apply to jobs.

“Employers should focus on opportunities for development, specialization, and even entrepreneurship,” Caccia says. “Given the trend of tech industry layoffs, the vulnerability of tech jobs has become rather clear. Here, the crafts provide a clear benefit: work stability.”

One way he says companies can provide the type of learning and development Gen Z is looking for is by hosting workshops that provide them with a one-day, hands-on experience in the trades, allowing them to explore the field firsthand. Additionally, employers can connect with Gen Z by promoting their paid internships and apprenticeship programs, which are already commonplace in many trades professions.

Create a Social Media Presence

As the first digitally native generation, Gen Z grew up with social media and continue to enjoy connecting with their friends, family, and favorite brands as well as sharing their own stories on social media. In fact, many Gen Z tradespeople have begun documenting their work on social media — in the first four months of 2024, half a million TikTok posts included the hashtag #bluecollar, a 64% increase year over year.

When it comes to reaching and engaging with Gen Z candidates, employers need to be where the candidates are, and that starts with creating a social media presence. “Blue collar employers can leverage platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to showcase the day-to-day work of tradespeople through engaging content, like video tutorials, day-in-the-life features, and employee spotlights” Townsend says. “Highlighting company culture and community involvement can also resonate well with Gen Z values.”

Make Meaningful Work Part of Your Employer Brand

When it comes to social responsibility and doing good in the world, Gen Z wants to make a difference. That can happen in many different ways — from repairing an HVAC unit for an elderly couple on a bitter cold day to fixing a car for a family stranded on the side of the road. It’s no wonder 22% of all tradespeople report the meaning and value of their work as the chief source of their happiness.

“In a trade job, you often see immediate gratification from a job well done — a smiling customer who is thrilled their problem has been solved,” says Carolyn Illman, an interview coach and owner of Hire Possibilities. “At a desk job, it can take quite a while to see the positive outcome of the work you’re putting in every day, and you’re often so far removed from the customer, you may never get that satisfying feeling of helping someone.”

Companies can showcase the meaningful work and services they provide through employer branding materials, like an employer value proposition, career site, job ads, and social media. They can use these touchpoints as opportunities to communicate what their company stands for and how the work they do benefits the community through success stories and testimonials from both young tradespeople and customers.

Partner With Schools

In addition to social media, school is another place where employers can find and engage with Gen Z talent. Employers should consider participating in career fairs at high schools and community colleges, where they can educate students on the many benefits of pursuing a skilled trade, including competitive pay, work-life balance, and the meaningful impact of the work. Additionally, employers can partner with schools to help address the skills gap by helping students develop the necessary skills required for a trade job while earning their degree.

Connect With More Gen Z Candidates

To overcome today’s labor shortage challenges, it will be imperative for employers to engage with Gen Z talent. To better understand this younger generation and what they want from their employers, download Monster’s ebook, Strategies to Attract and Engage Gen Z Talent today.

With many people still working from home and technology available at our fingertips, the lines between work and personal life are becoming increasingly blurred. Add to that, ever-increasing expectations for productivity and revenue growth, and the pressure to be available for work at all hours of the day continues to build along with it. In fact, working after hours has become so prevalent in today’s society, that 80% of workers reported working beyond their scheduled shift, with 35% doing so every day, according to a recent Monster poll.

But people need downtime — time away from their work to recharge and attend to their own personal obligations. “The most democratized thing is time,” says Barbara Palmer, a leadership coach and founder of Broad Perspective Consulting. “We all get the same 24 hours, and in that amount of time, we have to figure out how to do everything we need and want to do. If I over-index the time that I work, that time has to come from somewhere else… If everyone is consistently working nights and weekends, that means employees have to forgo rest, recovery, family and friend time, self-care, hobbies, and interests.” Without that crucial time away, employee engagement and productivity takes a nosedive, burnout becomes rampant, and absenteeism and turnover skyrocket.

So, what can employers do to help ensure employees are prioritizing work-life balance and not engaging in work during non-working hours? Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule could be a good place to start.

What Does Having the “Right to Disconnect” Mean?

First implemented in France in 2017 as part of the broader “El Khomri” law, other countries as well as companies around the globe have since enacted their own “right to disconnect” rules. As the name implies, these policies protect employees from working outside of their set hours, meaning employees do not have to respond to emails, calls, or other work-related matters during that time. It can also prohibit employers from communicating with employees outside of defined working hours, except in emergencies or for scheduling changes.

Benefits of Adopting a “Right to Disconnect” Rule

The constant responsibility of being “always on” can certainly take a toll on the wellbeing of a workforce. Numerous studies, including Monster’s poll, have shown that excessive work demands and the inability to disconnect at the end of the workday can negatively affect an employee’s work-life balance, mental health, sleep schedule, and quality of work.

Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule can help alleviate that pressure of being available around-the-clock. In fact, the majority of workers said they anticipate benefitting from decreased stress levels and improved mental health and work performance if they were to work for an employer that offered them the right to disconnect.

“Adopting a ‘right to disconnect’ rule significantly boosts employee morale and plays a key role in reducing turnover,” says Kristie Tse, founder at Uncover Mental Health Counseling. “I’ve seen how giving team members freedom to unplug leads to increased job satisfaction. When employees feel their personal time is respected, they tend to develop a stronger loyalty to the organization. This approach allows them to recharge, ultimately enhancing creativity and productivity when they return to work.”

In addition to retaining top talent, actively promoting a “right to disconnect” policy can help attract candidates, especially in today’s tight labor market. After all, in Monster’s 2024 Work Watch report, candidates agreed that more flexible work hours is one of the most important benefits that employers can offer.

How to Implement a “Right to Disconnect” Policy

Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule can go a long way toward preventing burnout and helping employees achieve better work-life balance. “To effectively communicate and enforce a ‘right to disconnect’ rule, I recommend that employers take a proactive approach by integrating this principle into their company culture,” Tse says. “Clearly outlining this policy in onboarding materials and holding training sessions can help set expectations from the start.” Additionally, employers can encourage managers to conduct regular check-ins with team members to review their workloads and discuss work-life balance. Employers can also establish a designated communication platform for non-urgent matters or consider using technology to restrict after-hours communication.

But simply creating these types of rules is not enough, and that starts from the top down. “Employees are typically not on duty around the clock, but may feel they are if role models and leaders in the organization communicate regularly outside of work hours,” Palmer says. “While leaders may not expect a response, making a request or throwing information back to an employee may signal that it is now the employee’s obligation to respond quickly. Modeling behaviors, such as pre-scheduling emails to send only during work hours, taking vacation and unplugging during PTO, taking sick days where you are not working, and being loud about being present for your kids are all ways that show — not just tell — employees what is valued.”

Employers also need to be mindful of employees in roles, such as IT or healthcare, that often require constant availability and where having the “right to disconnect” might not be an option. In these instances, Maria DeLorenzis Reyes, executive coach and founder and CEO of MDR Brands, says employers can consider:

• Implementing rotating shifts to distribute the burden of being on call.
• Offering compensatory rest or additional pay to acknowledge their availability.
• Providing robust support systems, including mental health resources and flexible scheduling.

As organizations like Monster have realized, employees are your most important asset, so it’s imperative to find ways to help them do their best work. As outlined above, doing so can help strengthen your employer brand, bolster recruitment and retention efforts, and so much more. For employers looking for additional insights on how to ensure your employee support initiatives are reflected in your branding and recruitment marketing, turn to Monster Hiring Solutions where you’ll receive expert recruiting advice and gain access to best-in-class tools.

In today’s fast-paced job market, employers are increasingly looking for innovative ways to attract and evaluate top talent. Gamification in recruitment—using game elements in the hiring process—is emerging as a powerful strategy to engage candidates and gain deeper insights into their abilities.

What is Gamification in Recruitment?

Gamification involves applying game-design elements, like point scoring and competition, in non-game contexts, and it’s gaining traction in recruitment. Imagine turning a standard skills assessment into a scenario-based game where candidates navigate challenges similar to those they’d encounter on the job. This approach not only makes the process more enjoyable for candidates but also offers employers a more dynamic way to assess potential hires.

Forbes reports, “Gamification mitigates a great deal of hiring issues, allowing employers to present their potential candidates in a captivating way to interact with the company even before getting their foot in the door.” By making the hiring process more interactive, companies can stand out in a crowded market and attract talent who might otherwise be put off by traditional methods.

Benefits of Gamification in Recruitment

Improved Candidate Engagement

One of the primary benefits of gamification is its ability to keep candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process. Traditional hiring methods can often be dry and impersonal, leading to candidate drop-off. However, by introducing elements like challenges and rewards, candidates are more likely to stay motivated and complete the process.

TalentLMS conducted a survey in which “78% of respondents said that gamification in the recruiting process would make a company more desirable.” This statistic underscores how gamification can enhance not only engagement but also the company’s overall appeal to future employees.

Better Assessment of Skills

Beyond engagement, gamification provides a unique and effective way to assess candidates’ skills in real-time. Instead of relying solely on interviews or traditional tests, employers can observe how candidates solve problems, think creatively, and adapt to new scenarios. For example, a tech company might use coding challenges that mirror real work situations, offering a clear view of how a candidate might perform in the role.

According to a report by Dr. Manu Melwin Joy, by utilizing gamification in recruitment, “Candidate elimination is done at a much faster pace as it allows firms to test specific skills like time management, creative and innovative thinking etc.” This approach often reveals insights that traditional methods might miss, giving employers a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s potential.

Implementing Gamification in Your Recruitment Process

Choosing the Right Tools

Before diving into gamification, it’s important to choose the right tools and platforms. Various options are available, each catering to different types of assessments and industries.

Platforms like Pymetrics and Arctic Shores use neuroscience-based games to match candidates with roles where they’re likely to succeed. These tools can be integrated into your existing recruitment processes to enhance the assessment experience.

Designing a Gamified Hiring Process

Once you have the right tools, the next step is designing a process that aligns with your recruitment goals. This involves identifying the skills you want to assess and creating game-like challenges that effectively measure those abilities.

Start by identifying the skills you want to assess and then design game-like challenges that measure these skills effectively. Properly designed gamified processes can provide a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s suitability for the role.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

Potential Bias

Although gamification has many advantages, there are also some drawbacks. One significant concern is the potential for bias. If not carefully designed, gamified assessments can inadvertently favor certain types of candidates, leading to unfair hiring outcomes.

Recruitment platforms such as Hacker Rank eliminate the potential for bias by using a “platform through which companies can evaluate applicants’ coding skills with assessments, challenges, hackathons, and more. This results in a truly blind assessment of a candidate’s coding capabilities, apart from what’s on their resume or what they look like.” Ensuring that your gamified assessments are inclusive and unbiased is critical to their success.

Cost and Implementation

Another consideration is the cost and complexity of implementing gamification in recruitment. Developing and maintaining gamified processes can require a significant upfront investment. It’s important to weigh these costs against the potential benefits to determine if gamification is the right strategy for your company.

Conclusion

Gamification in recruitment offers an innovative way to engage candidates and assess their skills more effectively. By carefully implementing game-like elements into your hiring process, you can create a more dynamic, enjoyable experience for candidates while gaining valuable insights into their abilities. However, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential challenges, such as bias and cost, to ensure a successful implementation. If done right, gamification can set your company apart and help you attract the best talent in today’s competitive market.

For more innovative recruiting tips and tools, visit the Recruiting Strategies section of Monster’s Employer Resource Center. Explore expert insights and resources designed to help you attract, engage, and hire top talent effectively. Check it out here.

As we near the 2024 United States presidential election, it can be hard to ignore all of the political chatter arising throughout the workplace. While these conversations can certainly be enlightening, political viewpoints tend to be deeply personal, and for many, are often rooted in their core values and beliefs. Having strong opinions toward one candidate or political party, then, can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, discomfort, aggression, and even discrimination.

As a leader, it’s important to know where to draw the line. Is it okay for employees to wear a MAGA hat during a Zoom call or hang a “Harris Walz” sign in their cubicle? What about sharing political cartoons in Slack or forwarding election news stories to coworkers? Can you ask colleagues who they’re voting for over coffee in the break room?

“As we move into the fall, there will be even more discussion around the presidential and congressional elections,” says Joelle Murchison, CEO and founder of EMG, a DEI and leadership consulting firm. “Organizations must begin now to set forth guidelines for employees regarding sometimes challenging political issues. If you have them, remind employees of existing company policies and procedures around what is appropriate for the workplace. This should address limiting political attire, solicitations, political messages in email signatures, use of company time and property in support of a candidate, and the like. If companies don’t have these policies in place, it is a good time to establish and communicate them.”

Below, we addressed a few different scenarios to help you manage political discourse and maintain a respectful workplace environment ahead of the coming election.

Should You Ban Political Discussions Altogether?

When it comes to talking politics at work, many try to avoid the subject altogether. In a recent Monster poll, about two-thirds of workers said they are not comfortable discussing politics in the workplace — some of whom even said they would rather get a cavity filled.

To prevent any discomfort or even discrimination, some companies may choose to ban any and all types of political discourse — no hats, no signs, no emails, no chit chat. While this decision may give some employees a sigh of relief, it can also cause others to feel silenced, disengaged, and/or distrustful of leadership.

“It’s impossible to ban all political discussions,” Murchison says. “Employees will find ways to have conversations. In fact, they may have very productive conversations with colleagues they have established relationships with.” The key, she says, is to provide ground rules for political discussions, such as:

• Start with respect and care
• Listen with empathy
• Demonstrate your curiosity
• Share your story
• Assume positive intent
• Do not try to change the person’s mind or force a conversation
• Be prepared to find common ground, something you agree on or identify with

How Should You Respond to Inappropriate Behavior?

One of the biggest challenges employers must overcome is when political discussions turn ugly — something that unfortunately happens more often than you might think. A few examples of inappropriate behavior may include:

• Pressuring employees to share their political beliefs — about two-thirds of workers have felt pressured to share their political beliefs at work, whether it’s with a coworker, during a group meeting, while interacting with a client or vendor, or even during discussions with their manager.
• Holding an employee’s views against them, even on a subconscious level — one in three workers have negatively judged another coworker based on their political beliefs.
• When political discussions interfere with an employee’s ability to complete their work in a timely manner.
• When political discussions turn aggressive, either verbally or physically.
• Damaging or violating the property of the company or the property of an employee.

Misconduct of any kind is a serious issue that must be promptly addressed before it gets any more out of hand. When misconduct occurs, teams can suffer from reduced productivity, low morale, and even legal issues.

“Employers must take immediate action if political discussions turn inappropriate or discriminatory,” says Jess Munday, co-founder and people and culture manager at Custom Neon. “This may involve providing polite communication training, going over the organization’s anti-discrimination guidelines again, and making sure there are defined channels for grievance reporting and resolution. Upholding a professional atmosphere requires encouraging frank and courteous communication while enforcing penalties for policy infractions.”

Should Your Company Take a Political Stand?

In today’s polarizing political environment, some companies may feel obligated or pressured to take a stand on certain political issues or show support for one party or candidate ahead of an important election. This approach could strengthen loyalty among employees and customers who share the same beliefs. But it could just as easily backfire. In fact, a Monster poll found that about one in two workers would consider leaving their job if their company openly expressed political beliefs that they disagreed with. In addition to employee turnover, taking a political stand as a company could have negative repercussions on talent acquisition and even on business if candidates, customers, or clients don’t hold the same political beliefs.

“To preserve a positive work atmosphere, it is often advisable for company leadership to take a neutral stance on political issues,” Munday says. “It is important to be open and honest about the company’s beliefs and how they fit with company processes without backing any one political candidate or political party.”

Will the Election Affect Employee Engagement and Productivity?

Strong political beliefs and the stress leading up to Election Day may take a toll on people’s wellbeing, which could seep into the workplace. “The stress from a divisive election can indeed impact employees’ mental health and productivity,” Munday says. “Employers can support their staff members by offering mental health resources, such as counseling services or mental health days. Promoting candid conversations about stress reduction and a healthy work-life balance can also help mitigate the negative impact of election-related stress on workplace dynamics and employee engagement.”

Even after the election results are finalized, employee engagement and productivity may continue to be impacted in the weeks or even months following. “Don’t be surprised if some people are a little glum for a little while,” says Richard Birke, chief architect at JAMS Pathways, a dispute resolution provider. “Assuming your organization has wellness benefits, this might be a good opportunity to remind everyone on your team to take advantage of them.”

On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Birke says, ”The winners of the election may want to celebrate in small and large ways. That may trigger strong reactions. If possible, gather everyone before the election and acknowledge that some people will be happy and some not, but one person’s win is a colleague’s loss, and the need to get the job done requires that people mute celebrations before they happen.”

Let Monster Help You Choose the Right Candidate

Politics aside, it can be challenging finding the right candidates for the positions you’re hiring for as an employer. To help you develop a winning strategy, try Monster’s Recruitment Solutions, where you’ll gain access to best-in-class tools, receive expert recruiting advice, and stay up-to-date on the latest hiring trends.