Guiding Gen Z towards our industry
From there, a young talented future generation of prospective professionals still need the right advice and information to guide them towards the industry.
If fair and healthy remuneration, and job security, are hygiene factors for Gen Z to even consider the built environment, then the strong desire to contribute positively to society can be a positive differentiation; a pull factor which businesses need to harness to drive engagement.
Our research shows that when it comes to choosing a specific employer, 70% of Gen Z would be more likely to apply to a company with a purpose-led approach and clearly defined values.
It was the second strongest motivating factor when applying for a role, alongside a clearly defined salary and benefits package.
The responses also reveal that family and friends play a key role in shaping perceptions of the industry and the likelihood to consider construction for a career.
47% of respondents who had previously received positive information about the construction or property industry from family or friends were much more likely to consider a career in the industry.
Thorough careers advice and early engagement with schoolchildren have long been recognised as key to addressing the skills gap.
This was re-enforced by our research, with 64% of respondents who had received no careers advice about the built environment, rejecting the industry outright.
In comparison, out of those who had received detailed careers advice on the sector, more than half said they would definitely (26%) or might (32%) consider working in the industry.
Concerningly, men were more likely (20%) to receive in-depth advice than women (12%).
Consideration of all industrial sectors, including construction, increased markedly by age. Those aged 16-17 showed very little interest in the sector.
This suggests schools, businesses and policymakers must work together to do more to promote the built environment as a career option to this age group.
Another interesting finding from the research, which tallies from our own Gen Z cohort’s experience, is that many graduates are unaware that their education and training could be invaluable when working in the built environment.
Our group studied a range of undergraduate degrees, not traditionally associated with construction, from law to history, with many unaware that these study programmes would leave them well-equipped for a career in construction.
They are now working in roles spanning project management, property development, quantity surveying, business development and marketing.
Almost half of the Gen Z panel (45%) surveyed through the external research did not see their degree as relevant for the built environment.
This was particularly pronounced in those with arts degrees (53%), but 34% of those with business degrees and 42% with degrees in STEM (science, technology engineering and maths) subjects also felt their field of study was not relevant to a career working in the built environment.
These degrees are clearly relevant to the built environment, highlighting the need to make a stronger connection between STEM students and the wide range of careers in the industry.
"45% of Gen Z-ers did not see their degree as being relevant, highlighting the need to make a stronger connection between studies and the built environment."
It’s perhaps unsurprising that Gen Z use social media to research careers generally, and to explore specific job opportunities: they are digital natives.
And for at least half of their lives, this age group has become accustomed to consuming content through a range of social channels.
But our research reveals that LinkedIn – the social platform most widely associated with job searching and careers – was only the fifth most used channel by Gen Z for career research.
Just 30% of respondents cited it as their main source of information. It lost out to Instagram in first place (49%), Facebook (41%), TikTok (34%) and Snapchat (31%).
This finding was predicted by our cohort of Gen Z during the internal working groups,
who pointed out that few employers in any industry were maximising social media platforms to engage young future talent.
It was also highlighted that use of LinkedIn was very low amongst their peer group, before they had entered the professional world, with one forum attendee explaining that LinkedIn was a module of their degree “only lightly touched upon” at the very end of their studies.
One of the core ideas proposed by our own Gen Z-ers was for visually-led adverts on Instagram; a platform well-suited to maximising striking images of the built environment to drive engagement.
This concept was tested as part of the external research and performed very well, with 72% of respondents rating it as good, very good or excellent.
The external Gen Z panel was also then specifically asked which their preferred platform for a job advert was, and 58% chose Instagram.
Although the image-led social platform would appear to be the obvious choice for Gen Z recruitment currently, TikTok’s position in third place suggests there is a place for businesses and brands in the built environment which can produce punchy video content suitable for the platform.
Click on the concept image opposite to see what the survey respondents were reacting to.
Traditional application processes also received some criticism during our internal Gen Z workshops. There were recommendations to move away from a reliance on a standard two-page CV.
One of the key alternatives proposed was for a two-way app which prospective candidates could download and use to find out more information from a role, over and above a written job description.
This could involve a short ‘day in the life’ vlog of someone in the role currently; the ability to submit digital CVs or portfolios to encourage creativity; interview and testing conducted through the app to streamline stages, before moving onto in-person final interviews.
This concept was tested with the external Gen Z panel and received a positive response, with 76% rating it good, very good or excellent. Half said it either made the built environment more appealing or much more appealing.
