Grant Robson
Head of Employer Partnerships at Prosple
Grant Robson
Our data reveals what Gen Z really wants – spoiler: it's not what you think.
Not winning over Gen Z talent?
Your messaging may be the problem.
At this year's AAGE conference, we hosted a workshop, exploring what actually resonates with Gen Z talent and how to authentically connect with them.
Here’s what we covered!
1. Why you’re out of touch with Gen Z
3. Summary
Why Gen Z thinks your marketing is out of touch
Students prioritise compensation & career prospects …
When making career choices, what really drives Gen Z's decisions?
A lot of employers think the key lies in showcasing diversity & inclusion (D&I) efforts or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
However, our data shows that compared to D&I and CSR, students engage at least 3x more with:
Working hours & flexible options
Training & development
Company culture
Work content
Compensation & perks
Career prospects
...yet employers aren't addressing these priorities.
There's a clear disconnect between what students want and what employers emphasise.
Our analysis of the top 20 employer profiles on our platform shows that Diversity & Inclusion initiatives receive six times more coverage in job descriptions than work content (what the work actually entails!).
However, when it comes to topics that Gen Z value most when making career decisions (i.e. career prospects, training & development and salary), the majority of the content is only somewhat useful or not useful at all.
In short, the content we’re publishing is not hitting the mark on what matters most for Gen Z.
Don’t believe us? Hear from students themselves!
We interviewed a diverse group of students about what matters most in their job search. Their responses were clear and consistent.
When asked if ‘a diverse and inclusive workplace’ was ‘less or more important than career prospects, compensation, and culture?’:
I'd probably say maybe lower. It's still important to have diversity but I feel like if I want to expand within a career, it shouldn't be my main priority.
When we asked if they were ‘most interested in culture, content of work, or diversity & inclusion’:
I think culture ties in pretty well with content of work ... especially if you're in a field that requires a lot of collaboration and team effort. I think you also look at the culture aspect and see how does the team operate? How does the department work? What are the employee benefits? Diversity is like ... it's important but really not too much as they make it these days.
Choosing between D&I and career prospects:
Straight out of uni? I would say prospects. Cause I wanna get really far in my career very early on and then settle for other things that I care more about later. I feel like in a graduate role, you kind of value something that's going to excel yourself first so that you can so you can set yourself up for the future before you can actually choose something that means something to you and something that aligns with your values.
On D&I vs. training & development:
I think diversity is important, there is some value. I probably would value just that training, I think it's really important especially in the field I’m going into. I just wanna get those skills. That's probably more important to me at that stage.
When asked about accepting a job with strong D&I but low compensation:
Probably not no, that might be me personally, but I don't really value diversity & inclusion in a job especially in hiring.
The message is clear: Gen Z believe that D&I is ‘table stakes’ and they broadly expect employers to be diverse and inclusive. However, it's not a decisive factor for most students. They're focused on career growth, making development opportunities and career prospects significantly more important in their job search.
Ready to bridge this gap? Here's how.
How to change their mind
During the workshop, we brainstormed some ideas together on various topics that truly matter to students. Check out everyone’s ideas below!
Training & development
Move beyond written content – Gen Z prefers video.
Structure your program as a "choose your own adventure" experience, giving graduates control over their learning journey.
Connect current or previous graduates with prospects, and have recent graduates lead training sessions. Remember: Gen Z learns best from Gen Z.
Most importantly, ensure that the training & development copy in your job ad provides real, actionable value. Here’s what we mean:
Culture
Culture isn't just a buzzword – it touches every aspect of your program.
- Highlight how graduates can shape their journey through internal rotations and external secondments.
- Focus on building authentic connections early in the recruitment process. Remember that culture is about relationships, so let your current graduates tell their stories through testimonials.
Working hours & flexible work options
Create video content showing your hybrid work model in action, demonstrating how graduates can make it work for them
Set clear expectations through open, honest conversations about available support
Be upfront about what flexibility really looks like in practice
Career prospects
Don't just tell – show career progression through video content. Manage expectations by being specific about:
Available accreditations
Career paths of past graduates
Interactive tools like career wheels
Clear progression pathways
Ensure this information is readily available across your website and attraction platforms, and prominently feature career development in job descriptions.
Compensation & perks
Find out how transparent you can actually be.
Don't oversell – stick to what you can genuinely deliver.
Use testimonials and stories to illustrate realistic salary growth
Present an authentic picture of your benefits package
Summary
The verdict is clear: many employer brands aren't speaking Gen Z's language. While companies are effectively communicating their D&I initiatives, Gen Z puts more weight on other factors such as career growth, skill development, actual work content, compensation, and authentic workplace culture.
Want to connect better? Keep it real and practical. Show them clear career paths, genuine flexibility options, and what your culture truly looks like.
Better yet, let your current grads tell the story – through videos, testimonials, and other forms of ‘graduate-generated content,’ they can paint the most authentic picture of what you offer.
Ready to make your employer brand resonate with Gen Z?
Book a free consult with a Prosple graduate attraction expert today! We’ll analyze your marketing copy, benchmark its relevance, and provide actionable suggestions to help you attract and engage the next generation of talent.
Resources: Slides + Benchmarking cheatsheet for job copy
As promised, here's the benchmarking cheatsheet so you can see whether your content is truly helpful!
And here are the full slides from our workshop:
