How to Recruit a Value-Driven Generation? Staying Ahead of Key Market Trends

Employers face unique challenges with attracting the talent now entering the workforce - a generation who want to remain true to themselves and their values. They are value-driven, concerned with social responsibility, sustainability and diversity efforts. Emerging talent communication channels interest them and they are eager to consume engaging and motivational content. So, how can employers meet the demands of this generation? The Potentialpark Talent Communication Study gathers the voice of students and graduates around the world to gain insights into what the up-and-coming workforce want, and how employers can become leaders in talent communication.

Class of 2022 - Challenges of an Optimistic Outlook of Career Market

There has been an increasing level of confidence amongst Asian candidates, with 59% having a positive outlook on the job market in 2022, in comparison to 43% and 45% in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

This rising wave of cautious optimism presents a challenge for employers; attracting and retaining talent who had the time to upskill and reassess their priorities and values during the pandemic. In this past year, aptly described as ‘The Great Reshuffle’, candidates have seen an abundance of better opportunities on the job market. Armed with new skills and heightened levels of optimism, more candidates are boldly reaching for new opportunities. Companies are faced with fierce competition from other employers who are all rushing to present their versions of “new work” - hybrid work models and a range of benefits.

It’s not enough to do the right thing, you need to be seen to be doing the right thing

Disruptive events often cause people to stop and reassess their purpose and priorities. Candidates are emerging from the pandemic with a clear commitment to social issues such as sustainability, diversity and inclusion. In Asia, this value-driven generation wants to see employers actively engage in making the world a better place: by making the work environment more sustainable (61%), investing in companies or projects that work towards sustainability (42%), taking active steps towards a diverse workforce (53%), and promoting internal advocacy and awareness (48%).

For this enlightened and always connected generation, it is not enough for a prospective employer to simply do the right thing but to be seen doing the right thing. Candidates are not afraid to hold employers accountable and will turn to review platforms, job fairs and other sources to seek out employers who are truly aligned with their values. 90% of employers in Asia have active communication about these topics on their career websites, making differentiation based on employer values extremely challenging. Therefore, employers need to have these actions in place while also communicating effectively on how they are genuinely engaging in these areas.

Be aware of TikTok

If employers want to engage a talent pool largely made up of Gen Z, a social media presence is necessary - but not all social media platforms are created equal. The potential for employer branding on Facebook is stagnating with a downward trend in candidates seeing career-related content on the platform (46% in 2018 to 40% in 2022). Conversely, with the increasing usage in general, the amount of candidates seeing career-related content on Instagram has risen (29% in 2018 to 53% in 2022). Instagram has also overtaken Facebook in terms of frequency of usage; 65% of Instagram users use it multiple times a day, compared to 44% on Facebook. Being aware of the passive and active job seekers on social media, it is unsurprising that 62% of companies in Asia use Instagram for talent communication.

Alongside established social media platforms, TikTok has become a viable employer branding and recruitment platform in other regions with a dramatic increase of candidates using the platform (32% candidates are on TikTok on global average in 2022), and using it very frequently (71% at least once a day globally). The usage of TikTok in Asia varies significantly across countries or zones, from 6% in the sub-continent zone (including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan) to 32% in the South-East Asia zone (including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam). Asian candidates on TikTok show generally strong engagement with around two thirds using it at least once a day.

While Asian candidates on TikTok are open to seeing career-related content on this platform, specifically about the social life of the company (63%) and career tips (63%), less than 3% of employers in Asia are using TikTok in their talent communication strategy. Instead of waiting to see what other employers will do on TikTok, those who invest in creating content on the fastest growing social media app in the world will have the opportunity to shape the future of talent communication on this channel.

(Note: Data about social media in Asia in this article excludes mainland China)

Motivate your Listenership

Podcast consumption exploded this year with over 40% of Asian candidates actively listening and a further 17% are open to the idea. Podcasts provide listeners with mobility, control over the individualized content and the ability to escape their immediate surroundings, all while being entertained and informed. If employers are tempted to simply create an audio version of their career website to deliver information in an alternative format, they need to think again. A majority of candidates in Asia (59%) clearly indicate that they are seeking motivation and inspiration in career-related podcasts.

As listeners are able to connect with the unique voice of an employer, podcasts allow companies to cultivate a community of loyal listeners around shared topics of interest. Yet only 3% of employers in Asia actively use podcasts in their talent communication strategy. At a time when candidates are feeling overwhelmed by information, employers need to find a more relatable way to reach potential candidates. Listening to podcasts while taking a break from screen time is a great way for employers to connect with talent.

The Potentialpark Takeaways

The value-driven workforce is entering the new year with a renewed sense of optimism but they present unique challenges for employers. They place pressure on employers to differentiate themselves to attract the best talent. This generation is incredibly concerned with seeking out employers that are aligned with their values. It is necessary to demonstrate how sustainability and diversity are an integral part of the core company culture. Employers should continue to use established social media platforms to engage with the talent pool. However, to become leaders in talent communication, employers must find creative ways of communicating their unique value. Paying close attention to TikTok, or motivating via podcasts can help them achieve just that.

Rankings Summary

ams OSRAM continues its success this year to climb from the 2nd position in 2021 to 1st place in the Potentialpark 2022 Asia Talent Communication Ranking. They have solidified their status as the market leader in the Career Website and Mobile rankings, and made a remarkable improvement with their talent communications on social media as well. Although thyssenkrupp’s 3-year stint in first place was ended by ams OSRAM, they have made progress in Online Applying, climbing from 3rd to the 1st during the last year. SAP has successfully improved their career website which contributes largely to their progression from 6th to 3rd position from 2021 to 2022.

After a jump in their Career Website (climbed 21 positions) and Mobile (up 27 positions) rankings, Accenture entered the top 10 (rose from 28th in 2021 to 9th) in the 2022 Potentialpark Ranking. Top Climbers for this year include ExxonMobil who is ranked 13th after climbing a remarkable 30 points from last year due to its overall improvements with talent communication across all categories. Kimberly-Clark had a hugely impressive jump of 31 positions to enter the top 30 (21st) in the Potentialpark 2022 Asia Talent Communcation Ranking. Again, their progression is the result of a comprehensive improvement in their talent communication strategy covering career website, applying online, mobile and social media.

The 2022 Potentialpark Talent Communication Study gathered over 43,000 global responses from students and graduates, with 3,652 from Asian candidates. Simultaneously, Potentialpark analyzed 80 representative Asian employers based on 338 different candidate criteria.

View 2022 Asia Potentialpark Rankings

Top 10 Potentialpark Ranking

The Potentialpark Ranking reflects the performance of employers across all topics included in the Potentialpark Study:
Career Website, Applying Online, Social Media, and Mobile experience.

Rank	Employer Brand	Difference from 2021
1	ams OSRAM	↑ 1
2	thyssenkrupp	↓ 1
3	SAP	↑ 3
4	Continental	↓ 1
5	AstraZeneca	New
6	Dell	↑ 5
7	Infineon	↓ 3
8	Henkel	↓ 3
9	Accenture	↑ 19
10	Allianz	0

Top 10 Career Website

The Career Website Ranking shows the employers who are best at attracting, informing, and converting candidates with the right content.

Rank	Employer Brand	Difference from 2021
1	ams OSRAM	0
2	SAP	↑ 22
3	AstraZeneca	New
4	thyssenkrupp	↓ 1
5	Continental	↓ 3
6	Accenture	↑ 21
7	Allianz	↑ 1
8	HSBC	↑ 8
9	Infineon	↓ 5
10	TÜV NORD	↓ 5

Top 10 Applying Online

The Applying Online Ranking shows the employers with the most transparent application processes, best job search and functionality.

Rank	Employer Brand	Difference from 2021
1	thyssenkrupp	↑ 2
2	ams OSRAM	↓ 1
3	Dell	↑ 33
4	Henkel	↑ 1
5	Allianz	↓ 3
6	Cargill Worldwide	↑ 16
7	GE	↑ 4
8	Continental	↑ 2
9	UnitedHealth Group	↑ 3
10	Covestro	↓ 1

The Social Media Ranking shows the employers with the best content mix across major social and professional networks such as: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Xing, and Blogs.