Young workers make their minds up about an office within 5 minutes

Around two thirds of Generation Z decide whether or not they’d like to work for a company within just five minutes, according to new research. Office specialist Powwonow surveyed a number of 18 to 23-year olds, also known as Generation Z or Gen Z, to find out how long it takes for younger workers to make a choice on prospective employers and what factors take priority on the job hunt.

Women were found more likely to meet with potential colleagues before making a decision about their job prospects, while men were more likely to judge based solely on the initial job description. Around one in four men will make a snap choice about a job opportunity within 30 seconds of entering an office, while around 13% of women will.

Generation Z are more likely to make immediate choices based on opportunities and perks within an organisation, and they know what they want. Lots of younger job hunters highly value perks such as flexible working, with many being won over by unique and different benefits. Two in three find themselves being won over by the appeal of new technology, with 66% believing it’s a contributing factor in efficiency and a third admitting they wouldn’t work somewhere with outdated tech.

“UK businesses need to appreciate that the new generation entering the workplace expects different things from their employers,” said Jason Downes, MD of Powwownow. “They make decisions much faster, which therefore puts employers under increasing pressure to positively market their workplace to candidates – beyond just pay.

“With talented prospective employees making a decision in less than five minutes, employers need to tailor their approach or risk losing out on a pool of talented young digital natives.”

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