Insights that matter: New service sheds light on Gen Z for employers

Looking to hire students or young graduates at your company? Knowing what this generation wants is important, which is why the Ted Rogers School of Management has launched a new service,  “Early Talent Insights” to help demystify this group.

Generation Z is a unique demographic who grew up in the digital age, and what this group is interested in from employers differs from other generations. To fill this knowledge gap, the Ted Rogers School polled the school’s 13,000 students to better understand how this group perceives the labour market and what is driving their actions and decisions. These insights will support employers in attracting and retaining early talent by increasing their awareness of how students and early grads think and what is important to them in a company. 

“Early Talent Insights is a unique and innovative service that will give employers access to valuable data and insights on how our students and early graduates perceive the labour market and what they look for in a workplace,” says Dr. Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee, Associate Dean, Engagement & Inclusion. “We believe this new service will help employers attract and retain the best of the best in early talent."

Early Talent Insights officially launched in mid-February, and includes a webpage where you can subscribe to receive monthly insights directly to your inbox. Subscribers will also have access to past issues and special reports. In addition, employers will have the opportunity to contact us to drill down further on the data available, and connect with students through focus groups and roundtable discussions. 

“The Ted Rogers School has a very large and diverse population, so the poll results will give employers a better understanding of this generation’s preferences,” says Donna Muirhead, Director, Co-operative Education and Careers, Ted Rogers School. “Through this service, employers will be able to customize their recruitment and retention strategies, and create a work culture that aligns with our students’ values and goals.” 

Through the fall of 2023, more than 50 stakeholder meetings were held to assess the need for Early TalentInsights and to develop a prototype. The prototype was then shared with partners for further feedback. Our stakeholders have expressed strong interest in this new service. 

“As a Director of Talent, I am always looking for ways to improve our recruitment strategy and find the best talent for our organization,” says Charles Marful, Director of Talent, Assurance Practice, Ernst and Young. “This new Early Talent Insights service gives me access to relevant and reliable data and insights on their diverse and talented student population, and helps me design a more effective and inclusive hiring process.” 

The kick-off of Early Talent Insights was celebrated at a launch event held at the Ted Rogers School on February 15, 2024 which was attended by many of our employer partners, our faculty and students.

To subscribe to Early Talent Insights, please visit our webpage. For additional information on the service, please contact Jessica Kudlats, Director, Business Development and Program Engagement at jessica.kudlats@torontomu.ca.