Recruitment is changing. Gen Z just noticed first.

Recruitment is changing. Gen Z just noticed first.

Gen Z is often described as the generation that's hardest to recruit – impatient, demanding and quick to move on. At the same time, employers across industries continue to say attracting quality talent is one of their biggest challenges.

The reality is that recruitment itself is changing. AI, evolving career expectations and new ways of working are reshaping how people discover opportunities and choose employers. Deloitte found that 74% of Gen Z expect GenAI to change the way they work within the next year, while LinkedIn reports that almost 80% of job seekers feel unprepared for today's hiring process.

To move beyond the stereotypes, we spoke to two “Gen Zers” working for Adecco Netherlands – Wally van den Biesen and Durk de Graaf – about how they search for jobs, what influences their decisions and what they expect from recruiters.

What emerged wasn't a generation demanding more; it was a generation asking for recruitment to reflect the way people actually live, communicate and build careers today.

Recruitment starts long before someone clicks "Apply"

For Wally and Durk, recruitment doesn't begin with a vacancy. It starts with discovering and researching employers.

"I probably wouldn't apply directly from social media," says Durk. "But if I've already seen a company online and then come across them on Indeed, I'm much more likely to engage because the brand already feels familiar."

Wally follows a similar pattern, scanning job requirements before reading the full description and relying heavily on recommendations from her own network.

Their experience reflects a wider shift. Candidates increasingly build opinions about employers through LinkedIn, TikTok, Glassdoor and employee advocacy long before they ever speak to a recruiter. Deloitte’s research shows Gen Z weighs more than salary when choosing where to work – purpose, wellbeing, work-life balance and alignment with their values all shape career decisions.

Silence speaks louder than rejection

The strongest theme wasn't pay or flexibility. It was communication. Both agreed that long periods of silence after an interview quickly erode trust.

"Even if there isn't an update," says Wally, "I'd rather hear, 'We don't have an update yet.'"

Candidates don't necessarily expect immediate decisions; what they do expect is transparency.

That's increasingly important in a competitive labour market. Gartner found that 35% of candidates who accepted a job offer later backed out before starting, highlighting how quickly candidates disengage when experiences fall short.

It's the recruitment equivalent of ghosting after a first date. Candidates can handle uncertainty or rejection far better than silence.

AI makes recruiters more valuable, not less

Finding jobs has never been easier. Finding the right job is another matter.

Both Wally and Durk described recruiters not as administrators, but as trusted advisors.

"I don't know exactly where I want to be in five years," says Wally. "It's really valuable when a recruiter says, 'Based on what you've told me, I think another role might suit you even better.'"

Durk agrees: "There are so many jobs online that eventually you stop thinking carefully and just start applying. Having someone who understands the market and can guide you towards something you hadn't even considered adds real value."

Rather than diminishing our role in recruitment, as AI becomes better at matching skills to vacancies, humans become more valuable in providing judgement, coaching and confidence.

It's not about working less. It's about working differently.

Another stereotype quickly disappeared.

Neither Wally nor Durk saw flexibility as avoiding work. They saw it as being trusted to deliver outcomes with autonomy.

"If I want to go to the gym in the morning and arrive ten minutes later, I'm perfectly happy to stay later to finish my work," says Wally. "I just want employers to trust me to manage my responsibilities."

Her philosophy is simple: "Give us the outcome you want. Don't tell us exactly how many hours to spend or every step we should follow."

As Durk puts it: "We can still deliver the same quality of work – just in different ways."

We all need to keep it real, open and honest

The conversation with Durk and Wally ended with two simple pieces of advice.

"Approach every conversation with an open mind," says Durk. "Don't start with stereotypes."

Wally's advice was equally straightforward: "Have a real conversation. Treat every candidate like someone you genuinely want to help succeed."

While AI can increasingly match people to vacancies, it can't build trust, understand ambition, challenge assumptions or give someone the confidence to take the next step in their career. Those deeply human qualities remain the recruiter's greatest competitive advantage