Recruiting the next generation: six essential lessons for inclusive recruitment in Housing & Property Services

Attracting young talent to the Housing & Property Services sector is critical for the industry’s future, especially as it faces significant challenges such as an ageing workforce and rapid technological advancements. 

However, recruiting the next generation isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about ensuring that the sector remains diverse, inclusive and innovative. In this blog, Claire Harrison draws on her experience in social housing recruitment and housing recruitment, looking at what she has learnt over the years.

As the Housing & Property services jobs market becomes even more competitive, the need to attract and retain the very best candidates is becoming even more important. The issue we are faced with here is that there are fewer young candidates deciding to choose Housing & Property Services as a viable career option and this needs to change.

So what can housing organisations do to solve this problem? Here are my top tips on attracting the best young minds into the Housing & Property services sector, and what housing leaders need to do to improve retention.

Promote the sector’s social impact 

One of the most compelling aspects of a career in Housing & Property Services is the potential to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. Young candidates, particularly those from Generation Z, are highly motivated by roles that offer a sense of purpose. They want to work in industries where they can contribute to societal wellbeing.

To attract these candidates to housing jobs, emphasise the social impact of the roles you’re recruiting for. Whether it’s helping to create affordable housing, regenerating communities, or contributing to sustainable urban development, highlight how their work will make a positive difference. Sharing stories of real-life projects and their impact can be particularly effective in engaging this audience.

Take a look at our blog on the future of Gen-Z leadership.

Housing leaders need to promote Housing & Property Services jobs using the right keywords and targeted job adverts

Getting your job adverts seen by the right candidates is hugely important when it comes to housing recruitment, particularly as things become more digitally focused. If you want your housing jobs to be seen, you need to think about the words you are using and where you are placing your adverts. The main thing you need to consider here is how well you know your market and the candidates you are trying to attract. Think about what they are going to search for, and use similar language when writing the job description.

You need to describe things as simply as you can. For example, your job description. It is important to make sure this is easy to read and tells the candidate what the role is about. Every day I look at job specifications and adverts with complicated job titles and lots of confusing words and terminology throughout. Strip this back and make sure your candidates understand the job and know exactly who it is you are looking for.

Finally, promote your housing jobs in the right places. Think about where these candidates will be looking. There is no point putting all of your roles on a job site that none of your candidates visit. Think outside the box, utilise your own website and promote your job advert in as many specialist outlets as possible to ensure you get the right candidates applying.

Consider using platforms such as Instagram, and even TikTok, to engage with potential candidates. Create content that showcases your company culture, highlights employee experiences, and demonstrates the opportunities available in social housing recruitment and the broader housing recruitment sector.

Invest in career development and progression

Career development is a significant priority for young professionals. They are eager to learn, grow, and advance in their careers. Companies that offer clear pathways for progression, along with opportunities for continuous learning and development, are more likely to attract and retain young talent.

To appeal to this demographic in housing recruitment, showcase your commitment to employee growth. Highlight any mentorship programmes, training opportunities, and career progression pathways available within your organisation.

This not only helps to attract young professionals but also shows them that they have a future within your company, increasing their loyalty and long-term engagement.

Housing & Property Services organisations need to speed up their hiring processes to attract young talent

Your success depends on building teams of skilled and highly talented Housing & Property Services professionals, so you need to act fast if you want to attract the best candidates or you risk losing them to the competition.

Manual and tedious tasks such as sifting through hundreds of CVs and a lengthy interview process slow down your hiring and increase your time to hire. This can result in candidates dropping out of your process if it takes too long and they are receiving offer for housing jobs elsewhere.

I have two key tips here to streamline your hiring process and make it quicker:

• Look at your hiring process and ask yourself are all the hiring stages really required? This will allow you to streamline your recruitment process. Does a formal interview process across multiple days really showcase the talent of individuals?
   
  Some of our clients carry out individual interview days which allows a candidate to meet with multiple employees over the course of the day and allows the client to spend more time getting to know the candidates. Because this is all carried out in one day, the turnaround time of the hiring process is much quicker. If this is something you feel you struggle with at the moment, get in touch with me today.
• Set expectations if you know your hiring process needs to be over a longer period of time – sometimes you need to have a lengthy hiring process so shortening it is not an option. A multi-stage process is usually for senior permanent hires but it could happen when recruiting at the junior end. If this is the case, be honest with your candidates and ensure they are aware of each stage in the process. This should make them more engaged, and may stop them from dropping out altogether.

Housing & Property Services candidates are looking for an organisation that embraces diversity:

Successfully hiring a diverse and inclusive workforce has never been more important for the Housing & Property Services sector, especially when recruiting from the younger generation who view this as a vital factor when choosing an employer.

This means not just having a diverse workforce but also creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued.

To attract young, diverse candidates to housing jobs, it’s important to be proactive about diversity and inclusion. This could involve reviewing your recruitment processes to eliminate bias, ensuring that your job advertisements appeal to a wide audience, and promoting diversity within your leadership team. Moreover, make sure that your commitment to diversity is visible and genuine - token gestures won’t suffice.

Find out more information on the diversity, equity and inclusion section of our website, take a look at our recruitment inclusion checklist, or get in touch with our Diversity Champions.

Sell your company if you want to attract the best candidates into Housing & Property Services:

Possibly the most important tip I could give is to sell yourself, your company and the benefits of working for you at every stage of the hiring process. Remember, candidates are judging you as much as you are judging them, so it is important to get this right. Never lie, or fabricate anything, but instead give prospective candidates a feel for what it will be like to work for you.

Recruiting the next generation into the Housing & Property Services sector is about more than just filling housing jobs; it’s about building a workforce that is diverse, inclusive, and equipped to tackle the challenges of the future.

If the advice in this blog was not enough, and you are still looking for more information on getting the right candidates into your business, check out our employers page. It is full of information from building an inclusive workforce to getting your job description right.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with me or my team directly to discuss your needs. We would love to help you attract the brightest young minds to your business.