It's graduation season, and as Millennials are becoming an integral part of today's workforce, employers are working to equip their workplace with new benefits and perks to attract young innovative talent. At least this is the case at Ernst & Young (EY), as Campus Recruiting Leader Natasha Stough tells me. Employers are also preparing recruiters and hiring managers with questions that speak to the changing priorities of this generation.
As such, graduating students and other job candidates need to be prepared with smart, impactful answers during the job interview, which will set them apart from the crowd. To help, Natasha discussed some of the best answers she's heard in recent interviews, and why she considers them great. As a soon-to-be college grad or a job candidate, use this actionable advice to make a good impression on hiring managers:
Do you prefer working in teams, or on your own?
“As much as I like to get things done on my own, I believe teamwork makes the dream work. The work that I do independently contributes to the overall success of the team, so it's important to be collaborative and team-oriented."
Despite notions of the workplace becoming increasingly digital, EY recently found that more than 90 percent of Gen-Z love having human interactions or workplace policies that are favorable to that. By supporting a collaborative, team-friendly environment, organizations can successfully leverage this generation's skills to manage and propel these forward-thinking individuals to solve the problems of the future.
How open are you to receiving feedback and how do you handle it?
"I will always give everything my best, but this doesn't mean I will not make mistakes. It's one of the best ways to learn, so I welcome constructive feedback. This will teach me ways to improve, which can only make me a greater asset to the company."
Interestingly, EY found that Gen-Z is not afraid to make mistakes, especially when they are able to learn from them. Largely all of Gen-Z (97%) is receptive to receiving feedback on an ongoing basis or after completing a large project or task, and 63% of respondents prefer to receive timely constructive feedback throughout the year.
If you were to become a manager, how would you build the best team?
“The best teams are those built with qualified people from diverse backgrounds and skillsets in mind. Having this mix of perspectives only enriches a company with unique ideas and solutions. And this ultimately pushes the business forward."
Diversity and inclusion has been central to workplace conversations for some time now, and for good reasons. Studies have shown that having people from different cultures and with diverse education and skills levels, makes companies stronger, keeps them competitive and drives their bottom line.
