Companies in search of tech talent are nervously watching the retirement of their older generation, and key positions in the tech organization remain vacant.

With historically low unemployment levels in tech occupations and a longer fill cycle for tech jobs, executives are hopeful that the next generation of technologists can fill the attrition brought on by job creation. Great resignation.

Gen Z, or those born after 1997, according to Pew Research, represent a largely untapped pool of incoming talent. Three in 10 Gen Z members say the software developer is the role they play most interested after graduating from college, according to a CloudBees survey of 1,000 people aged 19 to 24.

Graduation trends signal a steady increase in interest in computer science as Gen Z enters the workforce. The number of college degrees in computer and information science has continued to increase, from 64,402 in 2015-2016 to 88,633 in 2018-2019, an increase of 38%, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Engineering degrees also supported growth, up 19% over the same period.

While innovation and enthusiasm are important factors pushing the younger generation towards technology roles like software development, early exposure to technology has also helped fuel that interest, said Dinesh Keswani, CTO at CloudBees. . “When they see something that impacts them on a daily basis, it makes it even more attractive.”

A significant percentage of “Zoomers” (another Gen Z nickname) are considering pursuing a career in tech. But to attract and retain the incoming wave of technologists to their ranks, companies must be able to compete in three essential areas: corporate culture, compensation, and career development.

The current state of the tech labor market is driven by high demand and low supply, with an IT unemployment rate of just 2.2% in September, according to CompTIA analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. United States. This contrasts with the national unemployment rate, which was 4.8% in September.

Retaining the young generation of technologists is already a challenge for companies. More than half of Generation Z workers say they plan to take on a new job in the next year, according to Adobe’s Future of Time Report.

Gen Z are also the generation with the lowest satisfaction scores in work-life balance and their jobs, according to the report.

What do Gen Z technologists want?

Gen Z need their work environment to be fun – or it won’t work, according to Harry Han, a 23-year-old control systems design engineer at Performance Automation Solutions.

“Most people know they only live once, and they want to be happy,” Han said. “So if the company can entertain them from that perspective, that’s a big part.”

But the other element that has an impact on the retention of a young technologist concerns the remuneration. Generation Z is entering the workforce well aware of its value. Among the five workers who voluntarily changed jobs last year, Gen Z represents a third of this group, according to an IBM report.

Despite their higher mobility, a career roadmap can help prevent Gen Z attrition, as a sense of purpose is another trait young workers look for in a job.

“It’s important for companies to give interns and new graduates direct exposure to work that has an impact on the business,” said Lindsay Grenawalt, head of human resources at Cockroach Labs. “This allows them to gain confidence while learning to work in a company and to feel valued for the work they do because they have a direct impact on the success of the company.”

Generation Z workers, alongside their millennial peers, also appreciate having a sense of empowerment in the way they work. Two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials say autonomy in choosing the apps, services, and devices they use is a top priority. according to Forrester data.

Autonomy in the workplace, attractive remuneration and a good working environment allow young talents to come through the door. But what is most successful in retaining Gen Z workers is a path to career growth, Keswani said.

“There has to be an implicit mechanism for career development within companies,” Keswani said. Software developers don’t necessarily just want to write software, they want [become] managers, team leaders and even grow within a company into cross-functional roles. “