Your job posting is finished, your benefits sound good, and yet: no matches. Or worse, you have a match, but after the first interview… ghosting. If recruiting young talent feels like you’re endlessly swiping without results, maybe it’s time to change your perspective. What if your application process was on Tinder? Would Gen Z then swipe right … or resolutely to the left?
Spoiler: most companies would be wiped out mercilessly.
Here are 3 reasons why and what you can do about it.
1. Your profile is boring, too long and vague
Your opening sentence: “We are a dynamic company with room for growth.”
Left swipe. Gen Z has already seen this sentence 100 times. What does “dynamic” mean? What kind of growth? Why should I choose you?
It works the same way on Tinder: a profile without character, without concrete info or an original twist, doesn’t get attention. Gen Z is looking for authenticity. Personality. Something that sticks.
Fix this:
- Write job postings that sound like you’re talking yourself.
- Show atmospheric images or quotes from employees.
- Tell what you’re not, which is often even stronger than listing what you do.
2. You respond (way) too slowly
Nothing more frustrating than finally finding a good match … who doesn’t let you know anything until three days later. By then? Long forgotten.
Speed = interest.
Gen Z grows up in a world where you get a response within a minute or else just choose something else.
Fix this:
- Automate your initial response without being cold (e.g., a personalized confirmation email with clear next steps).
- Move quickly: waiting one day feels like a week.
- Don’t leave applicants hanging – would rather give a no quickly than radio silence for weeks.
3. You communicate like you live in 2009
“Please send your cover letter and full resume in PDF format.”
…All while Gen Z communicates via voice memos and uses AI to generate that same letter in 3 seconds.
The mismatch is real: many companies expect formal, cumbersome steps that are totally out of sync with how young people think and work.
Fix this:
- Make applying for a job frictionless: as few barriers as possible.
- Consider other formats: a short video, a voice intro, a simple form.
- Dare to let go of what is supposed to be “professional,” as long as it is respectful and clear, it works.
❤️‍🔥 Summary
Gen Z is not indifferent, lazy or untrustworthy. But their standards are different, just like on Tinder: if your profile is wrong, you’re too slow to respond or communicate weirdly, they just swipe by. Do you really want to connect with young talent? Then you need to think like a platform that is all about attention, trust and speed.
“Your employer brand is your company’s dating profile. If it’s vague, outdated, or full of clichĂ©s, no one’s swiping right.” – James Ellis, employer branding consultant & author of Talent Chooses You
Or, in other words
Applying for a job shouldn’t feel like a blind date. It should click.
Wondering how Deltaworx helps companies find that match with young talent?
