Okay, after hearing about all of this TikTok recruiting buzz, I thought it was finally time to dig deep. I’m not a TikTok user so for the purpose of this blog I figured I need to download the app! Upon logging in, I was immediately showered with a video. It took me a moment to orient myself as random videos flashed on my screen, but soon after I was quickly navigating the app. I was checking out the trending hashtags and videos, then I unexpectedly laughed out loud! From men making dramatic leaps off ledges for pizza rolls waiting for them at home, to a woman recording a video of the co-worker you’re annoyed with during Zoom® meetings, I’ve been easy (and quick ) to entertain.
I then decided to get serious and search for “career advice” since that was a hashtag trending recently on TikTok (and that’s probably a bit more relevant to this blog than a video of someone walking home for pizza rolls to get.) What I thought was a series of more serious videos was actually more videos that made me laugh out loud! I didn’t expect career advice to be both educational and entertaining! Could tiktok likes really be a good place for recruiters I thought?
In this blog, we take a look at what TikTok could mean for recruiters: is it really the right platform to recruit? What are the benefits of using it? What videos do you post on it? What do you need to know before using? We’ll explore all of these questions and even explore the rumored new jobs service that TikTok is currently testing.
First, what is TikTok ?
Before downloading the app, I knew what TikTok is, but you never really know how it works until you use it firsthand. If you are not familiar with TikTok , it is a social media application that allows you to create short videos. You can add effects and filters to your videos, increase speed, add background, merge videos and much more! When you watch videos, you can view them by topic, see trending hashtags, search by hashtags or topics , and even follow users. In the application you will find all kinds of videos, from dance videos to pranks and how-to videos to just comedy videos. There isn’t one type of TikTok video out there!
That’s cool, but what’s the point ?
In 2020, TikTok became the world’s most downloaded app, overtaking Facebook , Instagram and Zoom .( 1) The App Annie State of Mobile report shows that TikTok is currently on track to reach 1.2 billion active in 2021 to reach users. Demographically, 78% of these TikTok users are under 39, with 30% being between the ages of 20 and 29, according to a recent report published by Statista .(2) Although the age group is younger, it’s important to note that Millennials and Gen Zs will become the largest demographics in the workforce as baby boomers retire. Millennials are already the largest group of professionals in the US workforce, accounting for 1/3 of the workforce .( 3)
If these stats are one thing for sure, TikTok usage is increasing rapidly, especially for younger generations. Businesses want to be able to find the right candidates for job openings, which is why more staffing and recruiting firms are flocking to TikTok , where the largest demographic of the workforce spends their time.
How are companies using TikTok for recruitment?
Despite what the stats show, TikTok can still seem like an unusual place to spend time recruiting candidates. How do you address potential candidates on TikTok ? What Kind of Videos Should You Post? Here are a few different video ideas companies can use to try and attract talent:
Apply for jobs with hashtags HBO
advertised a job on TikTok with the hashtag #HBOMaxsummerintern and received 300 applications.(4) Clothing brand Hollister also experimented with TikTok to recruit applicants. They created a promotional video featuring singer Montana Tucker to encourage job applications on social media. Applicants were encouraged to use the hashtag #HCoHireMe and post a video bringing a t-shirt to life.
Even if you’re not a big company like HBO or Hollister, these are good examples of some of the ways you can use hashtags on TikTok to either complement a video you’re posting about a job or to encourage others to share a video to post with your hashtag .
Tips and Career Advice
Companies can also post videos with job search tips and career advice. When I searched “career advice” on TikTok , a plethora of videos popped up! However, those with the highest views made the videos engaging. They don’t necessarily have to be comedic, but you do want them to be fast-paced and captivating. Videos that are 60 seconds or less are ideal. TikTok videos can be as short as 15 seconds (when recording on TikTok ), but you can string 4 15 second videos together. You can make these videos interesting by adding text, filters, and backgrounds. If you’re stringing together 15-second videos, you can even consider using different backgrounds or shooting them from different locations.
This was a fun video I came across with retail resume rewriting tips! It’s engaging, funny, but also very informative and offers good advice on how to improve a retail CV.
Behind the Scenes/Day in the Life
Another type of video that staffing and recruitment companies can record is behind the scenes or day in the life videos. These can be videos that show either your business or a client you’re looking to fill a position for. If you want to promote your company, you can introduce recruiters as brand ambassadors who will discuss how the process works when candidates work for your company. You can even show videos that discuss the benefits of working with your company and how you can help.
On the other hand, staffing and recruiting companies can record videos about a job for their clients, discussing the “day in the life” of that position and “behind the scenes” information about what it would be like to work for that company .
Brand Awareness and Challenges
Businesses can also post videos for pure brand awareness! Is there something you enjoy about your company that would set you apart from your competitors? Maybe it’s the celebrations in your office that highlight your corporate culture. Or maybe there is a challenge you have in your office that you would like to extend to others. Chipotle was one of the first companies to attract talent by going viral .( 5) The company released a video showing an employee landing a lid on a food container. This led to a lid flip challenge that drew over 110,000 videos. Chipotle recognized TikTok’s impact on brand awareness and eventually developed a TikTok- only recruitment strategy .
TikTok is definitely a platform that allows you to get creative. In your TikTok recruitment strategy, find ways to incorporate videos that differentiate your brand!
What are the benefits of using TikTok ?
So far we’ve explored a few different video strategies that we can experiment with on TikTok , but you might be wondering what the benefits of using TikTok are compared to other more traditional recruitment methods . Here are some advantages:
Seeing and Hearing the Candidate
If you’re browsing through a stack of resumes, you won’t be able to identify each individual’s personality. Some can even blur after a while and it’s hard to tell them apart. TikTok allows candidates to post videos about themselves, allowing you to truly understand each candidate’s personality, see the person, and feel their enthusiasm for the position.
Humanizing Your Business
Besides seeing and hearing the candidate, it also allows businesses to humanize your brand. Candidates can see recruiters talk to them face-to-face about the job, which can be more engaging than if that candidate was just reading the job description on your website. It also gives candidates the opportunity to see the recruiter they would be working with before applying for the job.
young talent
TikTok is also a way for staffing and recruitment companies to reach a younger audience. If there’s a particular industry that’s struggling to attract young talent, TikTok could be a way to grab the attention of younger generations. As we know from the beginning of this article, over 78% of TikTok users are 39 years old or younger, so it can be an ideal place for companies to find these younger candidates. Contra, a job platform for freelancers, said that between 80 and 90 percent of their Gen Z users arrived via their TikTok or Instagram reels .( 4)
Paid Ads
TikTok also offers paid ads that allow you to target content based on gender, age, location, and interests. This gives you the opportunity to reach people who otherwise would not have come across your brand. If your content is relevant and engaging, they will come back to your brand and maybe even follow you!
What should you consider before using TikTok ?
As with anything, there are a few things to consider before adding TikTok to your recruiting strategy.
Videos
May Not Be Shown TikTok selects videos “for you” based on videos you’ve liked, shared, rewatched, or commented on. It also shows videos to people based on location, so using location-based hashtags can help your videos show up to people based on the locations you target . (6) This is good for the fact that you do n’t need TikTok users to follow your business to be seen, but the content is so niche and targeted that it may not show up in front of candidates.
Users don’t necessarily use TikTok to search for jobs
While some job seekers may use TikTok for career advice , most users do not use TikTok with the intention of finding job openings. When someone uses LinkedIn® or goes to a job board, they go there with the intention of looking for a job. Some users may be put off by job-related content. A survey conducted by Tallo found that 63% of high school and college students surveyed said they would prefer employers to contact them on a professional social media site, such as LinkedIn .
In contrast, people have shown interest in content that focuses on career advice. This could be an area for companies to focus part of their brand awareness content strategy on, in addition to posting about job opportunities.
Not Everyone Is Creative Or Videogenic
If you’re looking for candidates to submit videos for job postings, keep in mind that not everyone is “videogenic” or enjoys making videos of themselves. This can discourage great candidates from applying as they don’t want to go through the process of making a video. It’s also important to note that not everyone is good at recording videos or has the creative talent to do so! A qualified candidate may give the wrong impression if they submit a bad video because they are not used to speaking on camera.
a Younger Audience
While one of the benefits is that TikTok could help target younger talent, it’s also worth remembering that a downside is that it’s aimed at a younger audience . You ca n’t use TikTok followerfabrik to recruit for every position, especially if you’re looking for a higher position. Of course, some jobs may also be a better fit for an older demographic. Before posting jobs on TikTok , you should consider whether this opportunity is suitable for a younger audience, otherwise it’s not worth promoting on TikTok .
TikTok ‘s new job service
In addition to the ways companies can currently use TikTok for recruitment, sources say Axios is testing a new tool for companies to recruit candidates. The program would allow companies to easily connect with candidates, and candidates can use it to help them find jobs. The program would not be integrated into the TikTok app, but would be a separate webpage accessible through TikTok . The service would allow candidates to post video resumes and give an elevator pitch instead of submitting a traditional paper resume. The service is currently being tested by a beta group.
The idea for the job service came from the hashtag #Karriereberatung , which gained momentum at the beginning of 2021 with more than 80 million hits per day until mid-February . ( 4) TikTok then realized that the platform is not just for entertainment, but can be used to learn something new or acquire a new skill. Time will tell if the service will be rolled out, but TikTok activity shows that there could be a demand for a TikTok jobs service , which would give staffing and recruiting companies even more reason to use the app for recruitment.
Use TikTok or not ?
This brings us to the million dollar question. Should TikTok be used for recruitment? The cliffhanger is up to you. As we can see, there are both pros and cons to implementing TikTok in your recruitment strategy. If you want to experiment with this I don’t see any harm, other than that if you fail, you won’t get back valuable time. However, before using it, keep in mind the points to consider and also keep in mind the demographic group you are recruiting for. If most of your recruits are over 40, this might not be the best platform to try. However, if you’re recruiting younger generations as well, this might be something to look at.