TikTok has become a key player in the global social media landscape. It’s a platform for short-form videos used to entertain audiences, engage with others, promote a brand, sell products or services, and more.
But did you know it is a viable platform for recruiting Gen-Z workers? This platform also provides job, career, and networking opportunities.
This page particularly focuses on innovative recruitment in today’s business landscape. Read on to learn how to use this social media network for attracting, engaging, and hiring Gen-Z applicants.
TikTok Overview: Leveraging the Platform for Gen Z Recruitment
TikTok is a social media app for personal and business interactions. It lets you create and post short video content ranging from 15 to 60 seconds. That allows you to interact with others on the platform.
Keep in mind, however, that TikTok users aren’t only consumers. They are content creators, influencers, trendsetters, and even entrepreneurs. They can simply download the app and use it via their mobile devices for various purposes.
The platform began in 2016 and was initially launched for the Chinese audience. However, it soon became widespread and was adopted in other countries, such as the United States. The platform had about 1.7 billion users worldwide in 2022 and is projected to hit 2.25 billion users in 2027.
Today, it ranks fifth as the most-used social media channel globally after Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Instagram:
Enter social media recruitment, the innovative use of the social platforms for attracting talent.
TikTok recruiting entails producing and publishing video content to promote a company and post job opportunities. The ultimate goal is to attract potential job seekers and hire suitable candidates.
Here’s the catch: TikTok is the go-to search engine for Gen Z.
About 40% of Gen Zers prefer to use this social media channel (along with Instagram) over Google. Hence, this platform is best for attracting and winning Gen Z employees.
Here’s why you should leverage TikTok for Gen Z recruitment:
To have a wider reach. It is a great addition to your global network of labor workforce. It particularly allows you to reach out to Gen Z.
To humanize your brand. It lets you showcase your company culture, values, and philosophies. That helps uplift your brand identity and increase your brand awareness.
To attract young talent. It now enables you to advertise jobs on the platform. It presents you with the opportunity to engage with the younger generation.
To trigger engagement. It isn’t only limited to marketing your business and advertising available jobs. It goes as far as letting you engage with potential candidates. For example, there’s room for a wide variety of fun and useful content, such as memes, horoscopes, pranks, creative and DIY videos, challenges, cosplays, etc.
To educate the applicants. It helps you inform your target audience about your recruitment. You can post video clips to guide your candidates on the screening process.
Learn how to leverage TikTok for Gen Z recruitment in the next section.
How To Use TikTok To Recruit Gen Z
It’s no secret how Gen Z resides and thrives on the TikTok platform. The numbers don’t lie:
The age group with the highest number of it’s users is between 18 and 34 years old, at nearly 40%.
Given this stat, leveraging TikTok is best for recruiting Gen-Z workers. But don’t know how to proceed? Here’s how to get started:
1. Define your target audience and recruitment goals
Before realizing your social media recruitment, identify your prospective talent and set your specific objectives. In this case, you’re looking for Gen-Z employees to fill your available positions.
Gerald Lombardo, Head of Growth at Popl, however, suggests setting the talent demographics and aligning them with your hiring goals. “Ask yourself: Who are you trying to connect with? How can they meet your business needs? And what do you want them to do? These questions will point you in the right direction.”
Lombardo recommends outlining the Gen-Z demographics and your specific objectives. For example:
Position: Social media manager
Age: 21 to 28 years old
Gender: Female
Education: Communication background
Employment: Marketing, advertising, public relations, etc.
2. Create and post high-quality video content
After defining your audience and goals, it’s time to create great social media video content. The key here is to produce and publish high-quality video clips that resonate with your Gen-Z talent.
Jesse Galanis, Content Manager at Tech Lockdown, cites the key attributes of excellent short-form video content. “Originality, authenticity, and creativity will make your video clips appealing and compelling. However, relevance and engagement will connect you with your target audience.”
Galanis suggests the following video formats for TikTok recruitment:
Interviews: Post some of the best initial and final interviews with the applicants.
Testimonials: Get employee feedback about what it’s like to work in your organization.
Guides and Tutorials: Show your applicants the steps to take for the hiring process.
Behind-the-scenes: BTS proves your company’s legitimacy and shows authenticity.
3. Showcase your company culture and attributes
The TikTok platform lets you post your available jobs and connect with potential candidates. But while at it, take the time to promote your brand and highlight your culture. That attracts interested applicants and the best talent.
Morgan Taylor, Co-Founder of Jolly SEO, explains that job seekers today have become more critical and selective than ever. “Gen-Zers look for companies that meet their professional goals and personal needs. Focus on your company culture and emphasize your values, ideals, and philosophies. Show what your organization has to offer to attract the right talent!”
Taylor recommends the following for recruitment in this social media tool:
Company culture: Post clips showcasing your culture, like office holidays for diversity and inclusion.
Career opportunities: Present different job opportunities you can offer in an exciting and engaging way.
Compensation and benefits: Highlight attractive offers, including perks and benefits, to attract potential candidates.
4. Incorporate key elements into your content
Creating original, authentic, creative, relevant, and engaging videos is not enough for TikTok recruitment. You must incorporate some critical elements into your content to connect with the right people on the platform.
Suppose your financial institution offers 401k retirement plans to retirees. However, you need to hire financial advisors specializing in this type of plan. In this case, you must use keywords and hashtags related to them.
Below are the key elements to add to your video content for recruitment purposes:
Captions: Start with creating compelling captions for your video content. You can then incorporate other elements vital to attracting the right audience.
Keywords: Use words or phrases Gen-Z applicants are most likely to type in when searching videos. Conducting keyword research is key!
Hashtags: Did you know the hashtags #careertiktok and #careertok received 1.6 billion and 797.6 million views, respectively, in 2022? Leverage analytics to find popular hashtags!
Links: Include links to your website, job postings, or other employment portals so interested applicants can find out more and apply.
Calls to action: CTAs guide interested Gen-Z applicants on the next steps. They might need to visit your website or apply via an online job portal!
5. Engage with your TikTok audiences
The work doesn’t stop with creating and posting recruitment videos on the platform. Even incorporating the key elements into your video content isn’t enough. Engaging with your audience is crucial to hiring success!
Jesse Galanis, Customer Relationship Manager at AllCrystal, emphasizes the need to stay active on the TikTok platform. “It’s one thing to post and publish appealing and compelling video content; it’s another to engage with your audience. If you truly want to attract Gen-Z applicants and hire the best talent, you’ve got to interact with them and win their hearts.”
Pendergast recommends the following required steps for social media recruitment:
Like. Have a list of those who have shown interest in your recruitment videos. Make sure to like their comments and posts to trigger engagement.
Comment. Take ample time to respond to comments on your video clips. Answer their questions, acknowledge their concerns, and provide resolutions.
Share. Share your video content on other social media platforms to increase your discoverability and spark more engagement.
Collaborate with influencers. What better way to optimize your recruitment than to work with TikTok influencers? They have a solid following, most of whom are Gen Zers.
6. Monitor and measure your performance
There’s a need to monitor and measure your TikTok performance as part of your recruitment process. That lets you see if you’re connecting with Gen-Z workers and hiring the best talent out there. If not, you can adjust your strategies, optimize your content, and explore different approaches.
Brooke Webber, Head of Marketing at Ninja Patches, suggests setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for recruitment monitoring and measuring. “These critical metrics will help you track your progress and see areas for improvement. Then, you can make the necessary adjustments to guarantee your hiring success for Gen Z.”
Webber recommends tracking the following KPIs:
Views: How many views have you got from your video content?
Likes: How many likes have you earned from your recruitment clips?
Comments: What questions or concerns do prospective applicants have?
Shares: Have these prospects shared your video clips with others on TikTok and other social media platforms?
Clicks: How many clicks to your links have you got?
Final Words
TikTok is a social media force to be reckoned with. Not only is it used for personal interactions, but it is also leveraged for business purposes. Specifically, this platform is best for attracting, engaging, and hiring Gen-Z talent.
That said, consider our crucial steps for using social media to recruit Gen-Z workers.
Start by defining your target audiences and recruitment goals and end by monitoring and measuring your platform performance. More importantly, create quality content, promote your brand, and engage with your audiences.
This platform is capable of providing you with the best Gen-Z talent, ultimately kicking your business up a notch!
