TikTok is branching out into recruitment. Can your profile score you your next job?

As we slowly emerge from the turbulence of the pandemic, seeking employment is an entirely different beast to what it was previously. Both employers and employees will be looking at vacancies with fresh eyes, new personal and professional circumstances and perhaps a greater willingness to embrace remote working than ever before. At the start of 2021, unemployment in the UK was estimated to be around 4.8% which was almost a 1% increase year on year and accounted for around 1 in 20 people. (ONS) 

A new direction?

Although TikTok doesn’t track specific data on the increase of career related content on the platform, they were able to identify a quickly increasing use of the hashtag #careeradvice from users and this grew to more than 80 million daily video views as early as mid-February of this year. Recognising the growth in educational content last year, TikTok had announced a $50 million Creative Learning Fund to support creators making more ‘serious’ content.

We’ve seen a (necessary) shift during 2020 to Zoom interviews and less formal ways to find or fill a job role and is this development from TikTok an extension of this and a sign of what is to come?TikTok executives have recognised that Gen Z in particular are now turning to their platform instead of LinkedIn to get career advice and find their next job. Not an obvious choice with the two platforms existing as polar opposites but amongst the videos of tomato and feta pasta, dalgona coffees and endless dance challenges are career related creators helping people find their feet in the job market. 

With these insights in mind TikTok are currently testing a tool that allows brands to use the platform for recruitment drives. This tool, a separate web page accessed via the TikTok app, looks to connect brands and potential employees through (mostly) junior level job listings and candidates will be able to post videos in place of the more traditional CV and cover letter. This video content covers elevator pitch style approaches and summarising previous work experience whilst giving the employer a feel for the candidate themselves. Candidates are also encouraged to post these videos on their profiles to help to organically spread the word about the service.

Will this be the new way to find work? Would you feel comfortable applying for/ interviewing for a job in this way? Only time will tell.

Source: Axios