Think Outside of LinkedIn: Start Recruiting on TikTok and Instagram

We don’t need to tell you how strange the last few years have been for talent acquisition strategy. However, we feel compelled to tell you that your competition has started recruiting on Instagram and TikTok. Feel behind in that avenue? Here’s everything you need to catch up on.

What the Heck Is TikTok?

You’ve likely heard of TikTok, but you’re not alone if you still don’t know what it is (or how it may help you with recruiting). The gist is that TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create short-form videos. Users add effects, filters, splice videos together, add digital backgrounds, etc. Videos cumulate on your feed, presented to users based on their interaction with media over time, so the app can predict what videos users will watch and enjoy. TikTok features everything from dance videos, pranks, inspirational videos, tutorials, or lipsync videos for comical purposes.

TikTok features a little something for everyone, which is likely why it became the most downloaded app worldwide in 2020. The app currently boasts more than 1 billion users worldwide. 78% of users are under the age of 39, which encompasses Millennials and Gen Z, who are rapidly becoming the largest demographic in the workforce.

So, Why Instagram?

Instagram could be more familiar to you, but we’ll provide the recap anyways. Instagram is an app specifically for photo sharing, but has also veered into video sharing and “reels” in response to TikTok’s popularity. Here are the quick facts on why it’s worth your while to start recruiting on Instagram:

Facebook bought out Instagram in 2012.
The app has about 2 billion users as of 2022.
This arm of the Facebook “metaverse” earns about $1 billion annually for the company.
64% of Instagrammers are under 34 years.
User spend about on average 28 minutes per day on the app.
Instagram has 58% more engagement than Facebook.

How to Use Social Media for Recruiting

It’s obvious TikTok and Instagram are where the workforce’s largest demographic is spending their time, so it should come as no surprise that recruiters and enterprises alike are utilizing this space to get in front of the right candidates. Even with those telling stats, these social media sites can seem like an intimidating and foreign outlet to start reaching candidates. Here are a few ways to get started:

1. Propel Recruiter Engagement

Not only is there already a presence of recruiters posting great content for others to view, but they’re also resonating with users. Encourage your recruiters to create and engage with other content, especially when they’re focused on candidates for entry-level roles. They don’t have to know how to use every effect imaginable to create engaging content. All they need is a camera and their expertise. Share it with some specific hashtags, and you’re all set.

2. Repost Employee Content

If your recruiters are already active on TikTok, get with your marketing team and create a company page. Once the company page is up and running, it’ll be easy to connect, engage with, and help promote your employee’s content. Get even more reach out of it by creating a company hashtag and if it catches on, you’ll have other people in the industry posting right alongside you.

Instagram may feel less intimidating because your profile allows you to post photos instead of just videos. But a fair warning — reels are generating far more attention in the algorithm than photos these days.

3. Start your own Hashtag Challenge

One of the more popular trends on TikTok and Instagram is to create a hashtag challenge to encourage people to create content. This could be a dance challenge, a “put a finger down if you have done this…” challenge, or any activity that other people can easily participate in using either a hashtag or audio you’ve created.

This option is a fun way to get your employees involved by asking for participation and posting it on their own page. The more people participate, the more reach you get because they share it with their whole network. Alternatively, you can also take advantage of each app’s paid ad options to boost your video to increase visibility. Whichever method you choose, be sure you keep your target audience in mind and consider the best options to get your content in front of them.

4. Leverage Advertising for Reach

Similar to the “boost” option on a post, you can utilize social media platforms to create branded recruitment ads to increase visibility for your business. Both apps allow you to customize campaign objectives, create custom audiences, and measure the results of the ads.

The greatest advantage of recruiting on Instagram and TikTok is that both apps allow you to target users based on recent engagement in specific content categories. If you’re looking to target teachers, you focus on those who engaged with education-based content. If you’re targeting the mothers who have left the workforce in droves after the pandemic, you can focus on parenting-based content. This opens a new avenue beyond what may be available on traditional platforms.

5. Leverage influencer status.

“Influencers” are people who have reached measurable popularity on a social media platform and are now providing advertisements for companies, usually for a fee.

Companies utilize influencers by either finding someone whose personal brand aligns closely with their own or encouraging their employees to become ambassadors for the company. There are several examples of either employee or brand accounts becoming influencers in their own right by posting relevant, engaging content.

If you have an employee (or an excellent marketing department) who can create authentic content outside the norm for corporate accounts, you can successfully begin recruiting on Instagram and TikTok.

Don’t expect to go viral overnight, but this type of content creation always seems intimidating until you get started. Recruiting on Instagram and TikTok is a wide-open market, and the talent acquisition pros that can embrace this unique opportunity will reap the benefits.

For more trends and tips in Talent Acquisition visit PREDICTIVEHR.com.