Launched in 2016, TikTok is often considered the new kid on the block in social media circles. During its infancy, TikTok was considered little more than a novelty, but this video-sharing platform has come a long way in recent years. Today, TikTok has more than a billion active users, with 672 million people downloading the app in 2022 alone. These stats are surpassing the social media oldtimers. Often time considered only a timewasting Gen Z app, TikTok provides ample opportunities beyond a single generation.
This surge in popularity is making TikTok an increasingly attractive prospect to businesses looking to bolster their digital marketing efforts. Many companies are turning to short-form TikTok videos to bolster their brand awareness, but more businesses than ever are turning to the platform for recruitment purposes. Wondering how to recruit on TikTok? Read on for everything you need to know about unlocking the hiring potential of this powerful social media platform.
Why you should use TikTok for recruiting
More businesses than ever are turning to social media platforms when recruiting. As of 2023, around 84% of companies are actively using social platforms for recruitment purposes, with more planning on tapping into these networks in the future.
While the likes of LinkedIn remain the first port of call for young talent looking to connect with employers, an increasing number of job seekers are turning to TikTok for career opportunities. Around 40% of social media users in the United Kingdom use TikTok, meaning there’s a wealth of talent waiting to be discovered.
The age demographics of the average TikTok user should also excite recruiters. The vast majority of TikTok users fall within the 18 to 34 age bracket, making a typical user a desirable prospect for companies keen to attract Gen Z and Millennial job seekers.
Despite the potential of TikTok as a recruitment tool, relatively few businesses are making effective use of the platform. When making connections online, many recruiters and HR departments lean heavily on LinkedIn. While these networks have their advantages, TikTok’s focus on user-generated content makes it a unique tool for branding and connecting with candidates more authentically.
Furthermore, with relatively few companies using TikTok for recruitment purposes, there’s never been a better time to get a jump on your competitors.
TikTok recruitment strategy
While advertising job opportunities on TikTok is straightforward enough, you need to be mindful when integrating this platform into the recruitment process. Need some tips on how to connect with your target audience? Searching for pointers on how to create entertaining content that will engage candidates? We’ve got you covered.
Leverage the potential of influencers
Whether you’re using social media for recruitment or brand awareness, you’ve probably investigated the potential of influencer marketing before. TikTok influencers can help bolster your recruitment efforts, but the average TikTok influencer operates a little differently than they might elsewhere.
If you’re keen to target the best candidates and secure the widest reach, you’ll want to partner with industry experts. Talent influencers are your best bet if you’re keen to give your recruitment strategy a shot in the arm. Alternatively, you can look inward and use an existing employee with visibility on the platform to spotlight your company culture.
Companies thinking about the bigger picture might want to invest in a long-term partnership with influencers. You’ll build increasing employer brand awareness and nurture your TikTok audience, ensuring future recruitment campaigns have a wide reach. Working with an experienced influencer brings credibility to your recruitment efforts. What’s more, they’ll be able to advise on creating compelling video content that TikTok users are more likely to engage with.
Make use of hashtags
Hashtags and TikTok go hand in hand. While TikTok stands apart from other social networks in many ways, it’s hashtags that are the secret sauce that has driven this platform to the top of the pile.
When uploading content to TikTok, you need to think carefully about the hashtags you’re using. Every single one has value, exposing your recruitment ads to more potential candidates. Even generic hashtags like #jobvacancies will boost discoverability.
If your business is more established than most, you can even consider unveiling a hashtag challenge. This works particularly well if you have a large team that’s already active on the platform. You can even capitalise on existing hashtag challenge trends to increase visibility.
Spotlight company culture
TikTok can be a powerful tool for employer branding and introducing your company culture. Less formal than LinkedIn, TikTok can be used to create low-effort, high-impact content that will bolster your recruitment efforts.
Consider posting efforts that introduce potential candidates to what matters to you most as a brand. You’ll be able to introduce your work environment and an at-a-glance impression of your corporate structure.
Cultivating an established TikTok presence takes time, so look to this as a long-term investment. Ultimately, your efforts will pay off. The more videos you put out, the more likely it is that your content will be recognised as relevant.
While you can turn to creative agencies to support your first forays into TikTok content marketing, don’t forget about authenticity. Your focus here is to create a credible brand identity, so it’s important to spotlight genuine employees and avoid your content feeling too curated.
Should you invest in an ad campaign?
If you’ve used platforms like Facebook for hiring purposes before, the concept of paid advertising won’t be anything new. While Facebook remains the go-to platform for paid ads, it’s not your only option. If you’re keen to give your hiring strategy that extra push, it’s worth exploring TikTok’s advertising avenues.
Currently, there are a few different advertising formats available to businesses using TikTok.
Keen to connect with the growing number of TikTok mobile users? Go with in-feed ads.
Want to give your content the best chance at being noticed? While expensive, top-view ads and video ads can yield the best returns.
Spark ads are another option if you’re keen to approach engagement more organically, and can be used to increase the visibility of existing content.
Regardless of which ad format you go for, make sure you’re keeping the message short and sweet. Capture key benefits and job responsibilities while also ensuring contact details are provided in a snappy CTA.
Boost your employer brand on TikTok
While TikTok can be used as a powerful recruitment tool, this shouldn’t be the only reason for using the platform. Instead, focus on using it as a way to boost your brand identity and position yourself as a desirable employer.
The short-form nature of TikTok makes it unique among other social media platforms. However, you’ll want to be using several channels to give yourself the best chance at securing the widest reach. When posting content to other platforms, make sure your key marketing collateral is consistent across all networks. You can be a little more relaxed when uploading content to TikTok, but your tone of voice shouldn’t be a world apart from the messaging you’re putting out elsewhere.
Use TikTok to create unfiltered content that positions you as an authentic and relatable brand. Behind-the-scenes content is a good option here. This can be as simple as bite-sized day-in-the-life snippets, or more focused pieces that follow individual team members. Consider honing in on new hires as they navigate their first few months with your company. Alternatively, frame a series of videos around a single employee or small team as they tackle a project.
Has your company only recently taken to TikTok? Turn to existing employees to extend your reach and encourage established team members to become advocates for your brand on the platform.
Using recruitment software to recruit on TikTok
Are you ready to harness the power of TikTok to streamline your recruitment efforts? You’ll need reliable recruitment software to make the process as straightforward as possible. With Teamdash, you have everything you need to secure the best possible applicants and fill those urgent vacancies quickly.
As well as offering a complete applicant tracking system, Teamdash provides you with a wealth of extra features to take all the effort out of recruitment. Connect to all your favourite recruiter tools and automate the hiring process with asynchronous video interviews. Thinking about using social media platforms like TikTok for recruitment? With Teamdash, you can easily manage ad budgets, extend your reach with cross-channel campaigns and effortlessly measure performance with a powerful social media recruitment tool.
Ready to learn more? Why not book a demo today?
