The algorithm on TikTok guides Eva Daneesyah to meal recommendations, trip vlogs and the sporadic stand-up comedy clip. Thus, the 23-year-old Singaporean came upon a very interesting May 2023 employment advertisement for an ice-cream business.
A worker wearing a mask and a pair of pink framed eyeglasses cleans tables, scoopes ice-cream and removes rubbish in a 42-second long movie. He turns humorously and looks at the camera after every chore.
“Who said working couldn’t be fun? Join the laughter at Three’s a Crowd Cafe!” the post’s caption reads.
Following her February graduation from Murdoch University at Kaplan, Daneesyah applied right away for a service crew post via the link shown on the TikTok page of the cafe.
She told The Straits Times the “silly, welcoming and quirky” video was what drove her to apply for the job without much consideration.
“All I knew was that working in a cafe was a field I wanted to explore and it already virtually established a welcoming crowd.”
Like the dessert chain, numerous businesses in sectors including tech and hospitality have begun running job ads on the video-sharing platform.
Usually listing the advantages of positions posted, such a dynamic and young working atmosphere or flexible working hours. These videos use hashtags like #singaporejobs and #sghiring.
Staff members themselves front several of the clips. As time frames flash across the screen, they may take visitors on a tour around the office or offer a play-by-play explanation of their daily work schedule.
Companies told ST that the video-sharing network lets them access Gen Zers, a younger demographic.
Amanda Koh, a cafe partner, said Three’s A Crowd has shown “promising results” since it has posted at least five job positions on TikTok. Including Daneesyah, the part-time crew chief, the cafe with outlets on Race Course Road and Tampines has effectively employed candidates mentioning seeing its TikTok listings during their interviews.
“The platform offers a unique opportunity to engage with a younger, more social media-savvy demographic which aligns closely to our potential crew members,” Koh added.
“It allows us to showcase our company’s personality and values in a creative manner, attracting individuals who resonate with our brand.”
Singtel has also incorporated TikTok in its talent engagement plan.
“We’ve observed that many Gen Zers spend a significant amount of time on TikTok which is why we consider it a suitable channel through which we can raise awareness of our work culture and early career development opportunities,” said Aileen Tan, the telco’s group chief people and sustainability officer.
On the SingtelCareers channel, videos highlight daily activities of staff members, clarify several career routes, and announce forthcoming career presentations and events on school campuses. Said Tan, the platform has drawn over two million users since its debut video in May 2023.
On its channel, the telco has promoted three job initiatives aiming at “nurture young talent”: a management associate programme for recent graduates, an internship, and a work-study programme for students.
“Tik Tok allows us to connect with potential young talents quickly in a light-hearted and engaging manner through a mix of visuals and fun, short skits,” said Tan.
Starting its TikTok recruitment process in Singapore in December 2022, Hilton listed mostly frontline roles including housekeeping workers and receptionists.
Said Mr Richard Todd, managing director of human resources and recruiting in the Asia-Pacific, adding TikTok and other social media platforms to Hilton’s hiring initiatives “increases candidate diversity” and lets the chain cover a range of tasks vital to operations”.
Mr. Todd said Hilton remains “focused on engaging talent in more creative ways,” even if the number of job openings may climb in pace with its expanding APAC portfolio.
“In Singapore, we observed a remarkable 53 per cent increase in applications from 2022 to 2023, highlighting the success of our digital engagement methods.”
Using TikTok is also a method for some businesses to raise their search results of employees that would fit their profile.
For marketing agency The Pinnacle Creative, searching for creative professionals on TikTok was deliberate.
“The roles require in-depth understanding of social media platforms’ features, trends and user behaviour,” said creative director Kelvin Lee, who added that being a social media user was a “qualifying criteria”.
Posting job vacancies on social media also saves “unimaginable amount of time and resources,” he said. Since potential applicants could better determine whether the organization would be a good fit.
Blend by ImC, an interior design business, posted openings for interior designers in a nine-second video and received roughly five daily applications.
“We find that candidates on TikTok, regardless of their age, are more in tune with current social trends, which is essential in our line of work offering design as a service,” social media manager Valerie Wong said.
Said human resource and marketing experts, adding TikTok to their hiring process is a clever approach for companies to target a younger audience as Gen Zers start to join the workforce.
Mr Mark Chong, director of recruiter business Point of Entry, said the younger generation is more drawn to short and amusing videos and is not very exposed to conventional media including print media and television channels.
Said Joel Toh, general manager of The Supreme HR Advisory, the structure of short videos lets businesses highlight their culture and strengthen their brand by showcasing staff members via trends or interviews.
He also said that since videos on TikTok are more likely to become viral naturally, the site edges over other channels including Instagram and YouTube.
“Companies active on TikTok are often perceived as more trendy and liberal, which can attract more job applicants,” said Toh.
He also observed that, driven by government departments and ministries explaining their work and regulations. More businesses have been using the platform to hunt staff.
While engaging videos are great for businesses in all kinds, they especially help non-office businesses like factories or shipyards help to eliminate ideas of inadequate and boring working conditions, he said.
“People increasingly view TikTok not just as an entertainment platform but as an information centre where they can find information, food reviews, and even shop,” he said.
Though it is more popular, Chong said TikTok could not be useful in locating applicants for mid- or high-level postings.
“At that career stage, they won’t be using TikTok to find jobs.”
Companies should exercise caution on the internet even as they want to involve Gen Zers since online content is closely examined. Businesses should be sensitive when posting to prevent a backlash from netizens and so damage their reputation.
“Companies should exercise caution with content that may touch on sensitive topics such as race, gender, and religion, while also avoiding stereotypes when it comes to hiring,” said Ms Glenda Tang, managing director of social media agency Two Sleepy Heads Creative Studio.
“Authenticity is important as it helps to establish trust, and video is a good platform for this. TikTok shouldn’t be the only method for job ads, but it can be a good accompanying platform,” she added.
