Help Wanted
How brands are turning to the social sphere to find talent
As many countries in the world reopen and capacity restrictions lift, retailers and restaurateurs face a new challenge: staffing shortages. It appears everyone is hiring at once, and finding the right talent is becoming more difficult than ever. As a result, brands are getting creative and shaking up the traditional hiring process.
While job posting boards, LinkedIn, recruiters, and referrals remain tried and true tools and methods, a walk down main street in most markets will reveal a collage of “We’re Hiring!” signs. Some industries are tapping into dedicated talent pipelines like Creatively, a platform by Stacey Bendet of Alice & Olivia designed exclusively for creative professionals. The JobOppList on Instagram, an account run by New York marketing agency Farrynheight, directs applicants to a curated edit of positions at brands like Dormify, Momofuku, and Warby Parker. Some job posting platforms on Instagram create a sense of exclusivity and buzz, posting word-of-mouth hiring opportunities submitted anonymously by direct message to their stories for 24 hours or less.
Aside from outsourcing hiring to other platforms, some brands are even taking to TikTok, where they can give a glimpse into work culture with a mini-vlog style post and a contact and a call for resumes posted in the comments. Viewers also can ask questions in the comments and share and tag their friends and followers, garnering more attention and increasing targeted views through TikTok’s “For You” page. Others have taken an even more out-of-the-box approach by creating dating profiles for their jobs on popular sites like Hinge and Tinder.
Many retail and restaurant jobs are offering new employees a sign-on bonus for the first time ever or using rewards programs, either in-house perks or employee discount programs with neighboring retailers in a shopping destination, to attract and incentivize new employees. Using content marketing and extending discounts in this way opens a door previously reserved for customers, and creates a new opportunity for brands to stand out within their desired talent pools.
