What if TikTok became the next-generation LinkedIn?

How TikTok Could Revolutionize Professional Networking as the Next-Gen LinkedIn

TikTok has become the standout app that appeals to both young and old. It has strongly established itself in the world of social networks and now features more than just entertainment content. It is becoming increasingly diverse and is even entering the recruitment field.

In the first quarter of 2022, the platform surpassed the 3.5 billion downloads mark worldwide (source). Known mainly for its dance challenges and playback covers, the concept of the application is very attractive and goes far beyond simple entertaining videos. From now on, companies innovate in terms of recruitment and use this social network to share their job offers and attract a younger target. As the new communication gold rush, TikTok undeniably establishes itself as an ideal recruitment channel. Not to mention its hashtag “#recruitment” already has 14.7 million views.

When SNCF calls upon influencers

With product placements, filming, and content creation for social networks, being an influencer has become a full-time job. Influencers have indeed revolutionized our consumption habits and are now transforming recruitment methods.

Companies see them as a real opportunity to attract new profiles. This is the case with SNCF, which went through the Bolt influence agency to find candidates for some of its lesser-known professions: electrician, mechanic, railway station agent, etc.

Influencers master the language of young people and have a better chance of convincing them to apply for a job. This is how seven TikTok content creators, including two rising stars : Maddys_Healthy (1,4M subscribers) and OlivierHude (2,7M subscribers), published a short, striking, and funny video presenting one of these professions to a community of more than 300,000 people aged 18 to 25. The challenge was successfully met as the SNCF received a huge number of applications for its offerings and generated more traffic than usual on its job site.

Super U: The use of sponsored content to recruit

If some companies prefer to use influencers like SNCF, others prefer sponsored content. These are publications that appear on the users’ news feed. This is the case with French supermarket chain, Système U, which called upon a startup specialized in recruiting young people on social networks, Bonanza. This startup’s mission was to find the future butcher apprentices for the retail group.

It launched ads on various social networks, such as Snapchat, Instagram and, of course, TikTok, to attract a young target. Franck Magnan, the co-founder of Bonanza, recalls the power of TikTok to the newspaper Les Echos: “It was the first time we did this on TikTok and that’s where we were the most successful. The social network is still not used very much for recruitment and when a message gets through, when it uses the codes specific to this platform, it has a strong virality”. The video on TikTok was a great success, as it recorded 500,000 views.

Following this original recruitment campaign, 60 candidates were selected for interviews, encouraging other companies to use social networks to find their rare gems. Système U plans to repeat the experience for the professions of pork butcher, pastry chef and fishmonger.

Shooting trend videos like La Rosée

In September 2020, skincare company La Rosée published a surprising job advertisement for an apprenticeship as part of its launch campaign. Instead of a job description or a list of duties, the company posted a video featuring Mathilde Bourduge, the head of communication, and a colleague washing their skin with the company’s products while dancing. The announcement was intended to be simple, lighthearted, and fun: “Hey, we’re starting on TikTok and looking for an apprentice to help us out! Are you the person we need? Apply with your best TikTok!”. The result was amazing: 170,000 views and around 250 applications received, which is “four times more applications than through a traditional recruitment channel”, according to Mathilde Bourduge, the head of communication for the brand.

Why companies want to use Tiktok

The advantage of these campaigns lies in their ease and efficiency.

Companies don’t have to create an account on the social network nor update it regularly. The sponsored posts will automatically appear on the feed of people interested in the content related to the services offered by the company.

TikTok is the ideal way for companies to rejuvenate their brand image and connect to a young audience that is not necessarily present on professional social networks such as LinkedIn. TikTok has the particularity to reinvent our way of communicating and to allow the creation of punchy and playful content. Companies have to adapt to major trends in order to survive and attract the best profiles and talents.

TikTok’s big recruitment plans

TikTok never stops surprising its community. The platform wants to launch a new recruitment platform. Companies will be able to quickly and efficiently attract young profiles adapted to their needs. However, “the platform is not an integrated product of TikTok, but rather a separate webpage accessible via the app, where brands can post job offers,” explains the site Axios.

Is the era of resumes and cover letters over? Candidates will have the possibility to post their application via video and share it with recruiters thanks to the various tools offered by TikTok. Their pitch must be punchy and concise. They will also be able to publish their video CVs on their profile, an opportunity to publicize themselves. The idea is to allow users to make a lightning pitch or a summary of their professional experience via video, in a unique way.

The tool is currently in the testing phase and there is no guarantee that this service will be rolled out to all users. Large companies, such as sports leagues, are currently participating. However, TikTok has yet to provide any further details about these organizations. The idea of a recruitment tool came after the rise of career advice offered on the platform.

Enjoyed the read? Clap and share your thoughts in the comments! Let’s discuss the potential of TikTok as the next-gen LinkedIn and how it could reshape the professional landscape. Your insights could spark a lively conversation and inspire others to join in. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the dialogue shaping the future of networking!

About this article

This article has been written by a student on the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Strategy Management. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminating the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DSM.