Some employers in Singapore are turning to TikTok as a recruitment tool

TikTok’s algorithm steers Ms Eva Daneesyah to food recommendations, travel vlogs and the occasional stand-up comedy clip. So a May 2023 job advertisement by an ice-cream shop stood out to the 23-year-old Singaporean. 

In a 42-second-long clip, a worker wearing a mask and a pair of pink-framed sunglasses cleans tables, scoops ice cream and takes out the trash. After each task, he turns to look at the camera comically. “Who said working couldn’t be fun? Join the laughter at Three’s A Crowd Cafe!” the post’s caption reads.

Ms Daneesyah, who graduated from Perth’s Murdoch University in February, applied for a service crew position immediately – via the link listed on the cafe’s TikTok profile.

The “silly, welcoming and quirky” video was what compelled her to apply for the job without much thought, she told The Straits Times. “All I knew was that working in a cafe was a field I wanted to explore and the clip already established for me that the cafe’s staff were a welcoming crowd.”

Like the dessert chain, many companies across various industries, such as hospitality and technology, have started to advertise job openings on the video-sharing platform. 

Using hashtags such as #singaporejobs and #sghiring, these videos typically list the benefits of roles advertised, such as a fun and young working environment or flexible working hours. 

Some clips are fronted by the employees themselves. They might take viewers on a tour of the office or give a play-by-play account of their daily work routine as timeframes flash across the screen: “12.30pm: Lunch at Lau Pa Sat!”

Companies told ST that the video-sharing platform allows them to reach a younger audience, namely Gen Zs. 

For Three’s A Crowd, which has listed at least five job openings on TikTok, the platform has delivered “promising results”, said a partner at the cafe, Ms Amanda Koh. Including Ms Daneesyah, who is now the part-time crew head, the cafe, which has outlets in Tampines and Race Course Road, has successfully hired applicants who mentioned seeing its TikTok listings during their interviews. 

Ms Koh added: “The platform offers a unique opportunity to engage with a younger, more social media-savvy demographic which aligns closely with our potential crew members.

“It allows us to showcase our company’s personality and values in a creative manner, attracting individuals who find that our brand resonates with them.”

Singtel, too, has included TikTok in its talent engagement strategy. 

“We’ve observed that many Gen Zs 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 Ms Aileen Tan, the telecommunications company’s group chief people and sustainability officer. 

Videos on the channel SingtelCareers showcase employees’ daily routines, explain various career paths and announce upcoming school campus events and career talks. Since its first video in May 2023, the platform has reached more than two million users, said Ms Tan. 

The telco has advertised three job programmes which aim to “nurture young talent” – a management associate programme for fresh graduates, an internship, and a work-study programme for students – on its channel. 

“TikTok allows us to connect with potential young talent quickly in a light-hearted and engaging manner through a mix of visuals and fun, short skits,” said Ms Tan.  

Hotel chain Hilton embarked on its TikTok recruitment journey in Singapore in December 2022, listing primarily front-line positions such as those for receptionists and housekeeping crew.

The inclusion of TikTok and other social media platforms in Hilton’s recruitment efforts “increases candidate diversity” and allows the chain to fill a variety of roles crucial to operations, said Mr Richard Todd, its senior director of human resources and recruitment in the Asia-Pacific (Apac). 

As the number of job opportunities is expected to rise in line with Hilton’s growing Apac portfolio, the company remains “focused on engaging talent in more creative ways”, said Mr Todd.

“In Singapore, we observed a remarkable 53 per cent increase in applications from 2022 to 2023, highlighting the success of our digital engagement methods.”

For some companies, using TikTok is also a way to increase their chances of finding employees who fit their bill.

Using TikTok to find creative professionals was a calculated choice for marketing agency The Pinnacle Creative. “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 among the “qualifying criteria”.

Listing job openings on social media also saves an “unimaginable amount of time and resources” as prospective candidates would be able to get a better sense of whether the company would be a good fit for them, he added.

Interior design studio Blend by ImC advertised openings for interior designers in a nine-second video and has since received about five applications a day. 

The studio’s social media manager Valerie Wong said: “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.”

As Gen Zs have started to enter the workforce, adding TikTok to their recruitment strategy is a smart way for employers to reach a younger audience, said human resources and marketing professionals. 

The younger generation is not well exposed to traditional media such as print and television and is more attracted to short and entertaining videos, said Mr Mark Chong, director of recruitment firm Point of Entry. 

The short-video format also allows companies to showcase their culture and build their brand by featuring staff through trends or interviews, said Mr Joel Toh, general manager of The Supreme HR Advisory. 

He added that TikTok edges out other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube because its videos are more likely to go viral organically. “Companies active on TikTok are often perceived as more trendy and liberal, which can attract more job applicants,” said Mr Toh. 

He also noted that more companies have been turning to the platform to search for employees, led by government agencies and ministries which explain their work and policies. 

Engaging videos are effective for companies across all industries, but are particularly beneficial for non-office industries such as shipyards or factories as they can help to dispel perceptions of poor and dull working environments, he added. 

“People increasingly view TikTok not just as an entertainment platform but as an information centre where they can find information and food reviews and even shop,” Mr Toh said. 

Despite its wider reach, TikTok might not be effective in finding candidates for high or mid-management-level positions, said Mr Chong. “At that career stage, they won’t be using TikTok to find jobs.”

Even as they seek to engage Gen Zs, companies need to take precautions on the internet as online content is scrutinised closely and firms should practise sensitivity when making posts to avoid a backlash from netizens and tarnishing their image.

“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.

She added: “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.”

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.