TikTok - The Path To A More Diverse Talent Pool?

“As a future employee, you don’t want an employer to pretend to be something it’s not.”

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With Gen-Z turning to TikTok more and more to search out new job opportunities, a company’s positioning on social media is becoming increasingly important.

We’ve all seen it done badly. From the cringe-worthy scripted content, to brands jumping on outdated trends. Yet, when done right, it holds the key to diversifying your Gen-Z talent pool. 

With over 22 million views on the hashtag #GradJobs on TikTok, the platform offers companies the chance to connect with thousands of potential candidates from diverse backgrounds. And we know the significance DE&I holds with the demographic - it has been found that 83% of Gen-Z candidates say that a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is important when choosing an employer. 

As ever, it’s about authenticity when it comes to the social presence of an employer. With the evolution of TikTok as a platform for learning, the progressive, creator-led platform has the ability to transform outdated preconceptions of previously inaccessible industry sectors.

Just take a look at the “Day In The Life” videos which have dominated our For You pages - these intimate-style videos have the ability to break down the stereotypes. Check out our recent report here to discover the sentiments of Gen-Z on this content category.

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So how can companies successfully diversify their talent pipeline? We turned to our Gen-Z network and here’s what we found:

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How do you assess if a company is genuine about its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion?

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Across our focus group, they stated that the first step within the process was to check out an employers’ social media - most notably their Instagram and TikTok channels. Let’s be honest. As digital natives, Gen-Z can spot an inauthentic brand a mile off. The example was raised in relation to when a company out-out-the-blue posts a social media post to celebrate Pride Month. 

“Diversity efforts have to be done wholeheartedly on socials, not just on the surface level”

If the overarching narrative of your content strategy doesn’t match up: you can bet that Gen-Z can spot it. Instead, it comes across as performative and doesn’t indicate a genuine reflection of values. The crucial element here is maintaining consistency.

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What green flags do you look out for when it comes to an organisations’ social channel?

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All our focus group agreed that they look for employers opening the DE&I discussion in an authentic and genuine way. The content which our focus group couldn’t stand? Singled-out group content. Posts such as “Our LGBTQ+ heroes” came across gimmicky and “posts for the sake of diversity”. 

So where do micro influencers come in?

Our focus group noted that the content produced by internal marketing teams often just isn’t compelling enough to entice an application. Instead, by partnering with micro influencers, and creating a blend of content between brand and external influencers proved popular. Examples include, a micro influencer shadowing someone in the department or creating behind the scenes footage through a “Day In The Life” style videos. The reason? Gen-Z trust UGC creators.

Attracting and retaining diverse talent pools is one of the most challenging problems employers’ face.

So the question remains - how will your brand use influencers to diversify your DE&I efforts?

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