Chipotle recruits workers with TikTok's new resumé program

Brands have long used TikTok to win attention from Gen Z consumers. Now Chipotle is turning to the app to recruit workers. The Mexican food chain is among the first brands using TikTok's new resume program, which allows people to apply for jobs by uploading videos that explain or demonstrate skillsets and experiences. Candidates must include #TikTokResumes in the caption of their video resume, which is a way for TikTok to get its new initiative trending. The so-called TikTok Resumes program launched Wednesday in pilot form, with Chipotle among a select group of companies invited to try it out. Target, Forever 21, Popsugar and VaynerMedia are among those posting job openings at the special site. The program gives TikTok a new, more practical, entry into people's lives. The app became famous for more frivolous uses, like dance and fitness challenges or everyday life hacks. "#CareerTok is already a thriving subculture on the platform and we can’t wait to see how the community embraces TikTok Resumes and helps to reimagine recruiting and job discovery," Nick Tran, TikTok's global head of marketing, said in a statement. Here is an example of the new program in action, according to a sample provided by TikTok: @makena.yee Here are the reasons why YOU should hire me! Don’t be shy, let’s get in touch. #tiktokresumes #tiktokpartner ♬ original sound - MAKENA Chipotle currently has several “Restaurant Team Member” openings. Those looking for work can submit their TikTok resumes using the app or visiting TikTok Resumes, now until July 31st. Chipotle's move comes as the restaurant industry grapples with a worker shortage and tries to refill jobs that are coming back as pandemic lockdowns ease. Restaurant Business Online reported that from April 2019 to April of 2020 the restaurant industry lost 5.6 million workers. “Given the current hiring climate and our strong growth trajectory, it’s essential to find new platforms to directly engage in meaningful career conversations with Gen-Z,” says Marissa Andrada, Chipotle’s chief diversity, inclusion and people officer. Chipotle was among the first brands to use TikTok for marketing purposes, first appearing in 2019. By using TikTok for recruitment, the chain will give potential employees the chance to portray themselves in a more digital, personal and creative ways than made available in traditional hiring tools such as LinkedIn. This is not the first time Chipotle has looked to upstart apps to help lure talent. In May, it was the first brand to launch a virtual career fair on Discord, the gaming chat community. Attendees were offered live sessions that included cooking demos and an opportunity to chat with current employees to gain insight into what it's like to work in a Chipotle restaurant. The virtual career fair helped increase applicants by 77% week-over-week, according to Tressie Lieberman, Chipotele's VP for digital marketing and off-premise. The TikTok Resumes program is just one strategy the restaurant chain is using to onboard 15,000 additional employees across the nation. And TikTok users with no rhythm might find better luck landing a job than mastering the complex choreography of one of TikTok's many viral dance videos.

Chipotle recruits workers with TikTok's new resumé program

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