What do TikTok and LinkedIn have in common?

At first glance, not much. But according to Emily Durham, senior recruiter at Intuit Canada a.k.a. @emily.the.recruiter on TikTok, the short-form video platform is changing several aspects of the hiring landscape.

When it comes to job seekers doing their homework on new career opportunities, “the future of information consumption, research and connection is changing right in front of us with the evolution of social media – powered by Gen Z and Millennial talent,” says Durham.

Recent studies show nearly 40% of Gen Z prefer researching topics on TikTok over other online platforms, with Instagram and YouTube also evolving into resources for job seekers looking for information about prospective positions and companies. “We also know that these generations are less influenced by corporate marketing campaigns, especially in the space of employer value proposition. It means much less for a company to tell you how great their culture is than it does for a real employee to show you on a platform you already trust – like TikTok,” says Durham.

For businesses looking to find talent, this means that avoiding social media platforms or publishing inauthentic content could translate to missing out on opportunities to find the right candidates. “It’s an exciting time to share authentic stories about an organization’s work not just by showing potential candidates, but telling them through the lens of the employees,” says Durham.

Social media is one tool that employers can leverage to stand out and not only attract the right talent, but keep it. “The hybrid workplace has made the hiring landscape more competitive, putting the pressure on organizations to keep their employees both engaged and productive. Employers doing social media right are encouraging their teams to share authentic experiences online, whether it’s on LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram, to reach potential talent, leveraging organic content made by their own teams to highlight company culture, team dynamics and ultimately attract new candidates,” says Durham.

In her role as a recruiter, Durham has found success by using social media to share career education content and showcase a day-in-the-life so prospective employees can get an authentic feel for what it’s like to work at Intuit. “From my existing content, they already have a strong level of understanding of me, my role and the culture at Intuit. I often hear, ‘I’ve watched your work-day vlogs – Intuit seems like a fun place to be.’ Immediately, this builds a sense of trust and rapport with candidates that otherwise would be hard to develop,” she says.

Durham advises that the first step is to get on board with a new wave of social media that’s raw and unfiltered. “Content that performs well is content that showcases the authentic experiences of employees to truly resonate with audiences online,” she says.

But it doesn’t necessarily start with hiring a social content team – your current employees are likely a gold mine in this respect. “Employers should look at their teams and identify people who have a passion for social content development or who may already be connected to a growing community online. This can be a great opportunity to offer exposure, build relationships and grow leadership internally,” she says, noting that the content doesn’t have to be complicated – a simple vlog or Q&A would do the trick.

That said, working with resources outside the company comes with its own advantages. “Collaborating with content creators to showcase office culture or even product launches can have a huge impact if it’s thoughtful, creative, fun and most importantly, amplifies the voices of your company’s biggest advocates– your team,” says Durham.