TechTok: The power of TikTok in tech recruitment

The pandemic has caused a huge reshuffling of the economy. As the world moved online, tech companies experienced huge growth and tech jobs are more in demand than ever.At the same time, the pandemic contributed to the Great Resignation. The quit rate in the UK is the highest it’s been since 2009, and 4.5 million people in the U.S. left their jobs in November 2021 alone.Even for those who haven’t left their jobs, the pandemic has caused many to reconsider their values, goals and priorities in their careers, sometimes leading to a desire to switch industries, find a job with better hours, to work remotely, or all of the above. #CareerTok and new ways of recruiting In searching for answers to their career dilemmas, many are turning to social media and particularly TikTok, which this year became the most popular domain on the internet. ‘TechTok’ is part of a larger trend of career content on TikTok particularly targeted towards Gen Z job seekers at the start of their careers, or people looking to switch roles.The hashtag #CareerTok currently has 229.1 million views, with everyone from professional career counsellors to university students sharing their career journeys and advice on CVs, interviews and everything in between.Career content on TikTok has become so popular that the platform has even launched TikTok Resumes, a pilot programme connecting companies and entry-level job applicants.Recently, content around tech careers in particular has been popular on the platform. Creators using #techtok, #techcareers or #breakingintotech tell stories of how they transitioned into tech from other industries.Spend long enough on this side of TikTok and it seems like everyone is getting into tech.These creators are emphasising aspects including better schedules, work from home perks, free food and coffee in the office, high salaries and the ability to enter the industry from a non-technical background.They also share advice on courses they took to gain technical skills, how to create a CV for tech, how to do well in an interview and how they’re able to take skills from their old jobs and use them in their new tech positions, encouraging their followers to make the transition to tech.The power of social media TechTok illustrates once again that social media also has a unique power to make things accessible to people who might not otherwise have exposure to it.In addition to targeting an audience largely comprised of demographics that are underrepresented in tech, including women, these influencers often emphasise that non-technical ‘soft skills’ like communication, organisation and teamwork are needed in tech companies — a concept often overlooked in the mainstream conversation around tech roles.The trendiness of #TechTok also shows how a strong social media presence can be a huge asset for tech recruiters and tech companies looking to fill open positions, and can open up the conversation around who belongs in tech.Having a strong social media game is a must for tech companies looking to recruit in 2022. Whether or not TikTok can help fill the talent gap in tech remains to be seen, but for now #TechTok shows no signs of slowing down.