Why Chipotle taps into TikTok to fill its work gap

There is a perfect storm brewing in the restaurant industry that is wreaking havoc and with no end in sight.

Business has returned to pre-pandemic levels, even exceeding those levels in some markets, illustrating significant pent-up demand from consumers who happen to be afloat at the moment.

However, there are not enough restaurant workers, or employees in general, to serve them. As a result, establishments run out of supplies, reduce hours or shut down all together.

In response, restaurateurs have gone out of their way to attract more people who pay labor just to interview them, by handing out iPhones and fries, offering signing bonuses and reimbursement of service fees. schooling, for example. But Chipotle may have just found a more effective solution to grab the attention of potential employees.

The company is among the first brands to take advantage of TikTok’s new “CV” functionality to recruit candidates. Interested applicants are encouraged to present their skills and experiences in a “creative and authentic” way through a video CV posted on TikTok using the hashtag #TikTokResumes. Locations across the country are looking for restaurant team members on the social media site.

Chipotle’s resume program runs through July 31 and coincides with the chain’s second “Coast to Coast” Career Day on July 15 with the ultimate goal of hiring 15,000 employees.

This CV driver has a lot of potential for Chipotle considering TikTok’s influence as the second most downloaded app in the world. The channel has 689 million monthly active users, who spend approximately 46 minutes per day on the site.

This rapidly growing, large and captive audience has caught the attention of many brands. Nerf even hired a TikTok chief officer, while Jack in the Box brought in Kyra Media as their referral agency entirely focused on their TikTok channel.

Chipotle himself was a forerunner on TikTok and had huge success with the platform. His #GuacDance 2019 challenge generated 250,000 video submissions and 430 million video starts in just six days, for example, while his Justin Bieber challenge in early 2020 reached 95 million people.

By leveraging TikTok CVs, however, Chipotle is looking for more than reach and engagement. Soliciting candidates on this channel shows fans of the brand that they not only exist in one of their favorite spaces, but that they also take that space very seriously.

“Given the current hiring climate and our strong growth trajectory, it is critical to find new platforms to directly engage in meaningful career conversations with Generation Z,” said Marissa Andrada, Head of Chipotle Diversity, Inclusion and Human Resources, in a statement. “TikTok has been in Chipotle’s DNA for quite some time and now we are evolving our presence to help attract top talent to our restaurants. ”

Chipotle is not immune to the industry’s workforce issues, so this move is particularly critical in reaching young consumers who may be looking for a job, or at least to get young consumers looking for a job. employment. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the teen employment rate is at its highest level since 2008. These are the workers businesses are counting on to help solve the current labor shortage. other terms.

These workers have also been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and therefore may be eager to return to work. According to the Economy Policy Institute, the overall unemployment rate for young workers aged 16 to 24 rose from 8.4% to over 24% in spring 2020.

These workers can also be found on TikTok. Sixty-two percent of all US TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 29.

Certainly having a TikTok presence is not a panacea for the industry’s current labor shortages. Workers are leaving the restaurant industry in record numbers due to low wages, high risks and a host of other issues. But it sends a strong message to those who can look for work, especially younger ones looking for work, to prioritize a platform that is clearly very important to them.