HR Tech Talk
On the popular video app TikTok, users are posting video resumes, which often earn them hundreds of comments and shares.
These job seekers are hoping a one-minute video will result in job leads, or even interview requests.
The idea of being able to find a job in this new way may make the single-page words-only resume seem antiquated.
This trend, while innovative, should raise some red flags for employers.
Employers who use any social networks to evaluate job candidates run certain risks, and TikTok is no exception. These risks include:
- Overlooking potentially strong non-video savvy applicants, or
- Unwittingly succumbing to bias.
Social media profiles and video resumes almost always include user images, which can reveal the candidate’s age, race, and other factors that are more easily obscured in a resume.
Social media feeds also divulge other details that aren’t usually revealed on a traditional resume, but which could bias a potential employer. These include political views, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and parental status, to name a few.
TikTok is especially problematic because its users skew younger than the U.S. population; half of its users are under age 34. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits discriminating against prospective employees based on age, so only accepting TikTok resumes could be interpreted as age discrimination.
Consider essential job functions
When deciding whether to view TikTok and other video resumes, consider what applicants would be asked to do on the job. If the job description includes creating visually impactful video or social media content, there may be fewer problems with a video resume. If the job is unrelated to video or social media, the more problematic it could be to accept such resumes.
Given the choice between a job candidate whose video portrays stylishly edited content and one who submits a traditional text-only resume, an employer may feel justified in favoring the flashier candidate. They may feel as if they know more about that person and what type of employee they would be.
That would mean the employer is assuming a select group of applicants has superior qualifications while missing vital information about other candidates.
Even though finding qualified applicants might be a challenge right now, understand the risks before using any social media for recruiting. Have processes, procedures, and training around those risks.
Also, be sure the actions taken on behalf of the company don’t inadvertently weed out solid potential employees who may not be as tech savvy as another applicant, especially if this tech knowledge isn’t an essential job function.