Article
Q&A: QSR recruiting trending on Twitter
Chris Reed of Talent Revolution discusses how the social media tool is getting more attention as a means to attract more talent.
October 13, 2009
*Chris Reed is a brand catalyst for talent acquisition and recruiting consultanting firm Talent Revolution.
Quick-service restaurants are beginning to learn the value of recruiting on Twitter, with brands such as Burger King (@BKCareers) and Taco Bell (@TacoBell_jobs and @TacoBellCareers) posting job opportunities.
Many of those posts are for management opportunities, although @TacoBellCareers also posts hourly openings as well. Click on the links on those posts, and the Burger King account will send followers either to the company's job board or its LinkedIn job postings. The Taco Bell tweets link to the company's job board. (Other QSR recruiting accounts on Twitter include @GetFasFoodJobs, which links to the Get Fast Food Jobs job board, and @yellowdogrecruiting_01, one of two accounts for executive search firm Yellow Dog Recruiting.)
Recruiting via Twitter and other social media can provide a variety of benefits, from funneling more—and even better—talent into the recruiting pipeline to building the chain's employment brand. And with QSRs planning to bring back some of the staff they trimmed during the downturn, now is the time to attract the best employees.
QSRweb.com asked Chris Reed, brand catalyst at talent acquisition and recruiting consultants Talent Revolution, to address some of the trends related to using this new tool.
What trends have you noticed in job recruiting and social media in the last few years, particularly for QSR?
I've seen a definite interest in utilizing social media for recruiting, and the interest seems to be uniform across a wide variety of industries. In this case, the willingness to utilize the tool is the variable. If there is any trend, because I believe we are still in the "early adopter" phase, I think it has to be that the rate of awareness is rapidly increasing.
Which platform is used most?
LinkedIn is the most used platform, simply because it is more of a network for professionals. There are a few companies doing an outstanding job on Facebook, such as Sodexo and Ernst & Young. Twitter has its place, but it isn't quite as initially intuitive as the other popular platforms. Even with all these platforms, I can't help but feel that the addition of a company blog is critical to support the rest of the online recruiting efforts.
Do you see this recruiting for management, executive or entry level – and do you know which is most successful?
I think it's still too early to say which has experienced the most success. Social recruiting lends itself well to discovering management and entry level talent but, for an executive search, I believe it's still necessary for all the recruiting tools to be utilized.
I've seen reports that teens don't use Twitter – do you have any information on how effective social media, especially Twitter, is with reaching this demographic with job openings?
In my own experience, the power of Twitter lies in networking with individuals who share your interests, which is why I believe Twitter is more professional in nature than Facebook. While it may be true that "teens don't tweet," there are teens on Twitter. With its ease of use and low barrier to entry, I still believe a presence should be maintained on all the popular platforms. The question, as always, really is whether or not your company's culture and message is the type that will resonate with the teen demographic. If it doesn't, it won't matter which platform you use.
Do you have stats on the percentage of QSRs recruiting online and/or accepting applications online?
I don't have any stats that specific, but I can tell you that there are a large number of companies already accepting applications online, as well as utilizing an ATS to manage their applicants. Some ATS/job board service providers even allow companies to establish their customized job site, complete with a blog, job postings, links to their other online presences, and video and photo sharing.
"Pounding the pavement" is nearly a forgotten saying. Job seekers, especially those from younger generations, are accustomed to completing essentially all of their tasks online. Applying for, and seeking information about, a job is no different.
