Chipotle, Shopify, and Target Are Using TikTok to Find New Employees

Companies are struggling to find employees after a long pandemic year.

Chipotle, Target and Shopify are among companies that are turning to TikTok to find prospective employees.

The companies are using TikTok Resumes, a pilot program that lets job candidates submit video resumes on the social platform.

According to the NFIB, 46% of small business owners have job openings they cannot fill even while raising pay.

Marissa Andrada, the chief people officer for Chipotle, says the restaurant chain already had 1.6 million followers on TikTok when it considered partnering with TikTok on video resumes.

“We have a crazy brand following and it’s always great to see what fan videos are about,” Andrada said.

Many of the employees at Chipotle restaurants are Gen Z and millennials, so she said, “why not lean into their energy? TikTok Resumes is a way to engage with them in a way they already like to connect with us.”

She added, “You see their excitement and passion for our food and get a sense for how this person would be as a team member, which is different than just accepting a resume or an application.”
Restaurants, bars and fast-food chains are struggling to find workers.

Recently Denny’s CEO John Miller told CNBC earlier this month that finding enough workers has been among the biggest challenges as the country comes out of the pandemic lockdown.

In addition to TikTok video resumes, Chipotle is casting a wide net for new workers and on July 15, it held a coast-to-coast career day at all its restaurants.

Andrada said the company has a goal to hire 15,000 employees to help staff its existing locations as well as the additional 200 new locations planned by the end of 2021.

At the end of May, Chipotle announced that it was increasing average hourly wages to $15. It also launched employee referral bonuses of $200 for crew members and $750 for apprentices and general managers.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.