Jobvite just released its 2014 Job-Seeker Survey, speaking to more than 2,000 people both in and out of the workforce. It found that social recruiting is on the rise: 85% of job-seekers are active on Facebook and 40% are active on Twitter. LinkedIn came in at just 36%, meaning that smart companies have to look beyond the “social network for professionals” to find top talent. I’m always searching for brands that are recruiting in innovative ways, such as Ann Loft and Amtrak. My latest find? Chipotle Mexican Grill, the restaurant chain with more than 1,500 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe. Here’s how they attract and workers who are so engaged and talented that nearly all the company’s managers are promoted from within.
Friendly Facebook
Chipotle Careers has more than 50,000 likes on Facebook. The company posts its open houses and hiring events as Facebook Events, which allows job-seekers to actually RSVP and share the invitation with friends. A simple idea, but you’d be surprised how few companies do this; they usually post hiring events as status updates, which alters how the content can be shared. The “Jobs at Chipotle” tab is powered by Glassdoor and combines all the company’s social recruiting channels — it lists current opening in one section, most recent tweets in another, and provides a large window for its YouTube videos.
Chipotle Careers also uses its Facebook timeline to present short interviews with employees, from the cooks to the C-suite. The timeline is updated in real time as new positions become available. And let’s not forget interaction; the recruiters behind the account are quick to answer questions, celebrate new hires, and respond to complaints. As far as I can tell, very little “censorship” takes place on the page, which allows for an honest but respectful atmosphere.
Tuned In to Twitter
Chipotle Careers on Twitter has a small but growing audience. Just having a recruitment-specific account shows that the company is committed to recruiting socially. The recruiters who run the account respond to just about anyone who mentions working at Chipotle, whether it’s a question about resumés or an announcement that they just got hired. This cultivates an important relationship between the chain’s recruiters and job-seekers.
In addition, the account tags its job openings with specific locations, such as #Massachusetts and #Denver, along with #jobs — another simple recruiting tactic that not all companies follow.
YouTube? You Bet!
Some of the videos on Chipotle Careers’ YouTube channel have tens of thousands of views. One video, A Day in the Life, shows what it’s really like to work in a Chipotle restaurant; another showcases the company’s career advancement opportunities, since the chain boasts that 97% of its general managers started by rolling burritos on the front line.
Chipotle Careers has cross-posted these videos on its Google Plus page — an easy but often overlooked step, since an account on YouTube creates a G+ profile with very little action on the user’s part. This dual presence on Google products helps the company’s SEO and shows it’s prepared for the 37% of job-seekers who are cialis online 20mg active on Google Plus, as the Jobvite survey found.
It’s worth noting that none of this social media talent acquisition detracts from Chipotle’s fun and informative careers site, with its clever “Get Rolling” branding and surprisingly candid compensation information. The site hosts both employer videos from the YouTube channel and educational videos about the company’s commitment to organic ingredients. “Brows Jobs” links can be found in several places around the homepage, making it easy for job-seekers to get started.
With a great careers site and powerful engagement on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, I name Chipotle Mexican Grill a Social Media Recruiting Superstar. The company has even expanded to another online channel, as someone recently posted 13 Reasons to Quit Your Job and Work at Chipotle on BuzzFeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
