When you think about social media and recruitment, the first platform that comes to mind is normally LinkedIn. Sometimes Twitter or Google+, but not really Snapchat.
However, the photo messaging app has shot up in popularity in the past year, and was the sixth most downloaded free iPhone app in 2013, so it's no surprise that recruiters are looking to it as a means of attracting candidates to their company.
In a world where people want information quickly, easily and succinctly; using an app that requires users to send a photo or 10 second clip rather than a long-winded CV and cover letter will be appealing to a lot of recruiters and hiring managers.
So here I'll look at the ways Snapchat can be used for recruitment, and what stumbling blocks hiring managers might hit when using it.
Snapchat is a great tool to dish out vouchers in return for customer loyalty, and this can be applied to recruitment. Brands can entice users to refer friends for vacancies by offering a Snapchat voucher to be spent on that brand's products in return. This approach is a double win, because not only will the company potentially get a really good candidate, they'll also be more likely to get some brand loyalty from the friend who referred them. You can't lose!
If that seems like too much hard work, then rather than trying to get the users to interact with you, you can broadcast to them. Snapchat can be used to make creative job advert pictures or videos and send them to an audience who might not normally check your careers page or other social media accounts. This also gives your social media/marketing team the chance to explore new avenues and exercise their creative skills.
Another strategy is to make the company appear like a desirable place to work, which will (hopefully!) attract passive candidates. This can be done by offering exclusive behind-the-scenes snaps of the office and its environment, as well as insights into the day-to-day work of existing employees. If you offer one picture a day at a certain time, this will also make users expect a daily snap, increasing their interaction with the brand.
With all that said and done, the best way of using Snapchat for recruitment that I have come across is to call on the creative skills of your social media followers. Got a creative/digital vacancy going at your company? Encourage candidates to "pitch" for the job with a 10 second Snapchat video. This will not only make the recruitment process a whole lot more interesting, but it will also generate some great PR for the company. This approach is perfect if you're recruiting for a creative, social or marketing role (see: DDB Oslo's "The Snapchat Pitch" campaign), and the videos you will receive will also showcase the candidates' creativity and ability to communicate.
However, as with everything in life, there is a downside. Firstly, the whole point of Snapchat is that the images and videos that are sent expire when the time limit (maximum 10 seconds) is reached, so it's impossible for recruiters to revist candidates' entries to reassess them. So it seems that the whole recruitment process would be more of a PR stunt than an actual viable tool.
Also, the app's audience is considerably young (13-25) so it would only be useful to recruit for junior/entry-level roles. It's also mainly a fun, personal platform, so the question could be raised about whether users will really be interested in using the app for professional purposes rather than just silly selfies?
So, for now, Snapchat seems to be an interesting idea, but not something vital to the recruitment process. But who knows what the app can bring in the future? With over 400 million snaps sent daily and about 30 million monthly active users, it won't be long before the photo sharing app expands and opportunities for recruiters to capitalise on its popularity arise.
What do you think about using Snapchat for recruitment? Innovative or a waste of time? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @BubbleJobs!