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TikTok launching jobs service for Gen Z
- Icathian 5y agoOn the one hand I absolutely get wanting to go to where the up and coming talent is. On the other I think a bit more distance between personal and professional platforms is probably in everyone's best interests. I'm curious to see if this gets much traction.
- CobsterLock 5y agoI already see too many people using LinkedIn as a second FaceBook. The few times I look at my feed I see people posting political opinions and other touchy subjects on their "wall" (not sure what the official name is on linked in). I always thought these professional social networks were more for keeping an up to date resume accessible and tweeting or re-tweeeting interesting work topics.
- beforeolives 5y agoThis should be one of those laws: > As the quality of a social network deteriorates, it becomes indistinguishable from Facebook. or > All social networks converge to Facebook over time. Something like that. It needs some work but you get the idea.
- willcipriano 5y agoThe eternal September is like entropy, it eventually catches up with all things. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September
- kingsuper20 5y agoI'd substitute 'Twitter' for that law. I'm always blown away by how unnecessarily cruel people are on that site.
- fullshark 5y agoSome people can't help themselves, and I bet linkedIN's algorithm news story feed optimizes for "engagement" which means political flamebait.
- mxuribe 5y agoI think there is some percentage of people who actually purposefully would create engagement-worthy postings...just to attract attention, thinking that it will suffice in bringing in eyeballs that they can sift through. (A tweak of the old adage that there's supposedly no such thing as bad publicity.) I'm not a fan of this because it likely would not attract those employers who would be an ideal fit. But i know some folks who likely do that with intent.
- varispeed 5y agoSounds like another Chinese government intelligence gathering exercise. Why this app isn't banned in the west?
- xvector 5y agoChoose your poison, US intelligence or Chinese? Either way it is irrelevant. People put on TikTok what they want the world to see. The importance of the app for any sort of intelligence is vastly overrated - Facebook would be far more useful as people expect relative privacy amongst their friend group.
- varispeed 5y agoAre you seriously comparing the US to openly racist China (social score, Hukou, concentration camps, cultural cleansing)?
- xvector 5y agoWhat difference does it make as to which country has a quirky public dance video of mine? Again, the potential benefit of TikTok as an intelligence platform is overrated. Bypass cert pinning and inspect the packets sent by the application if you’re so paranoid - most reversing and packet capture efforts haven’t found anything of note.
- brightstep 5y agoWell, it's more help than they're getting from the US government ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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- jb775 5y agoTikTok launching a job service like: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8KyuPiLYFA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s8KyuPiLYFA
- logshipper 5y ago> Users can post a TikTok video resume to the site rather than a traditional resume. The idea is for users to give an elevator pitch or work experience summary via the video in a unique way. Genuine question. Can anyone tell me how recruiters intend to parse through thousands of videos without some level of automation or software-based filtering? I understand that there are AI systems that can pick up keywords and sentiment, but we all know they are far from perfect. Plus we end up with all sorts of issues where some accents might be under-represented, leading to exclusion etc. For all the flaws in text resume-based hiring, automated systems can, at least to _some_ extent, help sift through thousands of candidates. I'm not saying that the present system is perfect, just that the proposed video-based system could be worse in terms of scale.
- est 5y ago> without some level of automation or software-based filtering? Sort by likes?
- HideousKojima 5y agoSo based on how Tik Tok currently works, underage girls wearing yoga pants and shaking their butts will be the only ones getting hired?
- rmac 5y agoWhile sex appeal works, thirst traps have a limited shelf life. Comedy, ingenuity, and creativity go viral. Also, Remember how the tiktok algorithm supposedly works: if a brand only watches / likes / comments on tiktokers who build things, the "hiring" feed will be full of people building things.
- xvector 5y agoThe FYP algorithm is extremely accurate. If that is what you see on TikTok, that’s more reflective of you than anyone else. I don’t think I know a single person with an FYP with that sort of content.
- IG_Semmelweiss 5y agoi can see this being genuinely useful for CX type roles, where voice and sentiment are important. Its a quick way to list a database of effective 1st round (call) interviews. Then you can let software take over doing analysis of the network effect (who knows you and can voice for you) do the rest of the work. I have done recruiting for CX roles in the past, and it has frustrated me to no end that I'm unable to easily parse thru a list of effective phone interviews. Most recruitment sites dont even consider it (probably because CX is low in the totem pole, unlike ENG) That being said, not sure how it would work outside of CX
- fridif 5y agoIt will fail because people don't want to work for the prices being offered. At $15 or $20 an hour, companies will either be fully automating or mostly automating their business processes. They don't have time to deal with yearly strikes and walkouts over wages.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- mothsonasloth 5y agoGoogle Software Interview: "Please implement a shortest path algorithm using dance, in O(n^2) time"
- alisonkisk 5y agoBee Movie.
- rasengan 5y agoUnfortunately, this is also a great way to collect a lot of information about a lot of people.
- PragmaticPulp 5y agoHiring people based on charisma and ability to charm within short video clips might make sense if the position involves performing, recording videos, or pitching to people. However, this seems like a step backwards in an era where savvy companies are going out of their way to avoid any appearance of hiring bias. When companies are going so far as to strip names from resumes, asking candidates to perform on video doesn’t sound like a good idea.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- seanyesmunt 5y agoOr, they are just looking for people who are comfortable in front of a camera, have some editing skills, and know how to make an interesting <1 minute video - which is a pretty desirable skill depending on who you ask.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- tyrust 5y agoFor sure, I doubt that companies are going to be hiring engineers with this.
- jackson1442 5y agoRight yes, but there are many jobs that fall under the "not engineer" umbrella. This might actually be perfect for people going for marketing roles, though.
- tyrust 5y agoYeah, that was the point I was trying to make.
- _rpd 5y ago> if the position involves performing, recording videos, or pitching to people I don't know about everyone else, but the last year working from home my life has been an avalanche of video calls. Not infrequently, there's a 60 second pitch that is the most important part of the call.
- carlosdp 5y agoI think this could actually work. For a generation that has grown up with visual-first mediums, it makes sense that they would be able to express who they are better in video form than on a piece of paper. I could totally see recruiters swiping through videos to find candidates. The only potential downside I could see is obviously racial/gender bias being exacerbated or attractiveness on camera entering the sourcing equation for candidates. That said, those issues exist even today with traditional resumes, so one could argue it's not really making the problem worse and we're going to have to solve that either way.
- ElectricMind 5y agoI don't know what else am I going to see as long as I alive in this world. I can't catch a break.
- tryonenow 5y agoThis will be great for hiring managers with diversity quotas.
- ignoranceprior 5y agoDamn, I guess unattractive people like me won't be able to get a job in the near future. At least it's not Tinder for jobs, that would be even worse.
- nxc18 5y agoDon’t worry, I’m my experience interviewing, being ugly hurts a lot regardless, so probably nothing changes for you. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost a lot of jobs for being fat, and I know from experience the hiring bar is much lower for unusually pretty people.
- goldenchrome 5y agoUnattractive people have always made less money so the only thing that’s seemingly changed is that it’s getting worse.
- kingsuper20 5y agoPretty clever. It not only allows you to make a first cut of candidates without dragging them out for an interview, it also allows you to easily filter by gender, race, age without saying so. No more obfuscations in a resume for those items.
- kingsuper20 5y agoIt's a heckuva way to collect a lot of personal details though. Win win.
- masklinn 5y ago> it also allows you to easily filter by gender, race, age without saying so. No more obfuscations in a resume for those items. After all who doesn't love the smell of circumventing anti-discrimination laws in the morning.
- TameAntelope 5y agoBest part of those laws is that if you end up with a discriminatory result, no matter how you got there, you're still violating the law.
- EvilEy3 5y agoAfter all, who doesn't love the smell of totalitarianism , where state decides who you hire, in the morning.
- kaiju0 5y agoA silhouette filter and a voice modulator would address that
- ffggvv 5y agoyou really think they’re going to do that?
- HomeDeLaPot 5y agoLike you couldn't already in the age of LinkedIn?
- Raed667 5y agoYeah, this can only end well /s Reminder: "TikTok Told Moderators: Suppress Posts by the “Ugly” and Poor" [0] https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-users-discrimination/ https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-us...
- addison-lee 5y agoThe last time I brought this up there was a surprising amount of people trying to defend this behavior from TikTok. Glad to see you bring this up—awful company.
- monkeybutton 5y agoCompared to traditional mass market media is it that different? Actors and actresses on prime time TV are beautiful by western standards, thin and with perfect teeth. Living in beautiful, spacious houses that most people can't afford. edit: Not that I'm defending Tiktok, just saying that the way it distorts and portrays the world is a continuation of what media companies were already doing. I was going to make a point about how it is a lot like the Society of the Spectacle, but it looks like others have already made the connection: https://blendertrouble.substack.com/p/now-i-know-whats-real-and-what-is https://blendertrouble.substack.com/p/now-i-know-whats-real-...
- addison-lee 5y agoYou'll have to send me these articles of other social media companies instructing their moderators to suppress ugly, poor, and disabled users. https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-users-discrimination/ https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-us...
- monkeybutton 5y agoI was making a comparison between Hollywood and TikTok, not between TikTok and other social media companies?
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- mouzogu 5y agoDo people really want this? It seems like an extroverts idea, of hell. I'm really glad I was born too early for this.
- grouphugs 5y agoi am not gen z
- MetaWhirledPeas 5y agoYou're only employed for 60 seconds
- tortila 5y agoInteresting, I wonder if this tool could serve as a way to formalize the work relationship between brands and influencers - it seems to me that social media native resume is perfect for this type of work. What could follow next is even more brands using TikTok and its job service, and hopefully a more diverse work environment for Gen Z.
- Ancalagon 5y agoReally hope this doesn’t get traction. I’m imagining yet another hoop to jump through in the hiring process where recruiters and hiring managers require your Tiktok (and a dance video interview particular to their company). Seems very dystopian.
- Pfhreak 5y agoThe replies to this are emblematic of HN culture -- a whole lot of quick dismissals without engaging with why this might exist, who it might benefit, and who it might turn away. A decade ago everyone was telling me how millennials were lazy or disconnected or didn't understand the real world. And it felt pretty bad. I'm seeing all the same commentary shifted down a generation to GenZ without any introspection. Yes, you might find this silly, and yes, you might not want to get hired this way. But also consider that for some companies, for some roles, or even for some pipelines there could be benefits to broadening the applicant pool. Some folks are going to have a hard time articulating their experience via resume, some folks are going to have a hard time articulating their experience via tiktok. Why wouldn't we want to consider folks from both input sources and let folks present themselves using the form they feel best conveys their strengths?
- mc32 5y agoI dunno. This strikes me as the digital version of driving over to The Home Despot and looking for some day hands to help you out with the yard or something like that —except it’s for service jobs rather than manual labor. I really loathe the “sell yourself via video snippet” aspect. It’s inhumanely degrading.
- xvector 5y ago> It’s inhumanely degrading. Hyperbole much? There are a lot of inhumane, degrading things in this world. TikTok videos are not one of them. Anyways, clearly some people thought it would be cool and interesting. I think this will be an interesting alternative for those that don’t do well with resumes. Fortunately, no one is going to make you use this, so I don’t know why everyone here is acting like it will be forced on them. This is obviously a secondary application method, one that will work particularly well for creative or extroverted types.
- mc32 5y agoIt’s only a few steps removed from a tryout at a strip club. I’m sure a class of hiring “managers” will like this option.
- aboringusername 5y agoThis is what happens when technology outpaces laws and laws are reactive rather than preventitive. We seriously need to rethink some of the most fundamental layers of society - built and designed for an era where information travels at the speed of light and PB's of information is moved around the globe each day. Our current laws are obsolete, outdated and outpaced and should be updated every 1-2 years in lockstep with new apps/services/platforms. We're only now beginning to see legislation against online platforms, decades later after they first appeared...Why? I understand the need and desire for innovation, and sure, it's a 'free market', but certain 'apps' can have far reaching social consequences; now you need to be comfortable having your likeness exposed to multiple platforms, and of course, you'll need the capability to make a video in the first place (phone, internet service, account on platforms...). What's the use of 'laws' when they are bypassed this easily? How is this not going to be discriminatory/racist the second it's launched? It's ripe for a budding lawyer to build a case and sue someone. Why are there no laws preventing/outlawing video based resume's until we have decided whether they are okay and in what capability they are allowed. Why are we even allowing the concept of an "AI" to exist before it's legislated against? Have we learnt nothing that we should probably make laws first, otherwise it's essentially a free-for-all situation which is not good for society.
- woah 5y agoHow is this any more legally risky than an in person interview?
- aboringusername 5y agoUsually the first filtering step is done without much PII - if it's a paper/word document then you can decide what information to include and it's filtered based on that before interviews (which is how it's always worked for me, my employer knew nothing about my background, history, ethnic group, race/religion and it was the same for each candidate who applied for the position). IMO it should be a requirement that at least 1 filtering step in a hiring process is done without the employer knowing certain pieces of information (and it would be down to them to ensure they have a process that avoids collecting this information before step 2 which you can then hold interviews/video calls etc.)
- ChrisMarshallNY 5y agoIt's a cool idea, and I support it, but it will apply to a fairly narrow demographic. I also think it will have a very difficult time passing legal challenges. Caveat emptor...
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- ffggvv 5y agohow many of the jobs are going to be creepy old men hiring for service industry jobs and hiring purely based on looks
- EvilEy3 5y agoProbably less than what we have right now.
- forbiddenvoid 5y agoIt might be overly cynical, but I really think this might be the death of TikTok as 'fun.' It won't mean the death of TT in general. This service will likely be wildly successful and prompt TT to build more platform features like it to appeal to businesses willing to pay for the attention they've managed to garner. The story has played out the same, and I don't expect this to be much different. The corporatization of social media is a foregone conclusion at this point. It's almost fascinating to view the changes as a kind of biological succession. It won't take long before the younger generation sees TikTok as a place invaded by the very people they were using it to escape from. And the next Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc will rise to take its place as the new cool place all the kids are hanging out.
- kbos87 5y agoWriting TikTok off as a platform full of only mindless viral content is seriously misunderstanding what is already going on there. It's already become a place to share your expertise, regardless of the topic. I follow everything from public health experts sharing thoughtful opinions on the day to day of the pandemic, to dog trainers, to seriously skilled woodworkers sharing their talents. Whether we like it or not, if I were trying to prove my chops in a particular space, I'd be creating content and building a following on TikTok, and sharing it with prospective employers.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- vmception 5y agoI’ve recently started asking people for their tiktok instead of their instagram or phone number, when wanting to keep in touch with someone after having a good interaction in person I accidentally look at people like they’ve grown two heads when they ask to find me on facebook, in person. Some communities rely on Facebook for coordination and so periodically I might actually have a Facebook account, but still. Yuck!
- selfhoster11 5y agoGood luck keeping in touch when Tiktok inevitably fades into obscurity. At least a phone number can function indefinitely.
- marto1 5y agoThis will be really powerful. They have a staggering amount of behavioral data that any headhunter worth their salt will be drooling over and can charge outrageous premiums for ad space. Can still be screwed up of course, but they hold some pretty big aces in that space.
- wkyle 5y agoThe lack of personalized ads on TikTok is really surprising - the recommendation engine must have some of the best targeting data out of any social media platform. It still seems like Facebook ads are far more demographically and psychographically targeted though
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- LibertyBeta 5y agoGood idea, wrong company to fund it.
- Foobar8568 5y agoIt reminds me of the fade when firms were trying to recruit people in 2nd life 10years ago.
- Kye 5y agoGoing where the most likely candidates are is a time-tested way of recruiting. https://www.vice.com/en/article/zme7d5/once-upon-a-time-this-tech-company-actively-recruited-furries https://www.vice.com/en/article/zme7d5/once-upon-a-time-this...
- fudged71 5y agoThis sounds amazing for content creators, wedding photographers, videographers etc
- steve76 5y agoI thought it was going to be cool. Hold up your phone, a HUD pops up showing things you can do for money, like fix a pothole. But it's just an elevator pitch to be part of the team. SUX
- AlexandrB 5y agoI'm really uncomfortable with the commercialization of the job application process. A resume was at least somewhat platform agnostic (especially in the paper resume era). Platforms like LinkedIn (and now TikTok, I guess) are able to create a captive audience of users by getting employers to use their services. The free market idea of "if you don't like the product/service, vote with your wallet and don't use it" is hard to defend when said service is required to apply for a job at an unrelated third party.
- CuriousNinja 5y agoI don't use tiktok myself, but from what I've seen their core user group is (mostly young) people doing irresponsible and silly things to get views on the platform. I don't think showing how irresponsible you are is the best way to convince an employer to hire you. Maybe this will work for certain positions like "social media manager" that some companies have, but as a general job board it will conflict with the main use of tiktok.
- bogwog 5y agoI don't think so. There are a ton of companies that are desperate to fill positions right now, and Gen Z teenagers probably don't qualify for unemployment benefits, so they'd be willing to take a shitty job for some cash. Plus, maybe the idea that someone needs to present themselves a certain way to the public to be hirable is a millennial thing. This could be a glimpse into the future of a world filled with Gen Z adults, who have internet culture and mannerisms in their DNA.
- mucle6 5y agoWhenever you aren't the target audience, you can't assume that what you've seen is a random sample. Presumably, you were the target audience for whoever was showing you those videos of people doing irresponsible things. I use it sometimes and most of my feed is just funny commentary by people in similar life situations or who have similar viewpoints. I'm sure there are people doing irresponsible things, but I just wanted to chime in and say that it's not strictly for hooligans.
- spideymans 5y ago>I don't use tiktok myself, but from what I've seen their core user group is (mostly young) people doing irresponsible and silly things to get views on the platform. TikTok isn't all that different from YouTube. Like YouTube, you can find a lot of stupid or outright irresponsible content. But also like YouTube, there is a ton of amazing, informative or outright entertaining content on the platform. In short, TikTok is whatever you want it to be. Just like YouTube.
- Seattle3503 5y agoI wonder what set of human biases this will surface in comparison to paper resumes.
- silly-silly 5y agoI'm still confused how you will want to hire someone after seeing how they dance.
- vfulco2 5y agoWill users who are also job seekers want their bolus of silly/ignorant/off-the-cuff videos viewable by employers? At some point the decorum and maturity of a candidate will be in serious question.