Instagram and TikTok break the rules of recruitment

We're hiring. Vacancies available. These are the simple formulas that lead to many of the job postings circulating on social media today. A change in the way we search for—and offer—employment responds to a clear transformation in the use of digital platforms, especially among younger generations, digital natives. If Instagram and TikTok are already their main search engines for information, entertainment, or learning, the question is, why not use them for job searching as well?

"Ultimately, the models are changing," explains Marta Carrión Páez, manager of the Employment Department for COIE & UNIRalumni at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR). "It's no longer just the company that chooses. There's increasing talk of 'inbound recruitment,' where it's almost the candidate who chooses you. The trend we're seeing from the employability department is that Generation Z is revolutionizing many aspects of life. And when it comes to employment and professional development, they're coming on strong." "They're coming on strong," she insists, "because they're very clear about what they want, because they prioritize themselves on an individual and personal level. And that, in turn, is generating a certain generational clash between those already in the labor market, with two or three years of experience, and those currently holding leadership positions."

"There are organizations that adapt better, that are more responsive, perhaps because they are led by younger people," Carrión points out. But let's not forget that the bulk of the Spanish business community, especially SMEs, "is still led by people with many years of professional experience, closer to retirement. And this generational gap is evident in what is demanded of the company, in how employees are engaged, and, of course, in how they search for jobs," he explains.

Small and medium-sized businesses, placement and career guidance agencies, foundations, and even government institutions have understood this and are beginning to use these networks because they understand that this form of communication is beginning to transform recruitment strategies. And they do so with short, visual formats, direct language, and content that not only communicates, but also inspires and generates identification.

For their part, candidates, especially younger ones, value most when searching for jobs on social media: the ability to find offers that match their interests, submit their resumes quickly, and access useful information about the companies they post: from their organizational culture to the work environment.

In addition to job offers, job content on social media ranges from interview tips and how to improve a CV to mock FAQs and mistakes to avoid when first meeting with a company. Whereas before, you had to search specialized blogs, now a simple scroll is enough to find profiles that match your profile. Reels or carousels are a good example for quickly viewing tips, recommendations, or content that makes a difference. We're also seeing this in the way we create a resume. Uploading a video to social media to apply for a job highlights many soft skills—as opposed to technical skills—that are highly valued by companies today, such as creativity, digital fluency, initiative, and communication skills. When someone sends you a video instead of a PDF resume, they're already demonstrating a lot. They're communicating proactivity, confidence, adaptability, and, above all, an understanding of the current language of the work environment.

To that end, social media is just another channel for job hunting, says Sara Álvarez, Director of Talent Attraction at the Adecco Group. Furthermore, it's no longer just a matter of visiting a job portal, reviewing job postings with their roles, requirements, and values, and applying. "Now we also look at how a company works, what its culture is, its purpose, what the work environment is like... and in this sense, social media allows us to greatly expand our corporate knowledge, regardless of your age."

Beyond our borders, the data is already emerging. In the United States, Zety's 2025 Gen Z Job Trends Report notes that platforms like TikTok are transforming both career decisions and job search strategies. Forty-six percent of Gen Z have landed a job through TikTok, 92% rely on TikTok for career advice, and 76% use Instagram for career-related content—more than double the rate of LinkedIn (34%) with hashtags like #jobTok, #careerGram, or #careerTok.

In Spain, something similar happens with hashtags like #joboffers, #joboffers, #work followed by the name of the province. The latter, specifically, is a hashtag that works especially well for connecting with people in a specific geographic area, which facilitates both dissemination and recruitment, especially in small municipalities or rural areas. "Although we're slower here, there are many companies doing very good work. For example, here in La Rioja, SDEI is doing brilliant work on social media, both on TikTok and Instagram," says Marta Carrión, and that also means adapting to the new generations.

According to the latest data from InfoJobs, half of companies review candidates' social media profiles before hiring them. This practice, far from being a one-off, is becoming a regular part of the selection process. If we exclude LinkedIn, which remains the most visited network and maintains its position as the reference site for the professional environment, we find that Instagram ranks second, with three out of five companies (60%) taking it into account. This notable growth has displaced Facebook from this position and reflects how more visual and personal content is beginning to form part of job evaluations. TikTok, despite the surge it experienced a couple of years ago, remains in the same position, which may indicate a stabilization in its use by companies for this purpose.

For this reason, Adecco continues, these platforms are still maturing as formal recruitment sources. Currently, they are more useful as informational platforms for candidates, who can learn about a company, but not so much for companies, which have more difficulty searching for and screening talent on them.