Increasingly common among companies
How applications via WhatsApp work
February 9, 2024, 11:56 a.m
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More and more companies are relying on WhatsApp to search for employees. The aim is to reach young people in particular; after initial tests, some employers are already reporting success. But in the end it doesn’t work completely digitally.
A short message via Whatsapp, upload references – and the new job is ready? For most companies, this is still a dream of the future. But more and more human resources departments are turning to the popular messenger when searching for employees. Including very traditional industries.
The Bremen port logistics company BLG, for example, started a first test phase for applications via WhatsApp in January, initially for drivers and warehouse logistics companies. A QR code that interested parties can scan with their smartphone will take them directly to the WhatsApp application. After all, says BLG Human Resources Director Ulrike Riedel, Whatsapp is an everyday and natural means of communication for most people. They now want to use this for job applications.
The private train and bus operator Transdev also wants to start a corresponding pilot project this month. The first step is to target bus drivers who we want to target specifically, says a spokesman. The travel company Tui and the parcel service Hermes say they are also preparing corresponding tests, but have not yet given any dates.
“Inhibition threshold seems lower”
How does the application via smartphone work? After scanning the QR code, the applicants would have to answer a few pre-defined questions and could then send the application directly to the human resources department via Whatsapp, a Transdev spokesman explains the procedure. “The entire application process will therefore be possible via WhatsApp.” After that, however, things continue in a different way: the company contacts the applicant again in the traditional way by telephone. At BLG it should also be possible to upload certificates and CVs via WhatsApp.
The application via WhatsApp is already in use at the DHL Group, which also includes Deutsche Post – although only in some regions, as a spokeswoman explains. Messenger has been used since 2019, but usually only to initiate contact. “In our experience, it is an uncomplicated way to get in touch, for example to quickly clarify questions,” said the spokeswoman. “The inhibition threshold seems lower than with telephone or letter, especially for younger target groups.”
The personnel service provider Manpower has also had this experience. Whatsapp has been used there to search for employees since 2015. “And we rate the response to this offer as positive,” says a spokeswoman. On average, 10 to 25 percent of applications are received via WhatsApp. The big advantage is that interested parties can apply quickly and easily. “The messenger helps applicants overcome the first inhibition threshold.” This is a real advantage when looking for new employees, as complicated and lengthy recruitment procedures are often a deterrent. She does not see any restrictions on certain professions. Basically, the messenger application is suitable for all professional groups, from engineers to specialists to temporary jobs.
Social media is becoming increasingly important for applications
Overall, the use of social media when searching for employees has increased rapidly in recent years. According to the latest survey by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), the research institute of the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg, 42 percent of all successfully filled positions in 2022 were also offered via social networks such as Facebook, Whatsapp or Xing, mostly in addition to other advertising channels . In fact, social media was the decisive recruitment method for one in fourteen positions.
(Photo: Zacharie Scheurer/dpa-tmn)
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“In around seven percent of new recruitment processes subject to social insurance contributions, the use of social media is now crucial for personnel recruitment,” explains Alexander Kubis from the IAB. In 2015 the value was only 1.2 percent. At that time, only 15 percent of jobs were even advertised on social media. Social networks are now the fourth most important tool for finding employees after personal contacts, Internet job boards and the company’s own homepage. The IAB has not recorded separately what role WhatsApp plays within social media.
However, WhatsApp is apparently not a panacea for the labor shortage. A craftsman from Oldenburg, who was one of the pioneers in applying via WhatsApp in 2018, is now at least disillusioned. At first they were happy and after just a few months they found a new trainee. But recently there has been an average of barely more than one application per year via Messenger, reports the company’s boss. And after initial inquiries, all of them came to nothing. “Then we scrapped the whole thing again.”