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Waffle House Shuts Down Employee TikTok Trend: The Weekly Roundup Of Recruiting News

Waffle House's effort to squash employee TikTok videos may do more than harm good. Plus, all the TA news, updates and trends you need to know!

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Sep 27, 2024

If you’ve never been to a Waffle House, it’s your classic greasy spoon, serving up some of the best waffles and hashbrowns. You’ll find one at almost every interstate exit in the Southeast, and they’re always open, so they’re about as clean as a truck stop bathroom.

I’ve been following Donovan, a Waffle House cook, on TikTok. He was making fun, work-related TikToks but recently got fired because of them.

It makes sense that marketing and internal communications teams need to approve any workplace videos shared on social media. But Waffle House missed a huge chance to boost their employer brand. Corporate told Donovan to stop filming, which he did, but they also asked him to delete his TikTok account—which he didn’t.

In the end, Donovan had to leave Waffle House. It’s unfortunate because his TikToks were informative and showcased the workplace culture in a really positive way. It’s a shame more companies don’t recognize the value in employee-generated videos like his.

When employees share work videos on social media, companies face a challenge. The outcome depends on how well marketing and communications teams handle it. Every company has a chance to either highlight their employer brand and culture or come off as out-of-touch and restrictive, which can hurt their ability to attract and retain talent in the future.

Donovan’s TikTok channel

 


Ageism in the workplace

Have you heard of Heather O’Neill? You need to follow here, she’s a career expert at Resume Now. They recently surveyed 1000+ workers over the age of 40 and 90% of the respondents have dealt with age-related discrimination on the job.

This type of discrimination takes a toll—both emotionally and financially.

Key findings from the report include:

  • 49% of older workers earn less than younger colleagues who perform the same job.
  • 44% report experiencing depression due to age-related discrimination.
  • 94% believe that ageism limits their access to professional development and training opportunities.
  • 91% have even considered legal action against their employer for age-related issues.

Get Resume Now’s Ageism in the Workplace Report.


1 in 3 Workers Believe AI Will Lead to Job Displacement in the Next Five Years

FlexJobs just released their Future of Work Report, which found that more than one-third (34%) of respondents believe AI will lead to job displacement in the next five years. Additionally, the report revealed that compared to 2023, AI adoption was up 10% among workers using it for professional and work-related purposes.


Unpaid Interns Should Be Illegal

A recent article from HR Magazine UK claims that unpaid internships aren’t just unfair—they’re a bad business move. Companies that invest in their interns are investing in their future workforce. Treating internships as a stepping stone for future employment helps ensure long-term success.

The argument that “unpaid internships are fine because that’s how it’s always been” doesn’t hold up. We’ve moved on from outdated practices like workhouses and child labor, and it’s time unpaid internships go the same way.


Why Everyone Listens to Cornerstone

I was just at HR Tech, and Cornerstone was everywhere. Not only were their app and booth massive, but so was their latest 2024 Global State of the Skills Economy report, which was released at the HR Tech Conference. The report has insights from over 40 TB of data covering 200+ countries, including job postings, resumes, government data, and other data points. It found that while new technology drives innovation, it also makes current workplace skills outdated overnight, making it increasingly hard to forecast skill requirements.


Appcast Has A New CEO

The leading recruitment marketing platform powered by Programmatic announced recently that Matt Molinari, currently the chief operating officer, will become the chief executive officer on January 1, 2025. Molinari succeeds Chris Forman, founder and CEO, who will retire after over a decade of building and growing the company.


You Need More Than A One Page Resume

According to a recent report by Criteria, the traditional one-page résumé is falling out of favor. In fact, 53% of recruiters now expect candidates to submit two-page résumés. This shift is likely due to the growing use of AI in hiring, which allows recruiters to process longer résumés more efficiently. So, if you’ve been trying to squeeze your experience onto one page, it might be time to rethink your strategy!


Hung Lee – Recruiting Brainfood

Hung Lee is a keynote speaker at the ERE Recruiting Conference. He has a massive following on his newsletter and podcast. He covers many of the trending topics within the TA industry and also discusses the challenges that recruiters face today.

Please follow him on LinkedIn and subscribe to get his newsletter.