Happy Thursday, everyone.
I'm Frank Richardson, an organisational psychologist observing the workplace with curiosity and care. Each week, I share insights to help HR leaders better understand the people behind the processes and build cultures where both individuals and organisations can thrive.
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This Week in Workplace Whiplash 🌀
From harassment stats to layoffs, this week’s news shows just how many fault lines are running under today’s workplaces.
🎨 7 in 10 Women in Creative Industries Report Workplace Harassment or Bullying
A new survey from Bectu finds 69% of women and 72% of disabled people in UK creative fields say they’ve experienced harassment on the job in the past year.
👉 The Guardian📉 Major global firms continue deep layoffs in 2025
Major names like Starbucks, Nike, Oracle, and Scale AI have carried out staff reductions in 2025, often linked to automation, cost pressures, and strategic restructuring.
👉 Business Insider🤖 AI Front and Centre at Workday Rising
At Workday Rising 2025, the message was clear: AI should help HR, not replace it. Humans stay central, tools augment, and productivity is the aim.
👉 Unleash
Against that backdrop, it’s no surprise HR leaders are chasing new ways to look relevant. Even if it means jumping on TikTok…
🤝 Supported by Leapsome
The 2026 Workforce Trends Report distills insights from 2,400 employees, managers, and HR leaders into practical strategies you can act on. Learn how to address disengagement behind retention, close critical skills gaps, enable AI adoption, and rebuild organizational trust. Stay ahead of what’s shaping HR in 2026 with research-backed guidance for People teams.
I’ll admit it, I once fell down a TikTok rabbit hole watching “day in the life” videos from tech consultants in glassy offices and junior bankers ordering $18 salads. It’s addictive. You get a front-row seat to someone else’s job without ever stepping inside their office.
That same voyeuristic pull is now being used by HR teams. Forget LinkedIn job posts with stock images of smiling coworkers. The hottest recruitment tool right now is TikTok. As HR Brew reports, more companies are leaning into short-form video to show off their “authentic” workplace culture, in hopes of reeling in Gen Z talent.
It’s easy to see why. TikTok has over 1.5 billion active users, and hashtags like #WorkTok and #DayInTheLife rack up millions of views. SmartDreamers notes that a simple ‘tour of the Google San Francisco office’ pulled in nearly 400,000 likes.
The playbook isn’t rocket science: show a ‘day in the life,’ toss in the office coffee machine, and hope TikTok does the rest. But like every shortcut, the cracks show fast if culture and reality don’t line up.
🧠 The Behavioural Science Lens
TikTok recruiting works because of psychology, not just algorithms.
Authenticity effect. Research shows job seekers rate employers as more attractive when they believe content is authentic. ResearchGate confirms that employer branding on social media drives engagement and shapes attractiveness. But here’s the catch: “authenticity” can’t be faked for long.
Social proof in action. When thousands of people like or share a video, it signals that the workplace is worth joining. It’s the classic herd effect: if others are interested, it must be good. But herd effects cut both ways. One badly received video, and suddenly you’ve branded yourself as “toxic” instead of “trendy.”
The reality gap. If your TikTok promises ping-pong tables and flexible hours but your employees are slogging through 60-hour weeks, the psychological contract breaks. A PMC study shows that misalignment between employer branding and lived reality tanks trust and increases turnover risk.
Risk amplification. The same virality that boosts brand awareness can amplify mistakes. Recruiting News Network highlights employers are betting big on TikTok, but warns that recruitment videos often blur the line between playful content and serious employer claims.
🚀 What This Means for Leaders
Strategy before content. Don’t chase trends just because everyone else is. HRPA advises employers to define what they actually want TikTok to achieve before posting.
Match message to culture. If you hype up “casual Fridays” in a video but everyone’s still stuck in suits, that’s not branding, that’s false advertising. People notice the gap, and it kills trust fast.
Empower, don’t exploit. “Employee takeovers” look authentic, but only if they’re voluntary. Forced participation screams PR stunt and risks reputational damage.
Plan for backlash. Have a playbook for moderating comments, responding to criticism, and correcting errors fast. TikTok moves quicker than most HR approvals.
Measure beyond views. Likes don’t equal hires. Track whether TikTok applicants actually apply, interview, and stick around. A million views means nothing if those applicants bail before day 90.
💬 Final Thoughts
TikTok is HR’s newest playground. It’s cheap, fast, and full of reach. But social media attention is fickle, and the line between employer branding and empty marketing is thin. The science is clear: when employees see a mismatch between what’s promised and what’s lived, trust collapses.
By all means, post the dance video or the free-pizza Friday highlight reel. Just don’t confuse views with culture.
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Until next week,
Frank
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