Talent acquisition unleashed! Lazy Dog Restaurant

The dogs might be lazy, but the talent attraction strategy at Lazy Dog Restaurant is anything but that. In this session of our Talent Attraction Strategies Series, we welcome a Talent Acquisition Partner at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, a private, family-operated restaurant chain. Spanning across numerous states and territories with 48 locations and counting, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar employs quite the recruiting strategy to maintain and grow their social presence as the organization continuously expands.

Lazy Dog hiring strategy & tactics: Hourly staff vs. home office employees

Navigating talent acquisition in the service industry demands a keen understanding of the different dynamics at play between hourly staff and home office employees. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar employs unique recruitment strategies and tactics to nurture these two integral components of their workforce. Home office positions consist of technology, marketing, accounting, and learning and development training roles, while hourly staff makes up the restaurant’s front and back-of-house teams. 

When it comes to recruiting for hourly staff positions, Lazy Dog caters to a wide spectrum of candidates from students to seasoned leaders. Through targeted messaging tailored to the unique demographics and positions, they have orchestrated a refined approach for attracting top talent. 

Social recruiting success

Lazy Dog Restaurant isn’t just about serving great food; it’s also about creating exceptional experiences, both for their customers and their employees. One key element of their success lies in their innovative social recruitment marketing strategy. By leveraging platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok, Lazy Dog has honed a multifaceted approach to attract top talent while staying true to their brand identity and mission.

For hourly roles, Twitter has become the go-to platform, where succinct yet engaging posts reach a wide audience of potential candidates. Meanwhile, LinkedIn serves as the organic content hub for both management and home office positions, allowing for more in-depth discussions about career opportunities within the organization.

But Lazy Dog’s social recruitment efforts don’t stop there. They’re not afraid to test new waters, as demonstrated by their ventures into Instagram and TikTok. Kate McKinley, Talent Acquisition Partner at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, collaborates closely with their marketing team to craft compelling content that not only showcases job openings but also captures the essence of why Lazy Dog is a great place to work. From behind-the-scenes glimpses to employee testimonials, their content strategy aims to resonate with candidates on a deeper level.

Since using CareerArc to step up its social recruitment journey at the end of September of 2023, Lazy Dog has seen impressive results. By diversifying their content and tapping into different platforms, they’ve experienced significant growth in impressions, views, and interactions. By continuously refining their approach and maintaining their commitment to authenticity, Lazy Dog Restaurants continues to set the bar high in both culinary delights and employee satisfaction.

Measuring their social recruiting efforts with CareerArc 

With CareerArc Social Recruiting, Lazy Dog was able to gain valuable insights into the impact of their employer brand content. By analyzing data such as job clicks, Lazy Dog can gauge the level of jobseeker interest and identify which platforms and content types resonate most with their target audience. Through metrics like these, Lazy Dog can quantify the success of their social recruiting endeavors and make informed decisions to optimize their strategy further.

LinkedIn and Twitter stand out as the cornerstones of Lazy Dog’s trackable social recruitment endeavors, acting as the primary channels for connecting with and captivating potential candidates. With the ability to seamlessly integrate these channels in CareerArc, Lazy Dog can effortlessly track job clicks, allowing them to assess the effectiveness of their job postings. 

Local hiring tactics & content 

When promoting new menus or hosting events, Lazy Dog leverages their local hiring efforts to attract customers and cultivate a strong sense of community engagement. By showcasing their commitment to hiring locally, they bolster their workforce with individuals who intimately understand the needs and preferences of the community and foster a deeper connection with their local customer base. Through strategic alignment of their local hiring tactics with their employer brand content, Lazy Dog ensures that every interaction with their brand reinforces their reputation as not just a restaurant, but a valued member of their communities. 

Content is king (or queen)

At Lazy Dog, this mantra isn’t just a slogan; it’s a guiding philosophy that shapes their approach to recruitment. Recognizing the synergistic relationship between marketing and talent acquisition, Lazy Dog ensures that their content strategy seamlessly integrates both aspects of their business. Authenticity is paramount, and a strategy they employ in content efforts such as behind-the-scenes photos that showcase the company culture and work environment. Kate, using nothing but her iPhone and a keen eye for detail, ventures into the field to capture these moments firsthand, ensuring that every image tells a compelling story.

But it’s not just about the visuals; Lazy Dog understands the importance of crafting concise yet relevant captions that speak directly to potential candidates. Each message is carefully tailored to reflect the role and resonate with the audience. Organic messaging is key; Lazy Dog shares their achievements and accolades, such as being recognized as a best place to work. And as Natalie Brodie, Senior Customer Success Manager at CareerArc, wisely advises, 

“If there is any advice I can give from a strategic standpoint it would be, authenticity through everything you’re posting on social, and it will do the work for you.” 

Yearly employee feedback surveys serve as a goldmine of recruitment marketing content, offering insights into the company culture, support systems for team members, and alignment with the company’s mission. By repurposing quotes and highlighting the tangible ways in which Lazy Dog supports its employees, they not only showcase their employer brand but also demonstrate their commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace environment.

The bridge between talent acquisition and marketing

The collaboration between talent acquisition and marketing is the secret sauce that fuels the success of Lazy Dog Restaurant’s social recruitment efforts. They understand the power of teamwork and leveraging the expertise of their marketing and communications teams to bridge this gap. By joining forces, talent acquisition professionals can tap into the wealth of knowledge and resources available, creating cohesive campaigns and messaging that resonate with prospective employees and customers alike. 

Kate speaks from personal experience and recommends other talent acquisition specialists to embrace the initiative, whether it’s taking their own photos to showcase the company culture or using platforms like CareerArc to automate the distribution of organic, engaging content. Through a concerted effort to align messaging and convey specific brand values, Lazy Dog ensures that every interaction with their brand leaves a lasting impression of authenticity and inclusivity.

Don’t have a talent attraction strategy on yet? Listen to Kate’s advice

Simply put, start somewhere. Don’t hesitate to seek help. Building a robust social recruitment strategy can be daunting, but it’s essential to recognize that you don’t have to go it alone. Whether it’s tapping into the expertise of colleagues or using tools at your fingertips like CareerArc, don’t underestimate the power of collaboration in shaping a successful strategy.

Kate emphasizes the importance of taking that initial leap, even if it means starting small. Every journey begins with a single step, and by establishing a foundation, you gain invaluable insights that inform your future endeavors. This iterative approach allows for flexibility and adaptation, ensuring that your strategy evolves in tandem with your objectives and the ever-changing landscape of social media recruitment. 

Lastly, Lazy Dog created separate Instagram accounts; one for corporate content and one that focuses on talent acquisition. The two dedicated pages are tailored to the distinct needs and interests of both the consumers and potential candidates. Because the two sets of audiences may resonate with different content, this is the perfect way to target both of those buckets. 

By embracing initiative and collaborating with colleagues, talent acquisition specialists can leverage the wealth of resources available, from tools like CareerArc to the expertise of marketing and communications teams. Lazy Dog’s strategic decision to create separate Instagram accounts for corporate content and talent acquisition exemplifies the intentional approach to boosting their social media presence while engaging with diverse audiences. As organizations, such as Lazy Dog, continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of social media recruitment, maintaining authenticity, taking initiative, and promoting collaboration are the keys to unlocking success in attracting top talent for your organization. 

Using CareerArc to streamline social recruiting

Want to make your social recruitment efforts even easier this year? 

CareerArc is the social recruiting platform for talent attraction teams. It’s an all-in-one tool where you can automate content creation, leverage your employee networks, and capitalize on the expanded reach that social recruiting is known for. 

Want to try it out? Click here for a demo.