How to Recruit Amazing Talent with Pokémon Go4 min read

Nobody could have foreseen the cultural phenomenon that is Pokémon Go. The popularity of the game has divided everyone in two camps. Those who absolutely hate it, and can’t understand what the fuss is all about, and those who absolutely adore it.

As a recruiter, you shouldn’t take sides, and realize that this is a great opportunity to find some of the best young talent there is, before anyone else.

Global Phenomenon

Using Pokémon Go to find talent in your field might sound like a risky venture, but sometimes recruiters have to take calculated risks, if they want to be get the best, and brightest young professionals. And with the large number of people that are drawn by this phenomenon, the probability that some of them are the future employees you are looking for is high.

Before you start developing a strategy, the first thing you’ll want to do is to get to know the game. Install the app, and see what the experience has to offer. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get it at first. Even millennials sometimes have a hard time figuring out all the ins and outs of these new apps and programs. If they wouldn’t, there wouldn’t be a need for handy websites that offer how-to guides on how to use all sorts of college apps.

Powerful networking tool

Pokémon Go can be a great networking tool. Capturing the actual creatures is just a part of what the game presupposes. The real fun begins when several people gather around a PokeStop. These are places that generate in-game consumables. There usually close to real world landmarks, such as monuments, and important buildings. In PokeStop locations, people get to meet-up and socialize. Because, even though it may not seem like it, the most appealing part of the Pokémon Go phenomenon is the feeling that you are part of a community.

In these spots, players place lure modules. A lure is an in-game device that attracts Pokémon to a specific location. In certain places that have many PokeStops, such as parks, players set up PokeFarms, that basically provide them with near-infinite amount of consumables and Pokémon. These hotspots can attract hundreds of people.

Take advantage of the trends

The Pokémon Go app provides you with a map, on which you can see all these PokeStops. Apart from the map, you can also check Facebook to find events. These events can bring hundreds, even thousands of people together You can track down the locations where these gatherings are going to take place, and canvass the crowds to spot young talent.

If you can afford the investment, you can choose to sponsor one of these events, and get your company’s name out there. Millennials are definitely going to be impressed with your interest in pop culture, as long as you don’t oversell it. Don’t try to mask the fact that you are there to find young talent for your company, and don’t try to package it as part of the event itself.

Scanning through these Facebook event pages can give a good idea of what to expect from the community. You can even use some of the information obtained here to find potential candidates for your business.

Another thing you can do is to take advantage of the PokeStops in your area. A lure module costs about 50$, and it can attract a sizeable number of people. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to make the most of the craze. Promoting the event on Facebook, and other social media platforms is a must, if you want to maximize the potential number of people that are going to attend it. You can also use lures to attract young talent to events you’ve already got planned. You can use them to enhance the appeal of your job fair stand, or networking event.

Problems you could expect

One problem that can come up when you’re trying to find talent using Pokémon Go is that you may find yourself attracting the wrong kind of people that aren’t really interested in getting a job. For this reason, you shouldn’t hide the fact that this is a job hiring opportunity. When the reasons behind your corporate event are going to become apparent, your potential candidates might feel insulted.

Pokémon Go is still by and large an entertainment app. It’s not really designed to work as a hiring tool. But you can use it to make your brand more visible to millennials looking to get hired, and adapt your image to make it more appealing to young talent. The app is still currently subject to changes and updates, and since the phenomenon doesn’t seem to be winding down any time soon, you should keep yourself in the loop. There might be more efficient ways of using it to the benefit of your company in the future.

Author: Marc Mendelman