Workplace trends like "quiet quitting" and "coffee badging" are not materializing out of thin air. They're coming from TikTok, the video platform increasingly being used for career advice.
The site Resume Builder surveyed 1,000 full-time workers ages 21 to 40 in October regarding their use of TikTok for career advice. More than three-quarters of Gen Z respondents (ages 21-26) said they turn to the platform for job-related guidance, along with 57% of younger millennials (ages 27-33) and 54% of older millennials (ages 34-40).
Of those who use TikTok, 86% say they get career advice there at least somewhat frequently, and 36% say they have made career-related decisions based on advice they received from the platform.
"Most creators are sharing their personal career experience and calling it career coaching, which isn’t coaching," Julia Toothacre, ResumeBuilder.com’s resume and career strategist, warned in the report. "Personal experience is a way to connect, but it does not account for the unique experience, personality, and needs of their followers."
Gen Zers may be more likely than millennials to trust the advice they receive on TikTok, but 78% of the sample said they encounter misleading information at least some of the time. Alma Derricks, a senior client partner at management consulting firm Korn Ferry, suggests individual workplaces could provide more accurate guidance.
"Are they turning to TikTok in lieu of mentors?" Ms. Derricks asked. "They may not be connecting in their organizations and finding people to give them advice."
The report can serve as a wake-up call to companies to strengthen their mentorship systems, according to Ms. Derricks, with initiatives like Cleveland Clinic's buddy system.