Zappos plans to move away from traditional job boards in favor of social networking
platforms. Potential candidates will have to participate in mandatory social networking
activities including joining Zappos Insiders, and interacting with current employees to
demonstrate their fit with the company. One of the primary catalysts for this shift is to
provide Zappos recruiters with more purposeful work, since Zappos only hired roughly
1.5% of the 31,000 job applicants in the previous year. Zappos feels that this will also
provide prospective candidates with a better platform for differentiating themselves. While
this may prove to be a strong business decision in the long run, it does pose potential to
alienate qualified candidates who do not wish to participate in social networking activities.
Another central issue relating to the elimination of traditional job postings in favor of
social networking is that candidates do not get a clear picture of what available jobs there
are and what each position opening actually entails. As such, there is also no clear idea as
to potential compensation. Without this important information, a potential candidate is less
likely to be emotionally invested in the process. They are not getting a clear answer to the
questions of “why is working for your company better than others”, and “how does the
work I could potentially be doing going to make the company bigger and better?” and
more obviously, “where am I a potential fit”? Zappos claims that social networking will
help recruiters get to know candidates, profile them, and match them to the right position.
