Job fairs are one way that employers attempt to lure in a large number of applicants all in one shot. Chipotle took this idea to another level when they decided to hire 4,000 employees in one day! Chipotle set aside time on September 9, 2015 (by opening early at each location) to hopefully hire 60 new employees at each location. This would increase their employee pool by almost 7%. While this may seem like the easy way out, is it really that simple? And what is the product – quality candidates or just a large number of candidates? From a human resources perspective, it’s always important to analyze the quality of your talent pool over the quantity, because in the long run, the quality employees are the ones that employers will choose to spend their time developing, growing, and incorporating into the organization. So let’s take a deeper look at Chipotle’s big day!
Chipotle did make a point of advertising the growth opportunity for its employees, stating that 95% of the company’s managers have moved up through the ranks at Chipotle, rather than being hired straight into a management position from outside the company. This number could definitely be useful in attracting quality employees who want to stick around for the long term, rather than find a quick solution to their current unemployment status, with the hopes to move on to something bigger and better outside of Chipotle should the opportunity arise.
Chipotle was also smart in labeling this event, “National Career Day” so that not only was the company targeting those individuals who want to build a career (not just a job), but they were also advertising to the public at the same time. By creating such buzz, they were bringing in more business and customers at the same time. Genius!
Chipotle set up an interview time frame from 8am – 11am (before regular store hours) so this event did not interfere with their normal business hours. Chipotle brought in managers to conduct interviews in a first round on September 9th, to be followed up with a second round for those qualified candidates moving forward in the process.
All in all, although this is a unique approach to mass hiring, it seems to fit the bill for what Chipotle is looking for. Only time will tell if the quality of these applicants proved to be of the caliber that Chipotle would like, but overall, the process was well-founded and followed guidelines to keep the quality of candidates as the top priority, despite the media’s emphasis on the sheer volume of applicants. Like with most recruitment practices, the larger the pool, the higher the chance that you will find your superstar. But there is an argument to be made for events like Chipotle’s National Career Day creating a buzz, bringing in large numbers, and then turning up empty in terms of quality hires. But, couldn’t the same be said for posting an ad on Indeed or LinkedIn? The screening process for an event such as this may take a bit longer, but the outcome could very well yield amazing results. For a company as large as
Chipotle, looking ahead to major growth this year with the creation of an additional 200+ stores this year alone, mass hiring may be the way to go. How does your company view quality vs. quantity when it comes to recruitment?