• by Larissa Faw , March 9, 2015

There are more 50 million active users on Tinder - the majority of whom are 18-34 years olds - which is why Havas Worldwide Chicago has built its own Tinder profile to seek candidates for its Summer Internship program. 

"There is a tremendous amount of talent out there, but it's really a matter of finding the right people for our agency--with a mix of relevant skills, social savvy, and also cultural fit. Our approach to intern recruiting has a built-in vetting function," says Jason Peterson, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide Chicago. "We're looking for young, smart, hungry candidates who thrive on social media and will be able to withstand the rigor of the internship once they're here." 

The agency’s profile is open to all ages, sexual orientations, genders, and races. Once users swipe right on Havas’ profile, the agency will engage them in a dialogue, ultimately choosing one Tinder intern in the Chicago area to join its team.

However, Tinder is only one social media channel Havas Chicago is using under its fourth annual social media-based intern draft seeking talent for its summer program.

Starting March 9, the agency is also introducing#InternFightClub, a two-week long Instagram campaign that serves as a call-to-action to would-be interns: “It’s time to get into fighting shape. We’re looking for the greatest pound-for-pound interns who have the speed, power and instincts to take their shot at replacing some of our agency heavyweights.” 

Then, through a series of eight creative Instagram Challenge Rounds, interns must complete challenges to prove their abilities, including #HungryforHavas that seeks an image of an innovative food item and #SleepYourWayToTheTop that wants them to sell Havas a mattress. All intern submissions will be housed on a microsite. Fourteen interns will be selected for this summer's program.

"We are creating strategic creative work across a growing list of channels for our clients, so tapping into talent that understands and uses these channels has led to some great work," says Peterson. 

In fact, Havas Chicago has been using social media exclusively to recruit new interns since last year. The agency first explored recruiting through Twitter, then centralized its efforts on Instagram via the #iamheretotakeyourjob campaign, and more recently added a Snapchat element for its Winternship draft.

"There is a method to our madness," says Heather Hayden, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, Havas Worldwide Chicago. "The mix per department is driven by the talent that shows up. It's all about finding the top talent, which is one of the reasons we've been so successful in converting these interns. We don't 'force fit.' At Havas, we treat our interns like real employees - it's more of an apprenticeship - which can make them essential to how we do business. Honestly, it's been one of the most successful ways we fill our entry-level spots with 50% conversion to full-time."

Social media channels also enable the agency to steer clear of traditional intern recruiting efforts like sifting through blind resumes and hiring friends or children of agency executives that result in average candidates. Executives like how these social channels enable them to surgically target ideal candidates, and uncover the depth, passion and drive that often gets missed in a traditional interview.