Pizzabelli, a new East Austin pizzeria,  is accepting employment applications exclusively through Snapchat.

Earlier this month, Pizzabelli posted an ad on Craigslist, encouraging people to send a Snapchat to the username “hiredinasnap” to apply for a position as a host or bartender. The company said it will use the Snapchats to screen for candidates who create “a great first impression.”

Claudia Giliberti, career services advisor for the College of Communication, said a Snapchat-based hiring process makes more sense for some business than others.

“Probably for this type of job it would be acceptable [to apply through Snapchat],” said Giliberti. “I don’t think it’s bad, honestly. It would allow students or applicants to give an animated version of themselves, you know. They can actually say something and can decide what to share.”

Giliberti said the pizzeria targeted the appropriate age demographic by using Snapchat videos.  

“Considering the age and the salary employees are going to make, it’s a decent tool, because you also want to see the person and see how the person interacts with potential customers,” Gillberti said.

Gilberti said accepting applications through Snapchat videos is part of a new trend of employer involvement on social media.

“Tools like Twitter and LinkedIn…are considered normal nowadays,” Gilberti said. “This is basically following that wave of social media interactions where employers are going to check on candidates, and look at their profiles and read what they post.”

Maria Malibiran, English and public relations junior, said using Snapchat as a hiring tool might create a barrier for would-be applicants who aren’t college students.

“There’s a very specific target demographic [for Snapchat],” Malibiran said. “The pizzeria [is] trying to make it easier for college students to work there.”

Public relations sophomore Abby Bollinger said she thinks Pizzabelli is likely also trying to spread awareness about their brand.

“If I was them, I would also be doing it because I would like want people who are using social media,” Bollinger said. “A lot of professions are looking for young people who are in touch and know how to use social media really well, so they can help them out with that when they’re hired.”