Recruitment Video | Tips To Attract Top Talent With Video
A recruitment video can help you attract top talent. Learn how!
What is A Recruitment Video?
A recruitment video is designed specifically to attract new ideal employees to your business. The content of a recruitment video should focus on company culture, and work lifestyle.
It’s much different than a corporate video which focuses on the consumer, or an About Us video which tells the story of the founder and their origin story.
However, since more and more consumers value brands that treat their employees well, a video of this nature can also serve as a marketing tool.
Why Is a Recruitment Video Necessary?
Video is the preferred method of consuming information for the millennial generation.
By using a video format to showcase the perks of your company, you convey more emotion and appeal than a job listing in text format ever could, and increase your chance of attracting top talent.
Here are the four major benefits of a recruitment video:
Reach More Candidates – A video will attract more attention, because it can be showcased on popular social media platforms where your potential hires are spending more of their time.
Attract Top Candidates – With an influx of candidates, you’ll attract top talent as well who are looking for an opportunity that stands out to them.
Increase Your Application Rate – Those who watch your video are more likely to take action and apply, especially if you show a fun and enjoyable company culture.
Present Your Brand In A Compelling Way – With a video, you can tell a powerful story unlike any other brand or medium.
It’s clear that a video can help attract top talent, but only if the video has an appealing company story.
But how do you make a recruitment video that actually works?
Let’s look at some easy tips that you can apply to ensure you make the most attractive recruitment video.
Recruitment Video Best Tips
Transparency
Honesty is the most important factor in making a great recruitment video. You can’t lie. Your company actually has to be a great place to work.
On video, the quality of life at your workplace will show through. If it’s a healthy company culture, then your video will show that.
Here’s a great example of a video that shows a clear and honest look at the company culture. You can tell by the video that it really is an amazing place to work!
Zappos:
Make It Fun And/Or Funny
If there was ever a time to include some lighthearted comedy in your corporate video, this is it!
Remember that top talent will likely have several options of where they want to work (and may already be headhunted) so they are going to be extra choosy. Having a video that makes them laugh will really stand out, and likely increase your odds of them applying to your company.
A police station is the last place you’d expect to include humour in their recruitment video, but this one decided to inject some simple and tasteful humour, which adds quite a bit of appeal.
It’s a bit on the long side for my preference, but I suppose considering becoming a cop is a big decision which requires lots of encouragement. So I’ll let this one slide. And I do love the funny bits!
Keep It Short & Sweet
Speaking of length, SkillScout analyzed 450+ company videos across YouTube and Vimeo channels and found out that the average time spent watching recruitment videos is 1 minute and 36 seconds.
This is how long you have to capture your potential candidates’ attention! So focus on keeping your video short and sweet, and you will increase engagement and response.
Highlight the Lifestyle
Did you know that many candidates choose a city before they choose a job?
Oftentimes, it’s not just the company they are considering, it’s the lifestyle nearby. Consider showing off the following in your video to attract some out of town talent:
- Bars
- Eateries
- Coffee shops
- Community amenities of your hiring city
Showcase Your Growth
The most talented Millennials want to know they’re part of something big. If your company is hiring, you’ve likely been having some real growth and success. That is great content for your narrative.
Make sure to include how you’ve grown over the years, and cast a bigger vision into the hearts of your candidates.
Focus On One Person
In a video about an intern at Google, the focus is placed entirely on one person’s experience.
One thing that works great about this video is that it creates a very personal and honest story. You should consider the same narrative approach in your video.
The benefit of this is that a new potential candidate can really see themselves in the shoes of the main character in your video, as the story dives much deeper into the experience.
Describe The Job
Make sure that your recruitment video clearly describes the job, at least as an overview.
There may be many facets to the job description, but a more broad overview will be helpful for top talent to see themselves working in your company.
If your job description is something that a candidate is hunting for, they will really resonate with your video.
Highlight Perks And Benefits
One thing that will give your video the competitive advantage, is to highlight the perks and benefits of your company and culture.
Of course, this may require some thoughtful consideration. We tend to not even notice what makes us so unique because it’s so integrated it’s barely noticeable. The key is not to overthink it.
Hubspot did a great job of having one of their recruiters present the company in an appealing way, and also let some of the staff share their own ideas.
Get Quirky
Nobody wants to join an over-regulated or bland company culture.
Injecting something quirky, something interesting, sharing some history about your brand will create much more appeal and uniqueness in your video.
Zendesk did an excellent job with their recruitment video by making it quirky. It’s a very nice balance of serious and “not-so-serious” facts about their company culture.
By Anthony Madani
