An employment video can help strengthen your recruiting strategy by sharing your employment story and engaging job seekers to learn more about your organization. By providing a visually stimulating, genuine representation of your company and work-style, you can help prospective candidates decipher whether or not they are a good fit for your company and the open position -- improving the quality of your applicants as well as strengthening your talent community. Plus, careers sites and job postings that include video appear higher in search engine results than those that do not.
If you want to be seen (and desired) by the best talent, then it’s time to start filming. Reference our list of eight critical steps for producing a great employment video, and soon you’ll have a compelling recruiting tool your company can be proud of.
Keep your focus narrow from the beginning by clarifying the main objective of the video (and remind yourself of it often). Having a clear vision for the overall goal can make the initial meeting with your videographer much more successful.
Your video’s success highly depends on this step. First and foremost, decide who will be a critical player in carrying out the video’s vision. That could include your human resources director, marketing director, CEO or any other member of your leadership team. Be careful to avoid “getting too many cooks in the kitchen.” If each member has a different objective, the message could get lost.
Most likely, your employment video will range anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple minutes, leaving only a limited amount of time to get your message across. If you’re hiring for multiple roles (let’s say sales and information technology), it can be difficult to reach both in one video. Make the piece more effective by choosing a specific target audience and speak directly to what they care about. That could range from collaborative workspaces or working in small teams to having flexible hours or making an impact. Identify what your current employees (in that role) enjoy and most likely that’s what will engage your prospective candidates to apply.
Once you’ve determined who your target audience is, decipher what message will make the most impact. If you’re making a “day in the life” or “in-depth role” piece, it’s important to highlight how your employees feel like they're making an impact on the organization. Think about what your target candidates care about or look for in an employer, and pivot the message around that. Spark interest in prospective candidates by highlighting your organization's unique attributes. And never forget to answer the question: What makes your employees excited about coming into work each day?
Your employment video should visually communicate the persona of your workplace. To do this, tailor your video’s style and speed to match your company’s personality. If you encourage an innovative, fast paced work style, then your video should reflect that with interesting angles and fast cuts. On the contrary, if your organization is about traditional customer service or patient care, your video should reflect an altruistic atmosphere by capturing the intimate relationship your employees have with their clients or patients.
Senior executives may be familiar with corporate messaging, but they may not always be the best person to deliver the message. Instead, rely on your individual contributors to share their story. This tactic is much more compelling because it's easier for the job seeker to relate and imagine themselves working in the position.
The whole objective of employment videos is to compel the right candidates to learn more about your organization and ultimately apply. Without a call to action, this objective may not be attainable. A good rule of thumb is to follow a story plot diagram. Start with a character introduction, include action by showing daily responsibilities, culminate the story by showing employees' impact and close with a nod to their future. This strategy helps create a sense of urgency for job seekers (if they decide your company is the right fit), because it’s easier to imagine themselves as the character. This strategy helps spark excitement in your prospective candidates and ultimately encourages them to apply.
When choosing where your video will live, think about where your target candidate will be searching. Whether you create a YouTube channel, Vimeo account, add the video to your careers site, or upload it to your Facebook page, choose the platforms where your prospective candidates are more likely to find it.
Before you begin shooting, reference these steps to ensure that you and your company are headed in the right direction. Each one is a vital piece of your video strategy. Combining them creates a solid plan of action before you even start filming -- assuring that your organization’s video is as effective as possible. Don’t wait another minute; start engaging top performers in your industry by including video as a part of your recruiting message.
