Video content is an increasingly important method of communication. Global Internet video traffic is forecasted to be 82% of all consumer Internet traffic by the end of 2022, while 18% of consumer Internet traffic will comprise consumers browsing websites, reading articles, skimming e-mails, and scrolling through nonvideo social media posts. To attract today’s jobseeker, storytelling through video may be a way to engage candidates and creatively showcase jobs and work environments. However, organizations must understand a video-based recruiting strategy is not just pointing a camera and recording employees. Organizations must sell the company to recruits. Leaders should consider the critical aspects of building a powerful story, the type of content that resonates with prospective candidates, and how to use the finished product in the recruiting process.
Companies keen on improving candidate quality and strengthening brand recognition by adopting video communications in recruiting and hiring processes should focus on the following.
The Story
A recruiter should craft a story that accurately reflects the company’s mission and core values to engage a jobseeker and promote next steps through video. Organizations are encouraged to keep the videos real, relatable, and concise.
Videos should be no more than 3 minutes long to grab and maintain jobseekers’ attention. Recruiters should create short scripts detailing information on the company, a specific role, its impact, and the exclusive benefits associated. Authenticity is critical in today’s workplace, and a lack of veracity is a big strike against a company. Therefore, organizations must keep videos authentic and on brand to accurately reflect the company’s culture and expectations. In addition, organizations can incorporate employees instead of professional actors in videos to build trust among jobseekers.
Organizations should avoid creating a packaged, misleading version of their workplace. Instead, they are encouraged to show the actual office; showcase aspects of its culture; and truly convey how their organization looks, feels, and works.
The Content
Videos in recruiting should not sit idly on a career site. Instead, they should be seen as strategic tools used to sell a company to recruits through actionable and captivating content. Employers should determine their goals and identify types of content that will resonate with prospective candidates.
Below are four types of videos business leaders can use to accomplish their goals at various stages of the recruitment funnel.
- Job preview. Offer a glimpse of a particular role’s responsibilities, challenges, goals, and perks to gain a competitive advantage.
- Documentary. Use a narrator to tell the story of the company, culture, and corporate functions to convey the workplace culture.
- Testimonial reel. Capture employee brand ambassadors speaking truthfully about the workplace to build applicant trust.
- Call to action. Showcase company core values and diversity, and call jobseekers to participate in the company’s mission to help attract like-minded applicants.
These video styles can help companies widen their search and bring immense value to the business by capturing the attention of their ideal applicants.
The Usage
Recruiters can further leverage video for recruiting when they seamlessly incorporate it into crucial areas of the hiring process. To begin, recruiters are encouraged to create digital video hubs to store various recruiting videos.
Next, pulling from the video hubs, recruiters can use existing videos to:
- Advertise job openings. Share videos on career sites or the company website to draw interested candidates and increase job visibility.
- Boost brand awareness. Include culture videos on social media, and extend the company sphere of influence among multiuser networks through resharing.
- Present at job fairs. Use videos at recruiting events, drive interested candidates to the booth, and connect with ideal candidates one on one.
- Enhance digital communications. Embed videos in application confirmation and interview follow-up e-mails, which give applicants a personalized preview into the company.
Businesses should greatly consider recruiting through video to help humanize the recruiting process, attract top talent, and deliver a unique experience to applicants. Additionally, incorporating videos in the recruiting process ensures a company’s message and brand stand out among the noise. When companies implement the above, they can overcome the challenges of a tight labor market and garner the attention of ideal candidates.
Jessica Larson is a senior HR specialist with Insperity, a leading provider of HR and business performance solutions. For more information about Insperity, call visit www.insperity.com.