In a candidate-led market companies can no longer just rely on their reputation or brand to attract job seekers. With so many job openings now available to job seekers companies will need to differentiate themselves from their competitors to attract the best talent.
One way for a company to stand out is to use online video as part of their talent attraction strategy.
Why Online Video?
Back in 2005 it was difficult to create and publish video on the internet. Not only did you need to have a camcorder to produce videos but broadband internet access wasn’t universally available which meant that videos were slow to download as well being very expensive to host online.
That gradually changed overtime with the introduction of YouTube (with free video hosting and easy upload of videos) and the fact that mobile phones started to incorporate a video camera as part of their features. In fact a modern smartphone can produce stunning HD quality video footage which would have cost many thousands of pounds/dollars back in 2005.
Today, online video is seen as a natural way to deliver a message and has become the fastest growing form of online advertising.
So why use online video in recruitment? Here are just a few reasons why:
- Can add personality to your company and brand
- Gives insights into your company, people, culture and values
- Videos can rank highly in the search engines (especially with Google who own YouTube!)
- Videos are Mobile Friendly
- Can be shared on Social Media
Different Types of Video
There are many different types of videos that can be used in recruitment as part of a talent attraction strategy. These include (but are not limited to):
- A single “talking head” video ( a person talking directly to the video camera)
- A conversational two person interview
- A whiteboard or animated video
- A photo/video montage video
- A screencast video using screen recording software
- A live or pre-recorded webinar
You can view some examples below:
Step 1 – What Is The Purpose Of Your Video & Who Are Your Target Market?
Before starting it is essential for you to understand what the purpose of your video is and to have clearly identified your target market.
- Who is your video aimed at?
- Where will you find your target audience?
- What action do you want them to take as a result of watching your video? For example, email you / register / phone you?
The purpose of a video will vary from company to company based on their own requirements, but generally online videos will be used to:
- Raise awareness
- Build relationships
- Profile current employees
- Give insight into your company culture and values
- Generate job applications
This first step is absolutely key because if you get your purpose and target market wrong you could have the best produced video in the world but it will not produce the results you wanted as it won’t been seen by your target market!
Step 2 – Content: What Is Your Video About?
Once you know the purpose of your video it makes it far easier to work out your content strategy.
The typical content for recruitment videos includes:
- Promoting specific job vacancies
- Promoting ongoing job vacancies
- A “day in the life of” employee video
- Sharing educational content
Make sure you have an outline script before you start. It can save you time and keep you on track!
Step 3 – Shooting Your Recruitment Videos
As previously mentioned a lot of modern smartphones now come with a HD quality video camera which means that you are able to shoot your video without having to purchase a separate video camcorder. The latest digital SLR cameras also have a built in HD quality video camera.
When shooting your video it is essential to end up with a high quality audio recording. Whilst you can use the built-in microphone on a smartphone or digital SLR camera the quality is much lower than a professional microphone.
In fact, Danny Boyle (Hollywood film producer for Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and many other successful films) once said “One thing I have learnt is that 70% of the movie is sound” which just goes to show how important the sound is to the success of a film.
When planning to shoot your video it is also important to check the background layout, background noise and lighting as all three of these have the potential to ruin your video if not checked first.
Don’t Want To Be On Camera?
In addition to shooting videos which include one or more people there are other options available that don’t include being on camera.
For example, you can create a presentation in PowerPoint by adding text, images, video clips and a voiceover and then producing it as a video to upload online.
There are also a number of web-based video services where you can use their templates to add your own text images and video. You then simply hit the submit button and it will produce the video for you.
Step 4 – Editing Your Recruitment Videos
Once you have finished shooting your video the next step is editing.
If you shot the video on your smartphone in one take you may want to upload the video straight from your smartphone to a video sharing site like YouTube.
However, if you took different shots at different times you will need to edit the video first before uploading it. Whilst editing you may also want to edit your video with titles, branding and royalty free background music.
A lot of the smartphones today come with a built-in video editor which you can use or you can transfer the video from your smartphone to a professional video editor to make your changes. Some of the popular video editors include iMovie for a Mac and Sony Vegas Movie Studio for a PC.
In addition there are now a number of free web-based video editors available which are simple and easy to use.
Step 5 – Publishing Your Recruitment Videos
Once you have completed editing your video the next step is to publish the video online. There are a number of places you can do this, including your own website and various video sharing sites including YouTube and Vimeo.
Once the videos have been published you can then start to share then through your various social media channels.
Further Information
If you are interesed in finding out more about how online video can be used in your company, or you would like some help in getting started, then please feel free to contact me for a chat.
Mike Taylor
