What Does Recruitment Video Mean for HR & Recruiting?

The idea of incorporating video into a consumer marketing strategy is nothing new, but with online and mobile video consumption increasing at rates incomparable to years prior, now is a prime time to take the plunge.

If the love users have for online video (YouTube hit a milestone of 4 billion views per day earlier this year) is any indicator as to what could be the next big trend in recruitment marketing, you may want to refocus your strategy. Video interviewing is already a popular industry trend.  This is not to say social and mobile recruiting are falling by the wayside, but if you think about it, video can play a critical role in both by adding a new element: visual appeal. And its functionality doesn’t stop there. In addition to the recruitment video for employment brand piece, video is also making an impact on the overall recruitment process by offering alternate ways to interview candidates and view resumes. But today, we’re sticking to the basics and covering key points to consider when creating a video that showcases your culture or advertises a specific career opportunity.

The 5 P’s of Marketing, Recruitment Video

If you’ve ever been involved with consumer marketing, you’ve likely heard of the five P’s: product, price, place, promotion and people. And while a couple of these are applicable to recruitment video, there are a few others to incorporate as well.

1. Passion. The whole argument for video – no matter the industry or objective – is that it can elicit emotional response from viewers in a way that the written word cannot. And if you’ve ever had to grab the Kleenex during a news clip or even a fictional show, you know it’s true. The reason? Video makes is possible to see and feel the passion from the other side of the camera, but if your recruitment video stars seem less-than-thrilled, it’s a wasted effort. Who wants to join a workplace filled with uninspired people?

2. People. This may seem obvious, but your recruitment video should be people-centric. Shots of the office break room and on-screen bullets listing wellness benefits may seem interesting, but in reality, those are not make-or-break factors for candidate viewers. People relate to people, so focusing on your current employees and execs is the best way to establish a connection.

3. Placement. Many organizations create recruitment videos and choose to host them in specific locations – careers site, job postings, YouTube or social media. Recruitment videos are great for career sites and job posting SEO.  But in order to create a consistent employment brand and reach all potential candidates, your video should be present across all touch points.

4. Playable. Obviously your video should play, but that’s not what I’m referring to. We’re all aware that mobile is fast-growing, and that doesn’t just include site visits and app downloads. This year, the number of mobile video viewers is expected to hit 54.6 million, and what’s cause for concern is that many online videos are not able to be played on a mobile device. If you’re going to invest in recruitment video, be sure to cover all bases.

5. Pithy. Is this the best descriptor? Maybe, maybe not. The point is that online and mobile video viewers have extremely short attention spans – think less than two minutes, and that’s if they’re highly engaged. In order to really impact potential candidates, it’s critical to get down to business from the first second of the clip. A concise but meaningful recruitment video is far more effective than one that’s long and drawn out. Plus, viewers are likely to miss any points that aren’t made up front.

How to Reach Job Seekers with Recruitment Videos

Of course there are several other points to consider when investing in a recruitment video – from choosing a production company to honing in on a target objective. Just remember, your ultimate goal is to entice candidates, so don’t use video as another platform to recite a boring job description.  Are you using recruitment videos to reach job seekers?  What methods or ideas have worked for you and your organization?

 

Autumn McReynolds is the Content Strategist and Lead Blogger for TalentMinded, an online publication focused on talent attraction and engagement in the digital age. After landing in the recruitment space in 2009, she has spent the past three years in the job board industry as both a recruiter and project manager, consulting with clients about job advertisements, employment brand and SEO strategies for attracting new candidates via job postings. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.