Am I the only one who was warned my eyes would go square if I sat too close or spent too much time watching TV? If the old wives’ tale is true we might all be in trouble, as according to recent statistics from YouTube billions of hours of videos are watched on their site alone every, single, day. So for those of you looking for a way to build a more engaging recruitment process video could well be the way to go.

There are a myriad of reasons why video is so engaging. We're evolutionarily adapted to quickly respond to the combination of image, sound, and motion, be it emotionally due to there being more cues, or because we can process it faster. Whatever the reason the point is using video in your hiring process commands the attention, and contrary to popular belief your video does not need to go viral to be successful.

Here are five examples of how you can work video into your recruitment process, cheaply and easily:

1. Advertising your jobs on social

At Hays we’ve been using a tool called VideoMyJob to equip our recruiters to create branded video job ads they can quickly share on social media using just their smartphone, like this one. 

Users can record a video, edit and then share the videos all within the app. You can upload your own branding so all your videos look and feel professional, and you can even have users submit videos for approval so they can’t post just anything.

The app itself helps the user ensure their positioned correctly, and even includes an autocue if needed. Whilst the editing suite means you can not only stitch together videos and cut, but add icons, sub titles and other wording all within the app.

It’s a great way to stand out in the midst of all the other noise on social, humanise your job postings and even better it doesn’t drag on your precious marketing resources to create you a video all the time.

2. Bringing your employer brand to life

We’ve already covered how your employer brand needs to be authentic online. Video is a great way to do this. By showing your company culture, environment and engaged employees, not just telling, you gain serious credibility. 

These videos can be used on your careers sites, in your recruitment e-mails, at events. Here’s a great example from PwC demonstrating their parent friendly workplace and recent award win.

3. Explaining your application process

It’s an area many an organisation missed, but constant communication throughout the recruitment process to ensure your candidates know what’s next and when it’s likely to happen is key in today’s competitive environment. 

Explaining your typical recruitment process at the beginning, even if it’s just what is required at application stage on your website is a must. Video can be a great medium for this, breaking up all the reading and setting you apart from the competition.

The Dow Chemical Company do this well by including a typical timeframe to manage expectations as well as explaining their usual process and tools involved.

4. Use video as part of the application process

Video interviewing has been used in various ways to reduce costs on travel and make quicker decisions without the need to align diaries. We’ve tried numerous different systems with clients across the world, including Hire Vue, Sonru and LaunchPad. 

However, interviews aren’t the only way to use video in your selection process. We’ve used video as a self-selection tool as part of the screening process, by creating a video that users can interact with to see what a day in the life of a recruiter is really like and test their skills by answering questions throughout:

As candidates seek to stand out and better demonstrate the real them you should also consider accepting or even requesting video resumes. Just as we’ve sometimes found with video interviews not all candidates will be up for the challenge, but providing the option will show your organisation is open to creativity and those who are changing with the times.

5. Vlogging careers advice or to position you a thought leader

Vlogging seems to be almost every teenager’s ideal career right now, so nothing is more on trend than a video blog. You could get your CEO or one of your key hiring managers to record an overview of industry trends they are seeing in their world of work or what they think it takes to make it to the top, to help position you as a thought leader in that space to attract passive candidates, while allowing your candidates to know a little about their interviewer or future employer. 

Alternatively, you could just create simple careers advice videos to support your candidates further.

The historic world of ‘advertise & apply’ (where active jobseekers at that point in time apply to advertised vacancies) is being superseded by a ‘find & engage’ approach, and few things are more engaging than video.

Your candidates want to know what it’s really like to work at your company, and video allows you to give them the context that words alone will struggle to convey. So whether you’re showcasing your employees, your workplace, the things you believe in or just promote your job openings video could well be a new addition to your talent acquisition toolkit.

To find out more about the changing tactics that are impacting the world of talent acquisition download our Recruitment Remodelled Whitepaper.

AUTHOR

Laura Webster
Global Marketing Manager, Hays Talent Solutions
Focused on leading the planning and delivery of strategic marketing programmes to support the growth of Hays Talent Solutions globally, Laura works with our teams around the world to share our insight and expertise. 

Before moving to her current role Laura headed up the marketing for a third of Hays' UK specialisms, including Accountancy and Finance, Life Sciences and Financial Markets, developing our candidate attraction and client engagement strategies. Prior to joining Hays, and after completing a BSc in Management at the University of Manchester, Laura worked in a marketing agency as an account manager and headed up the marketing for a technical recruitment company and marketing consultancy, where she gained her Professional Diploma in Marketing.