In recruitment, forging a genuine bond with viewers hinges on presenting sincere testimonials and experiences from current employees. This approach, encapsulated in well-orchestrated videos, renders an honest glimpse into your company’s life. This helps build trust and relatability with your brand.
An authentic moment captured in film can speak volumes in just a few seconds. Translating these moments into compelling and authentic recruitment narratives can be challenging, but they are worth the investment.
Why? Because your audience can distinguish between video content that’s a sales message and an authentic hiring message. Authenticity is non-negotiable, no matter which positions you’re hiring for. Casting a company representative (influencer) who is honest and relatable may take some time, but it is essential to the success of your hiring efforts.
Also, scripting a long message focused on branding and selling will not work.
Here’s a series of recent recruitment videos Engel O’Neill produced for Camp Notre Dame. The videos featured authentic employees who represented the camp’s values through personal stories. The magic of a successful employee recruitment social ad is finding the right talent and keeping their message concise and authentic. These videos were formatted for social media (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook). The length was also adjusted based on the social platform.
Crafting the Core Message
The essence of a good recruitment video lies in its ability to encapsulate the company’s mission and culture, so it can resonate with potential candidates at a fundamental level.
Every element of your core message must work together to form a compelling narrative that communicates your organization’s distinct value proposition, and the tangible and intangible benefits of joining the team.
A well-thought-out recruitment narrative will help attract like-minded individuals who share the organization’s vision and values.
Identifying Your Unique Selling Points
Employee testimonials offer an unequaled window into tangible experiences. Authenticity bolsters recruitment. Highlight your unique workplace culture and the opportunities that differ from competitors. This becomes the crux of engaging video content for potential hires. For example, Engel O’Neill produced this recruitment message for Waldameer & Water World, which authentically sells what makes Waldameer a unique and attractive summer job.
Reflecting on what sets your company apart is critical to discerning these unique selling points. Superior training programs, advancement opportunities, or an inclusive culture are traits that appeal to potential hires.
When tailored effectively, these unique selling points become a magnet for talent. Leveraging employee stories and successes (not just standard lists of benefits) positions your company as a sought-after employer.
Video Content Featuring Real Employee Stories
Employee testimonials bring authenticity to your brand narrative. These stories turn abstract values into vivid experiences that future recruits can relate to.
By showcasing diverse employee journeys, you cultivate a sense of belonging even before candidates apply. Firsthand accounts provide a compelling and realistic perspective. Personal growth, camaraderie, and a mix of professional and personal satisfaction come to life.
Strategically broadcasting these narratives across various platforms increases your reach. The content’s depth and tone must be adapted to suit each medium, whether TV or social channels like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Here’s an example of using the same person and content for TikTok and YouTube. The TikTok hiring video is short, while YouTube is more extended, giving you more opportunity to tell a compelling story.
Remember, prospective candidates seek workplaces where they can see their future. Authentic employee stories create a powerful and relatable vision that resonates beyond the screen. Editing of the story needs to be careful and purposeful. Otherwise, the story can come off as fake, insincere or unprofessional.
Aligning Values with Visuals
Visual storytelling in recruitment videos translates core company values into relatable narratives for potential hires. Here are some compelling values you may want to focus on:
- Cultural Alignment: Showcasing the work environment and team dynamic
- Growth Opportunities: Highlighting career development and learning experiences
- Diversity and Inclusion: Illustrating respect, acceptance and a commitment to a broad range of perspectives
- Innovation and Creativity: Fostering ingenuity and original thought
- Work-Life Harmony: Portraying a balance of professional duties and personal life
The right visuals and narrative leave a lasting impression of what being part of your team truly means. These vignettes become the visual handshake that introduces your company culture to candidates.
Optimizing for Platform Specifications
You must adhere to distinct technical criteria and user expectations when adapting video content for various platforms. TV advertising demands high-resolution content with a narrative that unfolds over a set, traditional timeframe. Alternatively, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok prioritize visually compelling and easily digestible content within seconds, encouraging engagement and shareability.
To maximize these platforms to full potential, it’s crucial to understand their unique algorithms and content consumption patterns. Each network has an ideal content type, whether the polished, studio-quality commercials preferred by TV, or the more authentic videos that offer glimpses of workplace culture but with the low production values prized on social platforms. Successfully tailoring content across mediums ensures it remains visually cohesive and contextually relevant, striking a chord with viewers no matter where they see your brand’s message.
Tailoring Content for TV Audiences
Crafting content for television encounters a distinct set of expectations. Audiences typically engage with TV during specific times, so your recruitment videos must establish an immediate connection. Conciseness is essential; narratives should unfold succinctly. Importantly, visuals must align with the viewing context—larger screens—and accommodate televised content’s pacing and storytelling norms.
Consider the uniquely passive nature of TV spectators when conceptualizing your videos. Unlike social media users who actively scroll and seek content, TV viewers are served content during their viewing sessions, at times when they may or may not be paying full attention. This dynamic necessitates content that is both captivating and informative enough to make viewers pause and take notice.
Engaging Instagram and TikTok Users
Short-form videos on Instagram and TikTok require a unique blend of brevity and storytelling to capture attention.
Your to-do list:
- Showcase relatable moments to foster an immediate emotional connection with the audience
- Leverage trending soundtracks and visual effects to make viewers want to share the video
- Include clear and compelling CTAs encouraging user action, such as applying, visiting a website or learning more
- Use authentic employee testimonials to illustrate company culture and career opportunities
- Adopt platform-specific features like filters and hashtags to increase visibility and engagement
Tailor content to the platform culture, where informal, creative expression thrives. And balance aspirational content with real day-to-day experiences.
Maximizing Impact on YouTube
YouTube videos can be longer. Craft a compelling narrative arc that resonates with YouTube’s audience, who favor in-depth content over quick snippets.
Remember to optimize for mobile viewing by ensuring your hiring videos are visually engaging on smaller screens and formatted for vertical viewing if necessary. Did you know 70 percent of YouTube watch time happens on smartphones and tablets?
You should also do the following 3 things to take full advantage of the platform:
- Incorporate SEO strategies within your video titles and descriptions to improve searchability and reach
- Consider coupling your videos with YouTube’s advertising options to target specific demographics, increasing visibility among potential job candidates
- Encourage viewer interaction by asking for comments and fostering a community around your recruitment content
Driving Engagement Through Storytelling
In recruitment, authenticity converges with narrative to craft stories that resonate, motivating potential candidates to envision a future within the company. These stories serve as conduits, aligning candidate aspirations with the organization’s culture.
Creating Emotional Connections
Authenticity is the cornerstone of emotional engagement, shaping how potential candidates perceive and relate to your brand’s narrative. Authentic recruitment videos showcase career opportunities and impart the spirit that defines your corporate culture.
By integrating genuine employee narratives and leveraging audiovisual expertise, Engel O’Neill forges emotional conduits that resonate with job candidates personally.
One Final Point: Don’t Forget to Showcase Growth Opportunities
Growth opportunities reinforce company commitment and attract top talent. If possible, mention:
- Professional Development
- Opportunities for Growth
- Skill Diversification
- Leadership Cultivation
- Recognition Programs
Enhanced career prospects serve as a significant lure for job candidates. Prospective employees aspire to evolve; a robust narrative on growth highlights this potential within your organization.
To jumpstart your recruitment video strategy, contact the EO team today!