People spend 88% more time on a website with video than one without. This is a hard statistic to ignore for employers looking to engage prospective candidates and encourage them to apply to open positions.
Those with a pinch (or buckets-full) of creative flair have taken to creating their own recruitment videos to inspire, engage, and, at times, amuse their target candidates.
If you’re struggling to draft your own video, we’re here to help you out with our top 9 recruiting video tips. Not to mention, this post will boost your inspiration with 4 prime examples of great company recruiting videos.
Armed with some inspirational fodder and a few key takeaways, you’ll be well on your way to creating an excellent recruitment video in no time.
What is a recruitment video?
Recruitment videos are, generally speaking, scripted and posted on job-listing websites like Indeed.com and LinkedIn.
Organizations will create a video, almost in ad-style format, to entice potential candidates to apply.
What is the purpose of a recruitment video?
Recruitment videos are a fantastic asset to a company because it gives the world the opportunity to get a ‘feel’ for what it’ll be like to work there.
Sometimes, even in a one-to-one interview, it can be challenging for a candidate to get a real sense of the company culture.
A recruitment video sets up the tone of the business from the very beginning, allowing the viewer to decide quickly whether the application is worth their time.
If the recruitment video is appealing to them, the chances of them declining a job offer are much slimmer.
Plus, it gives the organization more exposure. If everyone wants to work at your organization, it shows the business’s target market that the employees are treated well, therefore increasing the trust and resulting in more revenue.
So, recruitment videos truly do offer something for everyone.
For the candidate, it provides a visual representation of what it’s like to work at your company, enticing them to apply.
For the hirer, it reduces the number of declinations after offering a job offer, as the candidate will already know what to expect. It also takes the pressure off of them slightly, as they can use the recruitment video to refer to in their interview questions.
For the business, it sends a clear message to their target demographic that their employees genuinely enjoy working there. This raises the positive reputation and will gain more support through revenue with the target market.
Do you need a recruitment video for successful hiring?
The short answer is ‘no’. You don’t necessarily need a recruitment video for successful hiring.
You can continue to hire candidates the ‘old-fashioned’ way, publishing job adverts on certain websites. However, you’d be missing out on a huge opportunity.
We are living in a super technical world. With so many potential candidates on the internet every minute, you’re missing the chance to connect with many of them in one go.
Plus, as we said previously, recruitment videos have far more benefits than hiring the perfect candidate. Their ability to transform a business as a whole is undeniable.
So, while you don’t necessarily need a recruitment video for successful hiring, we really do suggest you read through this article, get inspired with our examples of the best recruitment videos out there, and get filming.
What makes a great recruitment video?
Coming up with your own recruiting video can be tough, especially if you’ve never made one before.
But don’t panic! We’ve got your back.
Let’s dive into a few basic - but crucial - elements that your video must have to be effective, worthwhile, and a positive promotion of your company’s brand.
A good recruitment video should:
1 - Be a window into your company
Your video should give prospective candidates a taste of what it looks like to work for your company.
This can mean a couple of things, depending on your company.
It could mean showing them the workspace and where people spend most of their day.
It could also mean showing them where your team might have lunch or a shot of a meeting in action.
Ultimately, your prospective candidates should know what to anticipate when they come in for an interview and, better yet, when they come to work with you.
They should be able to spot physical things from your recruitment video, and gain elements of recognition. Of course, you don’t want to give the whole game away, as this may result in them answering interview questions they anticipate you’ll want to hear, rather than a true, authentic response.
Essentially, allow your recruitment video to be a window into your company, but not a swing door.
2 - Give an introduction to your business
Giving an introduction to your business is different from our first point. While, on the surface, these two points may seem similar, they actually serve different purposes. As such, the strategy you use to achieve them must also be different.
While a window to your company mainly refers to the working conditions and atmosphere, which includes examples of the physical locations of your organization, and gives a certain ‘vibe’ of your environment, the introduction focuses on the actual business.
Many amateur recruiting videos forget one thing. Unfortunately, it’s probably the single most important detail you need to include in your recruitment video:
What does your company do?
It may seem absurd that so many professionals forget this key ingredient. But, it’s easily done. When you work day in day out with the same business and mission statement, it’s all too easy to forget that other people may not know them as well as you do.
However, a recruitment video is utterly pointless if you don’t outline, very early on, what your organization actually does.
Your recruitment video should touch on a few of your differentiators or value propositions.
Just like a sales lead, candidates should be able to determine what’s special about your company and why they would like to work for you (rather than your competitor). Whether that’s stated outright, (i.e.: ‘We offer [our market] [the product/service] in a [different way]’), or it could be heavily implied through the footage you shoot.
To put this into practice, let’s take a look at Walmart. It’s clear that Walmart sells products. However, what makes them different? What’s their unique value proposition?
Are these 3 things implied in Walmart’s recruitment video? Yes. Yes, they are.
From the footage of their low prices in the working environment to the reference to the company’s core values, Walmart combined an approach of subtle and direct.
The result is fantastic. And speaking of company values…
3 - Clearly outline your company’s values
Your video should also represent and communicate your company values. It’ll most likely be viewed by prospective candidates who haven’t applied yet.
So, this is a great opportunity to make sure your candidates know what your organization is all about, even before they hit the apply button.
An organization’s values are a contributing factor to the general culture of the business. The company, as a whole, will have set, strong values that each employee should resonate with and adhere to.
Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in your recruitment videos. Again, you could take the Walmart example and have an employee reference them in the film.
Or, you could heavily imply them throughout. Make sure, however you choose to do so, your organization’s values are evident. Candidates will then have a better understanding of your workplace’s ethics and beliefs.
4 - Be employee-focused, and give details of your team
Remember: this is not a sales video for your target market.
This is a recruitment video. So, rather than selling the product or service your organization provides, you’re selling the idea of working there.
Your video should demonstrate your team and the working dynamics within it. Successful recruiting videos are people-focused, so give your viewers a clear idea of who they can expect to be working with.
Studies have shown the value of workplace friendships when it comes to employee retention rates. Make sure your prospective candidates can imagine having a great time with their future colleagues and there’s a social environment they could imagine themselves thriving in.
Relationships in the workplace will reinforce the appeal of working there, especially if the team is reiterating the benefits of being employees of the organization.
5 - Be engaging & inspirational
The entire purpose of a recruiting video is to engage and inspire candidates to work with you.
We acknowledge that this is tricky because engagement and inspiration are subjective to the audience.
However, this is why you need to have a clear understanding of the ideal candidate for the role.
If you know your ideal candidate, you can make sure to target your recruitment video toward them. And, if you know them well enough, you’ll be able to determine the elements that they’d rank as ‘engaging’ and ‘inspirational’.
You could have all of the above elements of a great recruitment video but without this last piece, your video could fall short of getting candidates to apply.
Depending on your company and its values, alongside the ideal candidate, you may choose an emotional angle, humor, or prestige.
The angle you choose should be evident. Don’t muddle your waters. If you’re aiming for a funny recruitment video, make it funny. Stay clear from high levels of prestige. Consider it a genre, and run with it.
Recruitee's top 4 picks of the best recruitment videos
Engaging and inspiring your candidates is the most difficult yet most essential element of creating a great recruitment video.
That’s not to say it can’t be done. And we’ve got proof. We’ve included a list of some of our favorite recruitment and employer branding videos below to inspire you. Plus, we’ve detailed why the recruitment video is effective and how to replicate it for your own company.
Starbucks: connect with something bigger
Starbucks is a world-famous coffee house. They’re worth a massive $30 billion.
So, it would be fair to presume that their recruitment videos have all the bells and whistles, with state-of-the-art technology and a clear sense of prestige. But, it’s quite the opposite.
Why this recruitment video is great:
From the very first sentence, we get a clear sense of warmth. It’s spoken by an employee rather than by leadership, and it surrounds a feeling. She states:
“I love my team because they’re the best part of my day.”
Immediately, the viewer will understand that this corporation is built with teamwork in mind. There’s a family feel from the get-go, which is reinforced when she says:
“They help each other. They lift each other up. They support one another. And they have fun while they’re doing it.”
It’s very tricky to capture the same sense of atmosphere in a formal job description. And Starbucks has masterfully shot a recruitment video with a casual, laid-back, family-built tone.
Also, consider the filming style. There are no fancy transitions. It could’ve easily been filmed with one camera during an informal chat. It doesn’t feel staged or scripted. Even the music reinforces the message of trust, positivity, and partnership.
They outline their brand values clearly throughout the video, and the fact that it’s based around a small team in one particular location is super effective. We get to know the team’s names, and immediately, we feel like part of the group.
It’s enticing, outlines the benefits of working at Starbucks, and perfectly captures the working relationships within a team.
How you can replicate this:
A massive advantage to following Starbucks’ recruitment video style is that you don’t need a humungous budget.
The key element here is to focus on the individuals within a team. Film each employee and ask them to be honest about why they enjoy working at your corporation.
You’ll also gain valuable insight from your team by understanding the best things about your company.
Think carefully about your company’s values, as these need to be dripped through the recruitment video.
Starbucks also mentions how the team interacts with the customers, giving us a sense of their working style. You can replicate this by showing footage of your employees interacting with customers or clients, or perhaps even being on a call and laughing.
SodaStream: employer brand at the forefront
With such a powerful mission statement and desired outcome - to save the planet from plastic pollution - you might expect Soda Stream’s recruitment video to be hard-hitting and serious.
Until you watch it, and you giggle the whole way through.
Why this recruitment video is great:
SodaStream hits a number of targets in this video. Putting aside the fact that they hired the Mountain from Game of Thrones to star in the video, SodaStream drives home their employer brand.
Throughout the video, they creatively weave in their values and the qualities of their ideal employees: they’re innovative risk-takers with “business courage” looking to hire “rainmakers” and movers-and-shakers.
The style of the video reinforces their need to work urgently and for their employees to stay alert.
SodaStream even manages to tie in the recruitment video requirements with a walkthrough of the office and warehouse and a team shot at the end.
How you can replicate this:
Comparing Soda Stream’s recruitment video to the previous Starbucks video is like comparing night and day.
While Starbucks' recruitment video remained fairly modest, Soda Stream has a ‘big name’ providing the dialogue.
Now, we’re not saying you need to hire Leonardo Di Caprio, but we are saying that the element of someone recognizable works for this company.
That said, there are disadvantages to this, too.
People don’t enjoy feeling like something is ‘set up’ or ‘scripted’ too much. As the Mountain from Game of Thrones isn’t a soda-stream employee, it had the danger of feeling inauthentic.
But, this didn’t happen due to the humorous tones throughout.
If you want to replicate this recruitment video style, your company’s values and work ethics need to be outlined in a very light-hearted way.
Weave in the requirements subtly, whilst reinforcing them with an example.
You’ll also need a lead speaker, rather than the previous whole team.
Okta: non-recruitment recruitment video
This video is not your traditional recruitment video. But, in such a good way.
Why this recruitment video is great:
Okta paints a picture that could easily attract candidates. The video is primarily designed as (sarcastically) a “product video” though hits many employer branding points.
We know we’re not a media company here at Recruitee, but can we mention the soundtrack? Immediately, from the off-set, you’re told that this is a strong company, with heroic background music empowering you the second you see the office.
It almost transports you back to your youth when you first saw Spiderman, and all you wanted to do was climb walls.
Except, this time, all you want to do is work at Okta, and they’ve truly nailed it.
The video takes you through their office, talking to people you might work with as a candidate. Through their sarcasm and dismissive nature of the camera, they show that they’re not a group impressed by buzzwords or product features.
Okta tells you about their product while making fun of themselves and showing you their team environment.
How you can replicate this:
This recruitment video is so successful because of the emotional relatability between candidate and brand. It seems flippant - something you wouldn’t think twice about if you were watching it without looking for recruitment video tips.
But, while it’s not something you’d actively think about, you’d almost certainly feel it.
The best way to replicate Okta’s recruitment video style is by presenting your company as a product. This is the main concept behind it.
So, get on your marketing hats. Consider carefully: if I were to sell working at my company, what would be the key benefits? How would I communicate? Because you need to identify your ideal candidate within seconds, so mimic the language of your target audience.
Then build upon these notes. What are your organization’s most fundamental beliefs?
What type of person would not fit in?And what type of person would?
Once you have a clear set of notes, you can put together a script.
Ensure you’re using a range of employees to set a family-like, down-to-earth tone that Okta has mastered so skillfully here.
When it comes down to it, replicating this recruitment video is all about knowing the company you work for inside and out. If you can do this, the scriptwriting gets a little easier.
Jaguar: target your audience
There’s something very 007 about this recruitment video, and that’s what sets it apart from all the other recruitment videos out there.
Why this recruitment video is great:
Jaguar gets the help of Gorillaz to reach out to software engineers with an important mission: to code for Jaguar.
Considering the role that needs to be filled, they base the recruitment video around it. It’s a perfect sync between the type of role and marketing style.
As such, this is a fantastic example of targeted outreach. The result? Specific candidates who resonate, way less lost time, and, ultimately, the perfect fit for the role.
Jaguar delivers a tailored tone and a hint of emotional relatability to the audience.
The key differentiator for this recruitment video is the sense of dedication. Imagine teaming up with Gorrillaz to fill a specific role. The candidate immediately feels valued and believes their role is crucial to the success of the company. And, they take it one step further by positioning the role as a mission.
The exclusivity and urgency of this mission are enough to get anyone excited about working for Jaguar. While we can’t all afford a global music group to support our employer branding, the targeted nature of the video is certainly something to be replicated.
How you can replicate this:
Don’t panic. You don’t need to write to various recording labels and ask for a guest star for your recruitment video.
While having a guest star is great, it’s not the entire reason this recruitment video was so powerful.
If you want to replicate this recruitment video style, it truly stems from a sense of dedication. Jaguar did this by hiring Gorrillaz. But you can do this through a whole range of things.
The key is to go the extra mile. Show the candidates that you value their time and, even if they were to be unsuccessful, you value them as people. Introducing each member of the team and explaining why every individual is critical for the success of the company will also prove the point.
In short, this recruitment video, when we break it down, is about the power of the individual. Show that throughout and you’re golden.
9 recruiting video tips to implement
If you’re looking to create a good recruitment or employer branding video, you’ll need to show your workplace, team values, and maybe even your company value propositions. If you’re looking to create a great video, it’s a little more complicated. And keep in mind that you'll need to edit the video before any future employee sees it. Use a high-quality video editor to avoid creating something nobody would want to watch. Use some of the following tips learned from our favorite recruitment videos:
- Put your employer brand at the forefront. Make sure your employer brand is clear, accessible, and memorable.
- Consider taking a non-recruitment angle. Videos can achieve the same results and have the same elements without following the same format.
- Create an unexpected twist that amuses or surprises. Keep your audience on their toes.
- Find the humor in the standardized recruitment video format. Be honest that you’re making a video for recruitment and find your angle.
- Target specific candidates with a tailored message. Be specific when addressing candidates to tap into demographic or professionally-specific aspirations.
- Make your workforce aspirational. Show your candidates that they could be like your employees if they worked there.
- Represent the role in style. If you’re looking for dynamic people, make your video fast-paced and exciting.
- Use emotional notes to inspire. Tap into your audience’s main drivers and use beautiful compositions to connect with them.
- Create an employee-led social movement. Use your most powerful asset, your employees, to connect and inspire potential candidates.
