8 Biggest Recruiting Video Mistakes

8 Biggest Recruiting Video Mistakes

Using video to communicate with prospective candidates is an effective way to engage job seekers to learn more about your company and its opportunities. It allows candidates to get a clear picture of what it’s like to work for you; and therefore, helps job seekers determine whether or not they are both a job fit and company fit. A decision that could mean the difference between a rush of unsuitable applicants and a steady flow of qualified talent.

If you’re looking to create your company’s first recruiting video, you’re taking a step in the right direction. Job seekers, like all internet users, are thirsty for more video content. Give them what they want. Including video on your career site or job advertisements will not only bring more exposure to your recruiting message, it can also help attract the top talent your business needs to grow.

Before you start shooting, take a look at our list of the eight biggest recruiting video mistakes. Avoid committing the same blunders in order to create a compelling video that effectively communicates your employment brand and company culture.

1. No Strategy

It’s not a good idea to start a video project before first creating a plan of action. Determine what candidate audience you’re targeting and what message is appropriate for that type of candidate. For example, the best way to communicate to techie, problem-solving individuals is not the same way to speak to candidates with skills in traditional customer service. The former audience may feel more engaged with a video that is fast paced and exciting, while the latter may require a more relaxed, altruistic theme.

2. Trying to Speak to Every Audience

Let’s say you’ve identified that your target audience is engineers and sales professionals. Because the two types of employees are so different, it may be more effective to create two recruiting videos that carry different messages. Make sure you’re tailoring each video to speak to that particular audience. If you create a video that attempts to reach both candidates, you’ll end up with a disjointed message that leaves candidates confused and deterred from applying for your positions.

3. False Advertising

Since one of the benefits of a recruiting video is to allow candidates to get insight about working for your company, the worst thing you can do is be less than transparent in any way. You want to attract candidates who match your company’s work style, so it’s critical to provide a genuine representation of what it’s like to work there. Otherwise, you’re wasting the opportunity to attract the candidates who will excel at your organization.

4. Using Scripts

There is nothing more off putting in video than blatantly reciting calculated lines. Skip the scripts and let employees share their true accounts of employment. Start by asking basic questions (Why do you love working here?), and see where the answers take you. Their genuine responses are much more compelling than any premeditated words.

5. There is No Story

Relying on company facts alone isn’t going to make much of an impression. In order to resonate with job seekers, weave your company insights within a story. If you need help finding a story to tell, here are some examples to get you inspired.

  • What’s the greater good of the company? How does each individual employee affect or impact that vision?
  • What’s your company’s culture? Maybe you believe in a network of small, collaborative teams working to solve customers’ problems. Paint a picture through one or two characters of how your organization works together to succeed.

6. The Video is Too Long

The average length of the most popular videos on YouTube is only two minutes. To avoid viewer boredom (and ultimately distraction), keep your video lengths at one or two minutes. Otherwise, your video may be bypassed and quickly forgotten.

7. Not Taking Risks

This is really dependent upon your goals, but the important takeaway is to create a video you’ve never seen before! Having a unique recruiting message is key if you want to break through the clutter. Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to “walk out on the skinny branches.”

8. Forgetting the Distribution Strategy

It’s important to have a plan for exposure before even picking up the camera. First, identify what platform (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo) you want to use for sharing your video. Then, decide what place is most appropriate for the video to live. For example. if it’s a company overview piece, it would make the most sense for the video to be somewhere on the landing page of your careers site. That way candidates can see right away what employment is like at your organization.

There you have it! Avoid these recruiting video faux pas in order to create a more effective employment message. Using video to communicate your company’s story in a digestible way will help bring more exposure to your employer brand as well as drive candidate results. So, what are you waiting for? Get filming!


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