By Jessica Miller-Merrell
We are in the video age. Everywhere you look, video is being
used to market, sell, educate and grab our attention. In fact, the average American
now spends 5 hours and 38 minutes a day watching video through social media,
streaming services, and sites like YouTube. It’s moved from being an option in
marketing, entertainment and education to becoming a consistent part of our
lives. It has also extended
to the recruiting industry in the last several years, with video
now being an ongoing aspect of many companies’ recruiting efforts, and we’re
talking about much more than just video interviews.
There are more ways than ever for us to jump on the video
train and take advantage of the way our candidates watch video. Here are four
of the best ways you can incorporate video in your recruiting and hiring
strategies.
Video job posting
If a picture is
worth a thousand words, than a video is worth far more than you could ever say
in a job posting. Utilize video job postings to add personality and a dose of
company culture to your opening announcements. This will allow you to expound
on what the position is like and what they can expect without writing
paragraph-long explanations that no one will read anyway. This also provides
you with a chance to add a dose of employer branding and give a
behind-the-scenes look at the company. It can be as casual or formal as you
like. Either way, it will definitely make your job posting stand out.
Hiring manager introductory videos
We know that one of
the most important considerations for job acceptance is the people you’ll be
working with. Ease some of the uncertainty that comes with meeting the new boss
by creating hiring manager introductory videos where the candidate can get to
know the person they will be working with every day. You can even highlight
team members, show the work area and discuss the type of work the department
does. If you want to go a step further, you can use your social channels to
solicit questions that the hiring manager can answer in the video.
Live streaming
Live streaming is a
relatively new technology, but streaming services like Periscope
and Meerkat give the average person, or the average recruiter, the ability to watch
or produce real time videos. This unique video tool is perfect for informal,
engaging video. You can create a stream for prospective candidates to watch a
day in the life of different positions and gain a behind-the-scenes look that’s
unlike any scripted, pre-recorded video. The fact that it’s in real time also
means that you can answer questions or be guided by your viewers. It’s new,
exciting and provides real value as part of the candidate experience.
Video resources
We’ve become
accustomed to learning through video, so take advantage of that and create candidate
and job resources using video. You’ll most likely present the same information
found on your website or in brochures, but you’ll be sharing it in a different
way. Candidates will be more likely to watch a three-minute video than read a
webpage, so it only makes sense. You can use this for everything from job
application instructions to interview tips, and so much in between.
TalentCircles is the most comprehensive candidate engagement platform on the market. Take a product tour or request a live demo today.
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology anthropologist specializing in HR and recruiting. She's the Chief Blogger and Founder of Blogging4Jobs and author of The HR Technology Field Guide. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmillermerell.
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology anthropologist specializing in HR and recruiting. She's the Chief Blogger and Founder of Blogging4Jobs and author of The HR Technology Field Guide. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmillermerell.
