Making Recruitment Video that Lands Top Talent

Sourcing candidates might be a source of stress for you as a recruiter. It takes patience to cast a wide net while also keeping an eye on the quality of the potential talent you reel in.

To get the right candidates working with your agency, a little creativity can help. Using a recruitment video can help you stand out while winning over that hard-to-catch talent.

If you’re feeling a little camera-shy, there’s always room to learn. Check out our overview of how video helps recruiters - and what it takes to make a great recruitment video of your own.

What is a recruitment video?

A recruitment video is a powerful tool that can help recruiters quickly attract the attention of top talent. In this article, it refers to a short filmed message that showcases why candidates should apply for a position, and what sets a particular company or agency apart from others.

Are recruitment videos effective?

Video can be a powerful method to grab the attention of potential candidates. According to a report by CareerBuilder, job posts that include videos are 34% more likely to receive an application than those that don't have one.

As a recruiter looking to stand out to high-quality candidates, a recruitment video is just the thing to increase visibility for your agency and roles.

Types of recruitment video

Job Ad Videos | These provide a quick overview of an open role and a company, including its culture, values, and what it does.
Outreach Videos | Like the name says, these videos are meant to connect with candidates or clients and can open up a new conversation.
Testimonial Videos | As a recruiter you can always follow up with contacts to ask for reviews of your agency and services.

What makes a great recruitment video?

If you want to make an outreach or job post video that captures attention, there are a few reliable building blocks to get a top-tier result.

Here are some core elements that make up a great recruitment video:

A concise message that’s clearly communicated within the first few seconds.
An engaging story that is both interesting and relatable to the target audience.
High-quality visuals and audio with appealing images and no background noise.
They show real people and focus on faces - as a consultant, you’ll be the star here, so don’t be afraid to show a little personality.

What should be included in a recruitment video?

Maybe you’ve decided that you want to use video to advertise a job. Even when you’re ready to film, it can be hard to know what to say.

To help structure your job ad videos, these are the key messages that should be included:

Client introduction | Let candidates know this company’s history, products or services, and values.
Role overview | Share what the basic expectations of the job are, and share what the ideal candidate would be like - so potential applicants can check themselves against these lists.
Company culture | Elaborate a little on what working at this company is like: fast-paced or corporate, with varied or stable work. Candidates will have more realistic expectations this way.
Call to action (CTA) | Never end a video on a quiet note! Share what applicants can do next, whether it’s contacting you or directly applying for the job.

How to make a recruitment video: A step-by-step guide

With that said, let's take a look at some practical steps on how you can make a great recruitment video on your own.

1. Creating a script

It’s possible to freely record a video, but probably won’t cover all the necessary points. A script will solidify your message - think carefully about what you want viewers to take away from your video.

The video should be under two minutes. Any longer and you risk losing the attention of your viewers.
Keep the focus on the candidate. This isn’t the time to talk about how great a role is, but rather what benefits the candidate will get by applying for it.
Tell a story. Use engaging language to create a narrative that will capture the viewer's attention.

2. Storyboarding

If you want to take it up an extra level of professionalism, consider storyboarding your recruitment video. This means making a visual representation - or at least a written description - of how the scenes should look.

For a consultant filming from their laptop, this probably won’t be necessary. But if you’re thinking of filming from your phone and want to include some background scenes or fun elements, this process could help.

To make your recruitment video pop, think about these points:

Make sure each second serves a purpose. Use this stage to get rid of unnecessary messaging.
Consider how the video flows. Keep a clear progression from one scene to the next, without any abrupt changes.
Think about the visuals. Try to use high-quality images that will keep viewers engaged.

3. Filming

When the video is prepped for production, it’s time to start filming. Most recruiters won’t have the luxury of working with a production company, so think carefully about the logistics here.

If you're filming the video yourself, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Try to use natural lighting, and face toward the light source. Artificial light can give a harsh, unnatural look.
Be aware of your surroundings. Film in a quiet place where background noise is kept to a minimum. Also, watch your takes back immediately to make sure there are no distractions in the frame.
Framing is important. Find the center and try some test footage so that your face or gestures aren’t cut off by the frame when you talk.

4. Editing

The editing stage is where you’ll put all the pieces together and create the final product.

Editing can be time-consuming, so make sure to give yourself enough time to do it right.

Some pointers for the editing process are:

Pay attention to detail. Small changes can often make a big difference in the overall quality of the video.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different cuts to alter the message and see what works best for this project.
Keep it brief. Even if you thought you planned for a short video, this is the time to really cut it down.

5. Promotion

And now it’s time for the premiere. Use as many ways as you can think of to promote a recruitment video:

Post it on your agency website
Put it up on social media profiles (company and consultants)
Include a link to the video in your email signature
Add the video to posts on external job boards

If the video is for a job post, remember to always include a big, obvious link in the copy along with it. CTAs = placements.

6. Measuring success

Make sure to track the effectiveness of your recruitment videos. We recommend recording the number of views, shares, and comments that it gets.

With the right CRM integration, you can also see the number of applications that came in as a result of a job ad video. This is powerful information for your recruitment marketing - proving that this new source can draw in top talent.

Video for Recruiters Series | Candidate-First Content

Want to know how to think candidate-first when filming and attract the best talent? Check out our collaborative guide with video coach Olivia Rose Solomons to get some hints.

How Vincere's video interviewing software boosts candidate attraction

Making a recruitment video is a great way to attract top talent for your staffing business - but filming one can make consultants sweat. We hope that the guidelines above have given you some useful insights and confidence to use video for candidate attraction.

If you're looking for new equipment for your recruiter’s tool belt, make sure to check out Vinneo, our video interviewing software.

Vinneo’s designed to make it easy to record and share your recruitment videos with candidates using multi-channel distribution.

Plus, its native integration with the Recruitment Operating System means analytics are synced and visible at all times.

If you want metrics on recruitment videos and how they contribute to your pipeline, our Vinneo module in the wider Vincere platform can help you measure their success.

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