What do prospective employees find when they search for your business? It’s a competitive market, with job seekers seeking new ways to stand out in the sea of applicants, and the same can be said for employers. Employees are demanding more from their workplaces, from flexible working to wellbeing initiatives and a strong company culture. The black and white of a job advert can’t always get that across adequately, so businesses must do more to amplify their message and convey a feeling of what it’s like to be a part of their workforce. Video can help you do this, providing a window into your world that applicants will value as they navigate the jobs market and try to assess whether they’d be a good fit for your role. Here we outline why video is such an effective tool to use when looking to attract jobseekers.
Let’s get physical
Showcasing the physical environment of your organisation will allow those watching to know where they’ll be working should their application be successful. Start with outside shots of your base, turning the lens on any landscaped or garden areas where workers might be able to take time away from their posts. Car parking, namely whether you offer it, will be a definite tick in the box for those seeking to apply for a role – and video is a subtle way to show this. Next open the doors of your building to the cameras to give an insight into the day-to-day environment. A walk-through video, showing the journey from door to desk will highlight key areas a potential employee would spend time in. Whether you have office space, a manufacturing area or anything in between, showing people at work will nicely convey the hive of activity within your business. Got a fantastic cafeteria for staff? Make sure you take the camera there. Have you installed independent work pods or down-time areas for workers? Including these in your footage to give a 360-view of the business will really open people’s eyes to the benefits of working for you. And, if you have the time and the space on your video, why not take a very brief sweeping shot of the surrounding area to show the facilities around your site – whether it’s close to the local shopping area or a green space. Again, it’s of huge benefit to demonstrate where you are and what you’re all about.
Life through a lens
So, why’s it important to show the physical environment your people work in? We all know what an office looks like, right? The best example here is that of a call centre. Think of a call centre and you’ll possibly have a negative image of what that’s like. But call centres can be vibrant places, full of life and activity. And a still image on your website of a person wearing a headset just won’t cut it. Slick camera work to capture that busy, exciting work environment can work wonders.
Culture club
Next consider how you get across your culture to your video’s viewers. The best way is obviously through word of mouth, perhaps not from those at the top but those who are entrenched in it – your employees. Having people speaking on camera about what a fantastic place they work in is a great way of encouraging people to apply. Choose those you think will be the best advocates for what you do, and the most comfortable on camera, from a variety of roles – and prepare them with a few talking points. If you offer a busy working environment then they might talk about why that’s so energising and motivating. If you have longstanding members of the team, have them talk about why they’re still in the role and the skills they’ve acquired. Have others who talk briefly about what their role entails – their conversational style perhaps showing more than a job brief ever could.
Two-way street
Opening the door on your business can have numerous benefits in attracting people to work for you, but it can also have another positive impact in ensuring only the right people for you apply for your roles. This means money and time saved through the recruitment process, which can be lengthy and costly. These types of videos can be longer than the film clips you’ll post on your social channels, as people will tend to go out of their way to find them. We’d suggest two to three minutes is the ideal length to give people everything they need. Follow these tips and a company video could transform your recruitment strategy, bringing in the right candidates for you who already have a great knowledge of your organisation (including your culture) when they walk into their interview.
For help in making your business stand out when it comes to recruitment, get in touch with Bigtank today.
