Finding and hiring great people isn’t as easy as just posting on a job board anymore. That’s because we’re in the beginning stages of a new era of baby boomer retirements. And that matters because with every new retiree, we’re seeing a decline of the available labor force. 

With less and less people working, hiring great candidates becomes a bigger challenge for employers. And just like selling your products or services, you need to start thinking about ways to stand out in the crowd of employers. 

That’s where video can come in. But just saying “I’m going to create a video” isn’t enough. In fact, most people when they think about creating a hiring video think of the cheesy corporate voiceover videos with stock footage of skyscrapers and smiling people shaking hands. That’s definitely not what I recommend unless you like wasting time and money on a project that will get your zero results. 

That’s why I’ve put together a list of the best types of videos you can create to improve your chances of hiring the next great employee. These videos are organized by ease of creation and expected ROI. That means that if you start from the top type of video, you'll get the most bang for your buck in terms time/money spent versus the result you get.

Here are five kinds of hiring videos that I recommend for talent acquisition teams who want to try video but don't have the biggest budget:

1) Hiring Manager Videos

Hiring manager videos provide candidates with a personalized glimpse into the person who will be managing them. This human connection can foster trust and prevent candidates from dropping out later in the hiring process. These videos should be concise, aiming for under a minute in length. Placing these videos alongside job postings, if the software allows, and sharing them on social media platforms with a link to the job posting can maximize their impact as they will enhance your job posting. Hiring manager videos yield the highest ROI in terms of impact versus the time invested.

So what goes into it? Ask your hiring manager to highlight the top three things about the role that would be important for the candidate. Or let your hiring manager explain what a typical day looks like for the person in this role. 

How long does it take? A session with your hiring manager should take no more than 15 minutes. And editing the video shouldn't take more than that as well. Remember, the end result should be as short as possible. That means you're not going to need to make dozens or hundreds of cuts. 

2) Employee Interviews

Employee interviews are a classic form of video content that still works.

I recommend open ended questions that you share ahead of time with your employee. Avoid scripted answers – candidates will see right through this. Instead, encourage employees to answer candidly. I recommend turning these 20 minute interviews into just a minute or two of completed footage. Don’t forget to edit an even shorter version in a vertical format, which is ideal for sharing on social media. Employee interviews can be also showcased on the company's website and alongside job postings, if the software allows, to give candidates a deeper understanding of the organization and its culture. If you work with recruiters, have them include links to these videos when emailing candidates.

3) Role-Based Videos

Day-in-the-life or "behind the scenes" videos offer candidates a unique opportunity to see firsthand what a particular job entails. These videos are especially valuable for roles or industries that may be unfamiliar to many individuals or that we often assume we know about (I'm looking at you, manufacturing).

By showcasing the work environment, challenges, and rewards associated with specific positions, employers can reduce candidate turnover during the initial stages of employment because they’re more likely to understand what they’re getting into.

And don’t forget to reuse them for your branded/sales content as well. People want to buy from people. What better way to build your brand than by showing your people enjoying their work and what goes into the product or service you sell? Creating this type of video will make it a real neat asset for your sales and marketing teams.

4) Onboarding Videos

Onboarding videos play a vital role in high-volume recruitment. They can help your candidates feel more at-ease with what to expect. Studies show that a well-designed employee onboarding experience can significantly improve retention rates. In fact, research indicates that 69% of employees stayed with their employer for more than three years after going through a comprehensive onboarding process.

To create your onboarding video, think: what would really help my new folks? Perhaps it’s a quick welcome message from the CEO, some essential info about how you do things around here, and an outline of what new employees can expect during their first few days. These videos instill confidence in candidates by helping alleviate the jitters that we all feel when changing jobs.

5) FAQ Videos

You ever have that question you want to ask in an interview but don’t want to hurt your chances of getting the job? This is where FAQ videos can really shine. By creating videos around these questions, e.g. “What’s the schedule like?” or “How much would I get paid?”, you’ll be able to stand out from the other employers who hide this info until late in the interview process – which tends to waste time for their hiring teams. 

Put these videos into your social media feed. And don't forget to create a page on your website filled with them. This will make the job of your recruiters much easier when they can send curious candidates here to learn all they need about the details of the role.

Summary

Adding video to your hiring process isn't a secret weapon. But let's you get just a 10% improvement in time to hire or candidate quality, how much time does that save you? How much money are you saving your company every year by preventing poor-fit candidates from applying?

By creating video content about yourself as an employer, you’ll leave less up to the imagination of your candidates and improve candidate quality, improve time to hire, and make the job of your TA team easier.

Looking for help with your hiring video? Take a look at examples and pricing here.