Millennials don’t accept the status quo of their parents’ generation, whether in commerce, social issues, or their careers. While salary and benefits are important, job stability is less crucial to them. According to a 2016 survey by LinkedIn, millennials value company culture above all. They want to make sure that they are the right fit for the company just as much as you want to make sure they’re the right for you. If they don’t feel like it’s a good fit, they have no problem leaving. The best way to woo millennials is to open up and show them—not tell them—what makes your company unique through an engaging and informative recruitment video. We’re going to show you five ways video can help you achieve your recruitment goals.

First, a bit about us. Signature Video Group has been creating commercial and corporate video for almost a decade. We have worked with some of the biggest brands in Canada and the world, including Microsoft, Kraft Heinz, Samsung and Autodesk. To us, this shift in focus to millennials, and with that an increased demand for digital recruitment efforts, is not merely a pile of statistics. In the last few years, we have seen first hand an uptick in these big brands coming to us to help satisfy their recruiting needs.  With video production becoming more affordable and time efficient, it has become a powerful tool for all departments– not just marketing.

Video is a particularly impactful medium because of its visibility and sharability on social media. About 22 per cent of millennials follow businesses they value on social media, compared to only 12 per cent of baby boomers. With online job applications making it effortless to apply for jobs – resulting in hundreds of applications for a position – millennials are turning to video resumes to make themselves stand out. To attract the best and brightest, recruiters need to get creative with attracting talent as well.

Think of your recruitment video like a dating website profile: You want to make the company look good, but you also want to attract only the right kind of people. The “right” candidate depends on the kind of company you are. Each company’s focus when it comes to recruiting is going to be different. We’re sharing a few ways video can help you achieve your recruitment goals.

A great way to let potential hires know that your company moves fast is to show it to them with a high-energy sizzle video. Think of a sizzle video as a movie trailer for your company. A great movie trailer reflects the pacing, tone and intended audience for the film within the first 10 seconds. If you have a fast-paced and exciting work environment, and want that to be a driving factor for applicants, a snappy and high-energy sizzle is the way to go.

This style worked perfectly for Kraft Heinz Canada, who wanted to show millennials that it’s not seniority that determines advancement, but rather hard work and demonstrated results.  Their culture is based on meritocracy, an environment fit for young, energetic and driven people who aren’t afraid of a little competition. In fact, they just recently appointed a 29-year-old CFO.

The use of kinetic typography set to a hard and rocking beat builds energy, while providing straightforward information about what the company is looking for in an applicant. Using real employees provides a sense of intimacy and makes the message genuine.

When creating a sizzle video, music is everything. The internet has some great resources for royalty free music that can be purchased affordably. Try Premium Beat or Audio Jungle.

For many millennials, working for a company that aligns with their personal values is important. Yet according to a 2016 study by LinkedIn, 24 per cent of millennials felt job listings they were interested in didn’t tell them anything about the actual company.  It is crucial that your first point of contact with potential job candidates clearly demonstrates company values and makes a lasting impression.

Corporate films are a great way to achieve this and give potential hires an overview that lets them decide whether they want to move forward. Without providing ample insight into what the company is all about, you’ll end up with an overflow of only semi-interested candidates. Highlight what makes your company awesome to work at in a cinematic way.

Commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield are all about putting their clients into beautiful and innovative spaces. To highlight this core value, their corporate film beautifully showcases their newly built Toronto offices. The video allows the audience to hear from current employees about the great space they work in and the stunning visuals show off the company’s expert ability to acquire and create amazing spaces. This film gets potential applicants excited about walking into this stunning workplace, and it shows that it’s a company that is investing in their people’s productivity.

Your corporate film reflects the image of your brand, so visuals are extremely important. A little extra cost for cinema-grade cameras, like the Sony Fs7 used for this film, and professional cinematographers go a long way.

Potential hires always have lots of questions about a new workplace, and it’s important that those questions are addressed  in an honest way. Millennials value transparency; growing up online means they have access to a lot of information. If they feel they are being sold a bill of goods, they’ll back off.

According to the LinkedIn study, one of the top obstacles to millennials accepting a job is not understanding the role. Tackle this head on. Addressing as many potential questions ahead of time means that when you have an applicant in your office for an interview, the time is better spent.

The two FAQ videos we created for Kraft Heinz Canada work so well for the company’s brand because they explain the company values from multiple perspectives. Viewers hear from leading executives at the company in one video, while in the other they hear first hand accounts from recent grads about what it’s like to start out at Kraft Heinz. This is particularly valuable in a workplace with a very specific and unique attitude towards success like Kraft Heinz’s meritocracy structure. The employees of Kraft Heinz answer questions like “How have you benefitted from meritocracy?” and share how this unique approach has helped them succeed. In answering that question, they are also giving insight into what the company values, which is helpful for anyone looking to apply. In the second videos, recent grads give their best pieces of advice for those looking to start with the company. These videos are straightforward and simple, but they are great tools for an applicant considering applying for a position at the company.

A diversity of voices is important when answering questions. Some are better answered from the perspective of a VP or director where others are better addressed from entry level and new employees. Take the time to ask a range of employees to answer your questions to ensure you have the best responses to work with.

Millennials value the perks and benefits of a job over job stability and salary. Whether it’s flexible work hours, the ability to work remotely or work-related travel, the unique perks of being a part of your team is something you should always highlight when recruiting. A great way to show this is through a documentary-style film about one of your employees.

In this video for Living Realty, we follow two of their realtors: Mark Hasley and Andrew Chiang as they go about their work days. As we see them in their daily environment, we see what their job entails, what the company is like and learn why the company is a great fit for them. Through sharing their experiences, they show that they set their own goals and schedules, and reinforce the idea that at this company, you can do as much as you set your mind to – there are no limits.

When creating a day in the life, choose your subject wisely. Find a willing employee that exemplifies your core values and lives them every day. It also doesn’t hurt if they love to be on camera. 

When going after talent that is in high demand, one thing that will set you apart from others is your people. While salaries and benefits may be similar at other companies, the people and work culture can vary greatly. Your team is completely unique to your business and it’s a part of what makes it a special place to work. Leverage the likability and talent of your current employees so that your potential hire can get excited about joining your dynamic team.

Having like-minded people to collaborate with and learn from is a great selling point for millennials. Let them know they can be themselves at work. In this video for tech company Kubra, employees get to show off their love of Star Trek, Star Wars and foosball. While the video is at times goofy and light-hearted, it also says a lot about the kind of environment Kubra provides. It’s a technology company that knows how to have fun.

Is diversity a key part of your company’s hiring strategy? If so, this type of video is a great place to show that off. Let visible minorities, women and people with disabilities know that your team welcomes the opportunity to continue to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Once you have a great recruitment video, the next step is to get it in front of the right audience. Proper and effective seeding is crucial to the success of any video, so take the time to do it right. For starters, reach out to recruitment groups on Facebook. Find special interest groups for the talent you want to seek out. Looking for someone who can code? Find a community on Facebook that is tailored to that interest and ask to post there. Need someone with photoshop skills? Reach out to photography and graphic design communities.

Instagram and LinkedIn are both great tools for you to use as a recruiter. Optimize your search with keywords and hashtags that are relevant to the position you need to fill and see who you find. For millennials scouring job postings, coming across a video is a much more intriguing message than a copy and pasted request for a resume.

And don’t forget to seek out the right support to make the most of your video. Our clients often come to us with great ideas, and with our creative and technical expertise combined with our industry knowledge about seeding and content distribution, great collaborations happen.

If you’re thinking about creating a recruitment video, let’s have a conversation.