Video is a powerful tool when it comes to attracting and engaging Life Science talent. In 2022, there was a 57% increase in the number of employers incorporating video into their interview processes compared to pre-pandemic, and this trend is expected to continue in 2023.
According to research, 80% of talent professionals say that using video has increased their number of applications, with 78% also saying video improved the quality of applications. 88% said that video had helped them to attract more passive talent, and 85% said it had provided the best ROI for their efforts.
In this article, we’ve highlighted 8 further benefits of incorporating video into your hiring process, from making your job adverts more engaging to improving your communication with applicants…
Make Your Job Adverts More Engaging
Job postings that use video content have a 34% greater application rate than those without, with these adverts receiving 800% more engagement. Instead of posting hundreds of job adverts that all look the same, why not try incorporating video into a select few?
Depending on your budget, you could create a short video of the hiring manager giving an overview of the role, or even an animation highlighting the main responsibilities and key benefits. You could also incorporate ‘a day in the life of…’ videos to give applicants a better understanding of what would be expected of them, and employee testimonials to build trust.
Stand Out on Social Media
As a recruitment professional, it can be extremely challenging to make your posts on social media platforms like LinkedIn stand out, especially as there are millions of people also using these platforms to hire.
According to LinkedIn, video posts receive 5x more engagement on the platform, with live video receiving 24 times more. Video posts on LinkedIn are also reportedly shared 20 times more than other formats, presenting ample opportunity for recruiters to expand their talent pools beyond those in their immediate network.
Don’t use your LinkedIn company page to post your job adverts as and when opportunities open up, using the same format each time. Even when you’re not actively hiring, use video to engage both active and passive talent, and to strengthen your brand on the platform.
Highlight Your Employer Brand
Video can be a powerful tool in strengthening your employer brand and positioning your organisation as an employer of choice. Viewers reportedly retain 95% of a message when watching a video, compared to just 10% through text. Here are a few ways you could be highlighting your employer brand through video:
- Interview current employees on what it’s like to work for your company
- Show off your workspace with ‘behind the scenes’ or ‘a day in the life of…’ videos
- Share company news and milestones
- Celebrate employee milestones and achievements
It goes without saying that all your videos should be branded consistently with all other recruitment marketing materials.
Show Off Your Company Culture
It’s all well and good describing your organisation as a ‘fun place to work’, but what does this really mean?
Use video to capture company events, socials, and your physical workspace. If there’s something cool and unusual in your office that people love, make sure it gets a feature. Also share videos on the topic of your company values, and the work you’re doing behind the scenes to achieve your mission. This can create a sense of community and encourage jobseekers to want to be part of something bigger than a business.
To help jobseekers understand your mission, you could use video interviews with patients or other healthcare professionals talking about how your work is making a difference, also highlighting the work that is still to be done.
Build Trust and Credibility
Jobseekers trust employees three times more than other company sources. Use video to interview current employees about their journey within your organisation, covering things such as:
- How they got to where they are
- Their career development within the company
- What they enjoy the most about working for the company
- What the company culture is really like
- Advice for jobseekers looking to enter their field
Seeing real, human faces talking about what they love about the company is much more likely to build trust and credibility than reams of written text on a company ‘About Us’ page.
Clarify Your Application Process
Video can also be used through all stages of the recruitment process, including at the initial application stage. If you’re going to be asking jobseekers to take the time to fill out an application, it’s important to take the time yourself to make the process as easy as possible, and part of this is providing clarity on the steps involved in the process early on.
On your careers page, or even within your job adverts themselves, you could include a short video overview of the application process to explain what will be expected of jobseekers, perhaps even providing some useful tips on how to make their application stand out. If jobseekers know what they will be expected to do, and when they can expect to hear from you, they’ll be more likely to be engaged in the process.
Make Your Application More Accessible
Especially for roles where there are large volumes of applications, recruiters often use CVs as a way to filter through applicants, not only based on their listed skills, qualifications, and experiences, but also based on how they have written and formatted the CV itself. However, not everyone will be a master of written communication – and for roles where this isn’t always important – they shouldn’t be judged on this.
To make your application process more accessible, you could welcome video CVs and cover letters, allowing jobseekers to showcase their abilities in a way that works best for them. By allowing more creative freedom over how people apply for your roles, you’ll help people to get the most out of their applications, and you’ll gain a deeper insight into who they are and how they work.
Communicate Effectively Throughout the Recruitment Process
When communicating with your talent community, video can be used to give relevant jobseekers all the information they need about a new opportunity. A jobseeker using LinkedIn might be more likely to remember your video message over another InMail cluttering up their inbox.
When communicating with applicants, you could incorporate video into your response/confirmation emails, either by sending a direct message through video or by linking to a video they might find useful at each stage. For example, if they have submitted an application, you could send an automated response that links to a video outlining next steps.
Even at the offer stage, a personal video from the hiring manager or line manager can make the process more personal and engaging.
