You’ve put in the work to recruit ideal candidates for a job at your company, and then…crickets. This means you’ve stumbled into one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in recruiting — maintaining engagement. And this engagement isn’t only essential to finding the best team members for your organization. It’s also key to keeping your top talent, too. Learning how to improve employee engagement starts with evaluating how you communicate.
You see, plain-text communication can make the employee experience feel impersonal — whether it’s at the employee recruiting or retention stage. It makes expressing emotion and authenticity in ways that prospective and existing employees will actually connect with difficult.
But with video, a human-centered employee communication approach is possible — one based on face-to-face interactions that people will actually engage with.
Want to learn how to use video to draw in qualified job candidates and keep exceptional employees to really immerse them in your company culture and values? This post is for you.
You have job positions open, and want strong candidates to fill them. But odds are, the top talent you have your eye on is also hearing from other companies with competitive opportunities — not just yours. If you want to get ahead of the game and provide the best experience possible to prospective employees, video recruiting can help you get there.
Here are some proven ways to use video in your recruitment strategy that’ll help you stand out and recruit the best candidates for your company…
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in recruiting is engaging potential candidates during the outreach process. Think about it — they don’t know anything about you or your company. So why should they hear you out over another recruiter? What makes you different?
Much like trying to make a sale, you have to convince them that what you have to say is worth their time and attention. Using video for recruitment outreach — whether it’s on LinkedIn or via email — can help you do this.
With video, you can show them that a real person, with a real opportunity, is behind their computer screen. This is something they can’t observe through plain-text emails from other recruiters — it’s what sets you apart.
And rather than just plain text, a video for recruitment has your smiling face delivering the message. This preview shows prospective candidates that you aren’t just a piece of digital pollution. Instead, it demonstrates that you’re a person, one who’s genuinely interested in what they have to offer. See how BombBomb Senior Recruiter, Matt Sowin, does this below.
When it comes to the outreach video itself, share information about the open position. Explain why this candidate might be a good fit for the job description. And be sure to use personal details (such as information from your prospect’s LinkedIn profile) to build a rapport and let them know you’ve done your research ahead of time.
Tip: To really grab attention and get your video played, use a whiteboard and write a greeting with your candidate’s name to kick off your video. (You can find more ways to get video plays here.)
The interview process can be intimidating for job applicants. After all, putting yourself out there at the risk of being told, “No,” is a big deal. Help your top job candidates feel more at ease by using video to request an interview.
Being face to face allows applicants to observe your emotion and body language, which makes you more relatable. And because you’ve connected person to person, they’ll also feel like they know you beforehand. This feeling of familiarity helps put them at ease when it’s time for the interview. And when people are more at ease — they tend to do their very best (which in turn gives you an idea of what they’re capable of).
Take a look at how Matt uses video to request interviews with prospective employees…
If you want good candidates to take you seriously, you have to let them know where they stand. In fact, according to Glassdoor, 58% of job-seekers find clear and consistent communication to be the most important aspect of the hiring process. That is to say, effective and engaging communication is necessary throughout the entire experience. This is true even when the final result, like a rejection, may not be what someone wants to hear.
“A personal video, as opposed to a canned email — even in rejection — goes a long way to help your employer brand. It brings humanity back.”
-Matt Sowin | Senior Recruiter, BombBomb
Rather than occasional plain-text email updates, maximize candidate engagement and use video. Video will help showcase your humanity throughout the entire recruiting process. For example, send regular update videos that demonstrate your empathy for the difficult job search and hiring process.
By taking the time to get face to face with your applicants, you’re showing that you (and your company) value people as individuals. It demonstrates that, to you, they’re not just another resume or application.
Watch how Matt uses video for a hiring process update below…
Just because a candidate has accepted your job offer doesn’t mean the personal connection ends. This is just the beginning. And knowing how to improve employee engagement means understanding that it begins the moment you bring someone on board. You need to get them excited about what’s to come. And for new employees — that’s you!
This is exactly what Tarzan Kay does in the video below to welcome a new employee to her company. Video makes it easy for Tarzan’s new hire to hear the excitement and enthusiasm in her tone. They can also see the joy on her face as she tells them how eager she is for them to start. This is the enthusiasm new hires need to see to get engaged and excited about their new company.
Learning how to improve employee engagement long-term means understanding how to communicate clearly and effectively — on a personal level.
Video can help engage your employees by making them feel valued and connected to the company. It can also help them resonate with your company culture and values because you’re communicating face to face — just like you would be in person.
According to Techjury, highly engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their jobs. So what are some ways to use video that’ll engage your employees? What can you do to establish and maintain meaningful relationships to keep top talent through face-to-face communication?
Joining a new company can be stressful. There’s a lot of information for new hires to absorb in a short amount of time. And if you don’t know how to improve employee engagement during the onboarding process, it’s going to be tough for you to retain the best talent for your company.
New employees need to feel like they’re ready to start a job. They need to feel like they belong in order to stick around, and that’s where structured onboarding comes in.
Video can help you optimize the onboarding process. Because you’re face to face, you can make the transition into your company seamless and comfortable for incoming employees.
You can use video throughout the onboarding process to:
• Explain complicated paperwork.
• Review benefits packages.
• Remind new employees what you need them to submit (and when you need it by).
• Let your new employees know what to expect on their first days with the company.
See how Matt does this in the following video…
Because he’s using video, when a new hire arrives for their first day of work, a friendly face of someone they already know waiting to greet them.
Tip: Using a tool like a screen recorder can help you walk new employees through complicated paperwork just like you’re sitting next to them.
Being introduced to company leaders can be nerve-wracking for new employees. After all, these are the busy decision-makers in charge of everything (and everyone) in the business. So take the intimidation of in-person introductions off the table and use video for the first leadership introduction.
Creating prerecorded video introductions is an excellent way to help new hires become acquainted with team leaders and company culture. Doing this is a surefire way to engage them comfortably and to make them feel welcomed by everyone.
“Video is more interactive for employees as it features real things from the office with real employees. This is a great way to introduce a new hire to a leadership team and to have them share the ‘whys’ of the company.”
-Sandra Martinez | Director of Talent Management, BombBomb
Watch how BombBomb Director of Talent Management Sandra Martinez does this below…
Sandra begins her leadership introduction by making the new employee feel welcome. After that, she makes sure to create a personal connection by sharing a bit about herself. Finally, her explanation of how she (and other members of her team) are there to support employees is crystal clear — because she’s using video.
Once your employees are on the payroll, you need to maintain strong lines of communication. Doing this will help to keep them actively engaged in their benefits, job responsibilities, and the overall company culture.
Rather than meeting in person with every employee, using video brings you directly into the picture — in a scalable way. It shows employees that there’s another human at the other end of their benefits paperwork and those mandatory training sessions. A person who genuinely cares about their employee experience and overall success. Use video to…
• Communicate time-sensitive information such as open enrollment details.
• Guide employees through human resources websites and important information.
• Encourage participation in employee engagement surveys.
Check out the following video to see how Sandra and BombBomb HR Generalist Laura Huntington explain slightly complicated and time-sensitive insurance information to the rest of the BombBomb team.
Tap into more personal and human-centered employee communication. Use video to congratulate employees on promotions, important milestones, and to let them know how appreciated and valued they are.
Showing your appreciation engages and motivates employees. It also promotes productivity in job responsibilities and retention. According to Forbes, when leaving a job, 79% of employees reported a “lack of appreciation” as their reason for quitting. A statistic like that speaks for itself. If you want to retain your employees, you have to let them know you value them.
Watch below to see how BombBomb Chief Customer Officer Jonathan Bolton uses video to express gratitude to a team member. His sincerity and genuine appreciation are evident because he’s using video.
If you already have BombBomb, start using these examples as you navigate how to improve employee engagement to recruit and retain top talent with video today.
And if you aren’t using video as part of your recruitment strategy or for ongoing internal communication, you can test out the methods above with a free 14-day BombBomb trial here.
