How do you use video testimonials and stories to attract talent?

Video testimonials and stories are powerful tools in talent attraction. They provide a genuine, human touch to the company's image, making it more relatable and appealing. By showcasing the experiences and success stories of our employees, we not only highlight our positive work culture but also demonstrate the growth opportunities available. These videos serve as a platform for potential candidates to envision their future with us, thus attracting talent that aligns with our values and vision. If you have any additional thoughts or contributions, please reply to this comment. I always appreciate and look forward to hearing more from you. Thank you!

Showcase Company Culture: Use video testimonials from current employees to highlight your company’s culture, values, and work environment. This authentic portrayal helps potential candidates visualize themselves in the organization and fosters a sense of connection. Employee Success Stories: Feature stories of career growth and achievements within the company. These videos can illustrate opportunities for professional development and success, making your company more attractive to ambitious candidates. Real Experiences: Include testimonials from diverse employees discussing their personal experiences and the supportive nature of the workplace. This approach builds credibility and demonstrates your commitment to employee satisfaction.

Here's how I usually plan my goals/strategies to leverage video testimonials for attracting top talent: 1- I kickstart the process by defining my objectives clearly for using video testimonials in my talent attraction efforts. 2- I ask myself and key stakeholders "What message are we trying to convey through these testimonials?" We want to highlight our culture, career growth opportunities, and the impact our employees make. 3- I will also research which platforms would be the most beneficial. I'd want to maximize our visibility/engagement with potential candidates. 4- Once our content is live I track views, engagement, and conversions. This will help improve the process and outcome each time.

• Showcase your company culture: Use video to give candidates a glimpse into what it's like to work at your company. Highlight your culture, values, and mission, and show how they come to life in the day-to-day work of your employees. • Emphasize career growth opportunities: Candidates want to know that they'll have opportunities to learn, grow, and advance in their careers. • Feature a diverse range of employees: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are increasingly important to job seekers. • Keep it authentic: Testimonials should feel genuine and unscripted. Encourage employees to share their honest thoughts and experiences, and avoid overly polished or rehearsed content.

In my opinion, the planning and strategy phase is where the lion's share of work gets completed. Clear goals will drive the strategy and lay a blueprint for all pre-production and production. In this critical phase, you should consider all video assets that will be part of immediate or future campaigns. If you think of all the possible uses (corporate and employer branding, SVP, DEI, recruitment, showcasing managers, employee ambassadors), you can also streamline production and save money and time. When considering strategy, you should consider how individual videos can play, complement each other, and function independently to tell the larger story.

To attract talent using video testimonials and stories, you can follow these steps: 1 - Create Authentic Employee Testimonial Videos: Showcase real people, real stories, and real emotions to build trust and authenticity 2 - Cover Various Aspects in Testimonial Stories: Ensure that the testimonial videos cover different aspects such as work experience, company culture, growth opportunities, and more to attract top talent

Select a video format and style that aligns with your brand and goals—whether it's interviews, testimonials, or behind-the-scenes. Choose between scripted, unscripted, or a mix, and keep videos short, simple, and relevant to engage your audience effectively.

It's essential to establish the platform on which the video will live. Depending on where the videos will be served up can dictate the filming style, type of camera, etc.. Scripted content should be reserved for individuals who have a command of the content and are comfortable speaking on camera. You will get the most authentic with a thoughtful docu-style interview. The video format is often overlooked and can make post-production challenging, and the quality of the deliverable is compromised. There is a significant difference between a 16:9 vs. 9:16. Most higher quality footage is traditionally captured in their horizontal format, so you will lose composition and potentially information from the scene if this is not considered in advance.

In storytellers, finding a balance with someone passionate about and understanding the brand and its messaging is good. Ideally, this person speaks clearly and is comfortable and confident talking about the brand. In preparation, you will get the most comfortable and natural delivery if the storyteller has yet to be coached or overly rehearsed their answer. Provide a discussion framework to let them know the topic, but voice provided specific questions are usually best. The exception to this would be anyone in a more highly sensitive role, and you wouldn't want them to be caught off guard.

You must consider the message when deciding what equipment to capture your footage. The quality and format of the footage contribute to the overall tone. Smartphones will give a much more candid feel, and whether or not their use would be on or off-brand depends. Filming amateur equipment has limitations with light, aperture, and audio. You also need to take into consideration where else the footage might used. Capturing something on a phone or a DLSR camera will limit where and how it can be used. It will only mix well with something shown on professional cinema gear and glass. Mixing them can work if they are intentional about how the visual story is told. It's when it's unconsidered that it often fails.

Distributing and promoting your work is the most fun part! You should consider their rollout when you're in the planning stage. Some video is designed to work as a system, standalone, or both. If you have something running in a series, you will miss an opportunity to get people excited repeatedly if you release them all simultaneously. Suppose you run a commercial, online ads, and organic social media. In that case, it can be beneficial to bank storytellers together in those different formats so the same character is seen across various touch points. I can go a long way in character development; that is where we connect to them.

Showcase a diverse range of voices and experiences within your company. This includes employees from different departments, levels of seniority, and backgrounds. Diversity in your videos demonstrates an inclusive culture and can attract a wider range of candidates.