Recruitment videos are becoming an increasingly integral part of the hiring process, enabling organisations to effectively broadcast their company cultures in order to attract top talent. As video production software becomes more affordable and accessible, the editing process has remained one of the more difficult elements to nail down, forcing many to outsource the task to professionals.
But don’t let your preconceptions about video editing scare you away: with a clear vision and a few simple tricks and tips, anyone can make an effective and compelling recruitment video – no prior experience required.
Stay Organised
After your filming is complete, the idea of sorting through hours of collected footage can be overwhelming to say the least. Organisation is key to limiting stress and keeping the process short and simple. Start by taking a quick, initial pass through your footage, deleting any out-of-focus, poorly composed or otherwise unusable material right off the bat. This will leave you with high quality, usable content, which will make organisation that much easier.
Next, start renaming the clips in a logical and descriptive way so you’re able to identify each with a single glance. As you do this, start organising your content sequentially – this way, you can easily grab and swap clips to find the best material for each section as you move through your storyboard. This naturally helps you create a rough cut, in which the video actually begins to come together.
As the name suggests, rough cuts are not meant to be look polished or professional, but to establish the narrative of your film.
You’ll also want to interweave your interviews with compelling B-roll footage to keep your video interesting and informative. Take a look at this recruitment video from Hubspot to see how they intercut interview footage/audio with B-roll footage of the office environment to more effectively broadcast their company culture and employer brand:
Stay Consistent
Establishing a consistent tone that runs throughout your video is crucial if you want to convey your message effectively. This will, of course, largely depend on the message itself. Are you creating a day-in-the-life film? Are you trying to show how your company is different, or what unique benefits employees will experience working at your business? Who is your target audience? Answering questions like these at the onset will make editing a much easier and quicker task.
An evocative soundtrack can help take your video to the next level, enhancing its overall character and tone. Incorporating simple techniques such as the J-Cut (when the audio from the incoming clip plays before the video) makes your company look and feel not only professional, but also relatable and fun. Notice the tone of this video from Shopify, and how they naturally establish that tone with music and humour (and J-Cuts!):
Keep it Short and Simple
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the footage you so painstakingly collected probably won’t end up getting used at all. Why? Because the shorter your video is, the more likely candidates will watch it to the end. Aim for a finished video that’s under three minutes long. You may be surprised at how much you can convey is such a short period of time.
You should also try to avoid using over-the-top effects and transitions. Simple fonts and cuts are always the more professional way to go.
Most importantly: be patient and have fun! Recruitment videos aren’t easy, but if you take the time and think creatively, your efforts will be rewarded with more right fit hires and a happier team overall.
