Recruitment Videos That Attract the Right People

Hiring is expensive, and hiring the wrong person is even more expensive. A good recruitment video can't fix that on its own, but it can help the right people find you, and help the wrong people realise the role isn't for them before they apply. Here's what we've learned making recruitment content for employers of all sizes.

Honesty beats gloss

Candidates are good at spotting a sales pitch. Polished, generic recruitment adverts tend to blend into one another. What works is honesty: real people, real workplaces, and an accurate picture of what the job involves, including the challenging bits. It builds trust and improves retention, because new starters know what they've signed up for.

Let your people do the talking

Current employees are your most credible recruiters. Short interviews with people in the roles you're hiring for answer the questions candidates actually have: what does a typical day look like, who will I work with, what's the training like, and why do people stay?

Choose a mix of people: someone fairly new who remembers what starting felt like, someone who has progressed from an entry-level role, and a team leader who can talk about support and expectations. Different voices help a wider range of candidates see themselves in the story.

Show the place

For many roles, especially in manufacturing, care, hospitality and logistics, the workplace itself is a big part of the decision. Show the site, the equipment, the break areas and the commute. Familiarity reduces anxiety and no-shows.

Think about the practical details that matter to candidates but rarely make it into job adverts: where to park, which entrance to use, what to wear, where lunch happens and what the first morning looks like. A short clip covering these can be one of the most useful pieces of recruitment content you make.

Plan the shoot around the work

Recruitment filming happens in real workplaces, so plan carefully. Agree times that suit shift patterns, avoid peak production or service periods, and check health and safety rules for the crew. In food production, care and other regulated settings, there may be hygiene, PPE or privacy rules that affect what can be filmed and where.

Look after your contributors

Taking part should feel like a positive experience, not an obligation. Ask for volunteers rather than nominating people, explain how the footage will be used and for how long, and make sure everyone signs a clear consent form. If someone leaves the organisation, have a sensible policy for whether and when their footage is retired.

Brief managers too. Contributors speak more honestly when they know their manager is supportive and won't be standing behind the camera.

Lessons from Magna

Our work with Magna, a large chocolate factory employer, combined a recruitment-focused website with honest video content. The digital presence now attracts around 20,000 weekly visitors and supports the recruitment of more than 2,000 staff a year. The lesson: when content answers candidates' real questions, it does a lot of the screening for you. You can read more in our Magna case study.

Make it easy to find and use

A recruitment video should live on your careers page, in job adverts, on LinkedIn and on the job boards that allow video. Shorter cuts work well in social media ads targeted at your local area.

Plan the versions you'll need before filming:

• Main film: 60 to 120 seconds for your careers page.
• Role-specific clips: short pieces for each type of vacancy you hire for regularly.
• Vertical social cuts: 15 to 30 seconds for local recruitment ads.
• Practical clips: "your first day" or "how to find us" for candidates who have already applied.

Always add captions. Many candidates browse job adverts on their phone during breaks or on public transport, often with the sound off.

Make the next step easy

A great video is wasted if the application process is painful. Check that the careers page loads quickly on a phone, that the apply button is easy to find and that the form asks only for what you really need. Video gets attention, but a simple, mobile-friendly application turns that attention into applicants. If your careers site needs work too, our services page covers how we help.

Common mistakes

• Leading with the boss. Candidates want to hear from people doing the job they're applying for.
• Stock-style footage. Smiling people in generic offices tell candidates nothing about your workplace.
• Hiding the hard parts. Early leavers are often the result of expectations that didn't match reality.
• One video for every role. A warehouse operative and an accountant have different questions.
• Letting it go stale. Review your recruitment content every year or so, and refresh it when people, sites or roles change.

Measure the right things

Track application volume, but also application quality, interview attendance and early retention. A good recruitment video often reduces volume slightly while increasing the number of suitable candidates, and that's a win.

Ask new starters whether they watched the video and what they took from it. Their answers are the quickest way to learn what's working, and often give you ideas for the next round of content.