It is no secret that video is revolutionizing the way companies hire and advertise open positions. There are numerous benefits that companies can and should be leveraging to stay ahead in the war for talent. However, when you think of promotional corporate videos, what often comes to mind is a professionally scripted and shot video exploring a company’s history, mission, and operations. These often feature testimonials offered by company heads and panoramic “b roll” footage of the office space and employees interacting among it. Ben Eubanks, along with Lighthouse Research and Advisory, argues that while these types of content indeed have value, they do not serve as useful content that encourages candidates to inquire about positions within the company or accept a position they were offered. Instead, his research shows that candidates are actually looking for three simple things from promotional videos. Including these in your organization’s next production might be the key to attracting and hiring talent.

1. Candidates don’t want to be sold to.

Large budget production videos are often perceived to be “salesy.” While, yes, they may showcase a luxurious office space and the pointed mission of the company, Eubanks’ study found that candidates want to hear from their hiring manager 2.5 more times than they want to receive a company overview. The uber corporate perspective offered by many promotional videos is not what interests candidates. Job seekers have a legitimate fear of accepting a position at a company whose culture and job description do not meet expectations and it’s the driving force behind the disinterest in being marketed to. Instead, candidates want to see rawness and learn useful information about the industry. This can help ensure that their expectations are aligned if they choose to accept a position with the company.

2. Candidates want to hear from a credible source.

This is not to say that those featured in company overview videos are not credible or are not speaking truthful information. What this means is that candidates want to hear from the people they will be working for and with. In fact, over 40 percent of people surveyed agreed that the most persuasive source of information for candidates is the hiring manager. In this case, the phrase “people want to hear from people, not the company” is incredibly pertinent, in fact, 55 percent of active job seekers said employee-generated videos would be more trustworthy than a company-produced video. That is because this perspective offers candidates a realistic sense of who works at the company and how company operations are carried out, which is much more valuable than hearing from a company head—someone to who a candidate will likely not report to directly.

3. Candidates want a job preview.

Candidates want to have a reliable and genuine sense of the day-to-day operations of the position, in terms of long- and short-term responsibilities. More than that, candidates want a feel an understanding of the company culture. A large issue with the corporate jargon-infused videos is that they do not provide a realistic sense of what it is like to work there. A strict script can make two companies with entirely different office environments sound the same. This way, a candidate can determine for themselves if they feel that they would have success at the company when considering the cultural aspect in combination with the duties accompanying the role.

It’s important for employers and hiring managers to put themselves in the shoes of applicants or those looking for jobs. This can encourage them to consider aspects of the hiring process that might get overlooked when on the other side of it. Offering this perspective in your videos could be exactly what your company needs to secure new hires.

This blog was written by Acara Recruitment Specialist, Massimo Valenzano.