In today’s job market, attracting top talent requires more than just a good reputation and a standard job listing.

Candidates want engaging, informative, and personal insights into the companies they might join and even the teams they will work with.

To understand how video can enhance the job application process, we asked job seekers to compare job postings and recruitment strategies with and without video content from their prospective employers.

Here’s what we found.

Candidates Overwhelmingly Prefer Video

An impressive 91% of respondents indicated a preference for watching videos to learn about a role and a company over traditional text-based job descriptions.

Videos provide a clear and engaging way to absorb information, and an opportunity to meet the team they could be working with, sometimes before even starting an application.

Impact on Job Posting Effectiveness

Regarding the overall impact of including videos in job postings:

• 94% of respondents felt that a job posting with videos of employees is better or much better than one without.

• Only 6% felt it was worse or much worse.

This overwhelming preference suggests that integrating video content into job postings not only makes the role more appealing but could also significantly enhance the effectiveness of recruitment efforts.

Desired Sources of Video Content

When asked who they would prefer to hear from in these videos, candidates provided clear preferences:

• 59% want to hear from employees on the specific team they are interested in.

• 52% prefer content from the hiring manager.

• 46% would like insights from broader leadership.

• 38% are interested in hearing from the CEO.

These responses highlight a desire for a comprehensive view of the company from various perspectives, emphasizing the importance of featuring a range of voices to communicate company culture and values effectively.

Optimal Video Length

In terms of the preferred length for recruitment videos:

• Half of the respondents favor videos that are 60 to 120 seconds long.

• 25% are satisfied with shorter clips of 30-60 seconds.

• Another 25% appreciate longer videos of over two minutes.

This suggests that while candidates appreciate brevity, they also value content that is sufficiently detailed to give a meaningful overview of the job and the company culture.

Authentic Videos vs. Traditional Job Postings

A compelling 92% of candidates stated they would prefer to learn about a job opportunity if it included authentic videos from employees rather than a traditional, text-only job posting. Similarly, 92% would be more likely to respond to a recruiter if they shared videos from employees at the company.

Conclusion

The survey results are clear: integrating video into the recruitment process is not just a novelty but a necessity to attract and engage potential candidates. Videos allow candidates to get a real feel for the workplace environment and the people they may soon work with, providing a level of depth that text alone cannot achieve. For employers, this means an opportunity to showcase their culture and values in a dynamic and appealing way, potentially reducing time-to-hire and improving the quality of applicant pools. As the recruitment landscape evolves, adopting video could well be the key to attracting top talent in a crowded market.