Use of video in recruiting - check out Deutsche Bank, Citrix and how one recruiter uses video to chase new business

I’ve had some mails since yesterday’s post. it looks like quite a few businesses are getting switched on to the potential video has in hiring. Below are examples of how Deutsche Bank and Citrix approach this. I’ve also had an email from a hiring manager showing how one enterprising recruiter is using video podcasts to chase down business….

Deutsche Bank
DB are using this video as part of their graduate recruitment programme this year. It hits the mark on a number of fronts - the biggest tick is that the video has been made by a member of their team, a trader with about three years experience - himself not too far from the target audience in terms of age. The video basically gives prospective hires a look into a day in the life of DB trader. From attending presentations from CFOs through to getting the news about a takeover bid (the bid in question is Adecco’s bid for Michael Page - you can see some of the traders discuss this in the video)

For right or for wrong, people have a perception of what it is like within the walls of an investment bank. The video gives candidates a glimpse of reality.

Interesting to see the people in the video that do best in front of the camera more often than not are more junior staff. If anything gives a flavour of an employer its meeting the team.

Video is not quite in the public domain - you’ll need a Facebook account to see it:
http://www.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=585688004749

This should work really well as part of a graduate assessment day where the candidates are there and DB have their whole and undivided attention - if it were to be used as part of a web campaign I would suspect it would need to be cut into smaller clips. At 15 minutes running time it is way too long - online attention span seems to get shorter by the day. Anything over a minute or two has got to be great content.

Citrix
Citrix have come up with a rather enterprising use of the VisualCV product, details of which you can see here. Instead of approaching a VisualCV as a tool for looking for a new role, they are using it to sell themselves as an employer.
Worth a click on http://www.visualcv.com/premier/citrix

The last mail I received was an example of how a recruiter is using video pod casts to chase clients.

Here’s the backstory Monarch recruitment have been looking to do some business with a colleague of mine for a while. This hiring manager attracts quite a few calls, e-shots and mailers from recruiters. Not unlike many other clients, he tends to ignore them unless his current supplier can’t service a need, or the spec includes a “must have” candidate.

Instead of receiving another spec email, he received a video podcast. In short, a very polite “pitch” from the consultant representing the candidate, explaining that she had tried to get in touch quite a few times without any luck and thought a video might be the best way to engage at a time to suit him. She then went into a brief “sell” on the candidate before inviting her prospective client to look at the candidate’s CV and call her.

Not heard of this before. Whether you love or loathe it as an approach doesn’t change the fact that video is playing more and more of a part in hiring. I’m sure in the coming months we’ll see more applications of this pretty simple technology.

Thanks to all who got in touch - great to get some more interaction on here. Speaking of interaction, if anyone in Monarch is reading and would like to comment it’d be great to hear your views on use of video.