There is no question that in many instances a video for job candidates can convey a message to potential employees. What I do question is how effective the message is conveyed. Is the right message in the right video? The answer to this question is often unclear when viewing a real job preview video. Unfortunately, quite often the real job preview video will miss the mark in delivering a real job or position preview and instead incorporate the goals of the recruiting video.

Two Videos Two Audiences

The best way to think about the differences in these videos is to consider the analysis most consumers process when they are looking for a new car. On any given night, there is no shortage of car and truck commercials on network television. These commercials focus on selling the most attractive features of their model and attributes related to their brand to reach a very wide demographic of potential consumers. The most striking aspects are highlighted to a target demographic. A typical commercial contains messages on saving energy, safety, reliability, GPS and satellite radio, and warranties. The viewer is provided several features with few details, given the focus and time constraints. A recruiting video is not all that different. The organizational brand is showcased along with values, community involvement, and the mission of the organization, to attract potential candidates who will have an affinity to the messages being presented.

When a consumer is interested in researching specific features of a car model, a manufacturer’s site will often provide several brief videos that address those options in more detail. You can find out how the components operate alone and as part of the vehicle. A real job preview video should follow the same format. An ideal preview video should break down several of the key aspects of the job that is being discussed. The discussion should present a candid discussion an idea of what the day in the life of the position is like. Focus on a specific aspect of the job; talk to someone in the field actually doing the job. There should also be some discussion on how the job fits into the mission of the organization.

Wrong Message, Wrong Audience

A real job preview video will lose its utility when it is diluted with too much branding. There are certainly elements of branding that can coexist within an real job preview video, but the focus must be on giving the viewer a clear understanding of the job being displayed. You should communicate what the employee will be accountable for in the job. This is often done in a “day in the life” format for the position being discussed.

A recruiting video also runs the risk of delivering the wrong message to the wrong audience. Some videos fail to take advantage of their brand, and assume that viewers will make the connection. Other videos fail to discuss their culture and mission and how employees play a vital role in their organization. Some videos communicate the culture and mission well but focus on just one business unit to the detriment of others.

Two Goals of Two Videos

Keep in mind the goals of each video. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the goal of a recruiting video is to recruit employees. This is usually achieved by selling the brand, communicating the culture and values of the organization, as well as the mission. The goal of the preview is to match the right people with the right jobs as well as increase retention and lower turnover. The preview should be performed in a style that generates interest while discussing the realities of the position being discussed. Genuine real job preview videos discuss both positive and some challenges of the position. Giving a realistic glimpse of the culture and the mission of the organization will go a long way in retaining talent.

Your focus needs to reach beyond your main message to maximize your return on investment. An essential step to achieve this will be to strategize your central theme and refine it for your audience with secondary themes that end up in the final product. In order to achieve this you need to engage in planning and discussions that should involve these questions.

1. Did you really layer your message effectively? This is one of the basics, yet it is rarely done well. It is imperative to layer messages to make the most of the very brief yet expensive frame of time you have for getting your message across. Most recruiting videos communicate a main theme and one secondary theme such as a diverse workforce but fall short in effectively getting across multiple messages. A strategic recruiting video will revolve around a central theme, and while it is delivered, put forth appreciable examples of secondary themes. Your organization may be a leader in wellness or internal career development or another area that you want to include to distinguish your secondary messages from the competition. Remember you want to give your target audience a significant reason to watch the video.
2. What websites is your recruiting video appropriate for? In order to engage your audience, you must understand where they frequent when looking for information on organizations. Are they more likely to see your video on your career site, at a job fair, third-party career site, a Facebook page, or on a Second Life Island?
3. Does your recruiting video come across scripted? Recruiting videos are typically centered around a storyboard to keep the message on point. Just because there is a script is no reason for the video to sound scripted. Leave a little leeway for spontaneity and creativity where possible to give the video genuine presence.
4. Did you market your video in your organization? Some organizations focus so hard on marketing to an external audience that they forget the obvious. Your internal audience may be some of your best evangelists spreading the word to others.
5. Did you “Tweet” about your video? Use Twitter to publicize your video and the websites where your video can be found. It takes very little effort to Tweet and drive traffic to the sites where the video is found.

Below is a Federal Reserve of Cleveland recruiting video I worked on last year with thunder::tech, as well as a Cisco recruiting video.

A common theme that I usually hear when I discuss recruiting in Second Life is “Second Life is great for technical organizations recruiting young IT talent like Java programmers, but it really would not address our needs.”

There are many reasons why non-technical organizations can benefit from recruiting in SL. Most organizations would agree categorically across industries that there is a growing demand for a technically proficient employee base outside of the IT department, especially as more baby boomers head off for retirement and web 2.0 applications proliferate in the enterprise. There is a compelling benefit to having access to a geographically diverse pool of candidates during these tumultuous economic times, when fuel costs are exceedingly difficult to manage as well as travel budgets. Value is also realized by branding and screening in a virtual world that is typically the domain of leading organizations.

There are also numerous arguments that can be put forth as to why non-technical organizations will not be successful recruiting in SL. There is limited information on either technical or non-technical employees who have actually been hired through an interview conducted in SL. There should be more information readily available if this was a frequent occurrence. Virtual job fairs and islands of employment are not well-known, and I’m sure many job seekers have no interest in engaging in a virtual world. Even if a non-technical person did find a job fair and decide to participate, there is the challenge of operating within SL. It takes time to become adept at controlling your avatar and getting the right appearance for an interview.

What type of employees if any are being hired in SL?

Polly Pearson, vice president of employment brand and strategy engagement at EMC, discusses a recent experience EMC had with career fairs in Second Life. EMC generated two hires for its effort. One hire was a developer with an accomplished IT skill set and the other a financial controller who had experience with large, global organizations. An article by ThinkBalm mentions the Accenture Career Island in SL paid for itself after five or six events, which I am guessing focused on recent college graduates.

The foodservice firm Sodexho is probably one of the last organizations one would expect to be recruiting at job fairs in for IT talent. MSNBC published an article on “How your fantasy life can get you a real job.” The article follows the journey of Ray Giordano, a job candidate rather new to SL, as he prepares to participate in a Sodexho job fair at the suggestion of a Sodexho recruiter. This is a caveat to others that it might be worth the investment to learn the basics of SL in case you also end up in this situation. The job candidate’s efforts in learning the nuances of SL eventually paid off and led to a job as a chef in the senior services division of Sodexho.

The Vancouver Sun wrote about the efforts of the Vancouver Police recruiting talent in SL. Inspector Kevin McQuiggin, in charge of the department’s tech crimes division, notes almost every major crime has a technical aspect to it. “Any new media that comes out, any new form of communication, crime is going to migrate there. As we move into the future, we’re going to need people who understand technology — that are conversant with it, that understand the impact of it, and understand how to use it,” McQuiggin says. Given the prevalence of identity theft and various cybercrimes that continue to challenge police departments not often equipped for the technical challenges, McQuiggin has an excellent point. I have yet to see any hard data on how many hires this effort has generated.

Toronto law firm Davis LLP is also open to recruiting in SL. The SL office was opened by the law firm’s Video Game Law & Interactive Entertainment Group. “The virtual world of Second Life gives us the opportunity to interact with our current and potential clients in a unique way,” says Dani “Lemon Darcy” Lemon at Davis LLP. “We also aim to generate business leads and attract job candidates for our bricks-and mortar business through Second Life.” SL may prove to be an ideal location for finding attorneys adept at defending the misappropriation of the intellectual property of others in the virtual realm. Still, given the specifics of practicing law in a specific locale, I would guess this is a very difficult area to recruit talent in.

The potential of recruiting talent in SL is vast but there is not a large amount of information suggesting this has been highly successful yet. The growing demand for technical talent may eventually lead others to leverage SL for connecting with talent as the generational shift in the workforce accelerates. SL may one day become a leading recruiting tool, but I think many would agree the verdict is still out.