Recruitment is one of those services we’ve all used, but which we quickly forget about when we’re safe and secure in our cushy jobs. Anyone who has considered a change in career, or wants to find better opportunities in a different environment, knows how difficult it can be to find something suitable. Where do we look? What are we looking for? And crucially, are we engaged by the employers who are reaching out?
This last question is something which employers should be asking themselves, and in so doing, should seek new ways to engage their recruitment base. Video is a great way to capture a viewer’s attention with narrative voice, whilst retaining the detail of text. Not only that, but with the development of interactive video you can create mini-tests for recruits to help you decide if an individual is the right fit for your business, saving you precious time and money.
According to Wyzowl’s latest statistics, 76% of marketers said that video has helped increase traffic to their business and 80% said that it has increased dwell time on their website. Not only that, but according to research conducted by Hire Rabbit with specific focus on recruitment, job listings accompanied by videos were shown to have been viewed 12% more than job listings without videos, and received around 36% more follow-through applications. That’s a significant difference.
To illustrate what we mean, we gathered together some of the best recruitment explainer videos we could find. What we found most impressive was the range of approaches which different companies took with the concept of recruitment, and how that fed into their narrative. They are all engaging and they all deal with key tenets of recruitment, like emphasising benefits and company prestige, but they all treat their viewers as individuals; a difficult trick to pull off when you’re also trying to have broad appeal!
So let’s take a look at some of our favourite animated recruitment explainer videos. We warn you though. You may have the sudden urge to throw in an application somewhere after watching them.
LMA
LMA’s 2016 animated recruitment video is interesting because it takes the idea of traditional infographic-style illustration and animation, and turns it on its head. Instead of bombarding the viewer with statistics from start to finish, LMA opt instead for considered, sparing use of information and place most of the emphasis on their stunning range of characters, colours and graphics.
The video’s script is especially clever, because by starting out with the workplace characters and expanding out from city to country to planet to solar system, it provides the viewer with a visual sense of the company’s ambition as a small to medium size enterprise.
Ford College
The great thing about this recruitment video from Ford is that, in a strict sense, it isn’t completely animated. Yes, it makes extensive use of animation throughout, but the clever thing about this video is its seamless blending together of animation and live action. This gives it a sense of personality which can sometimes be missing from other completely animated efforts, and highlights Ford’s commitment to its history as a company of innovation.
It works as a recruitment video aimed at college age students by making the conglomerated Ford seem personal. Each car becomes a haven, each outreach project a compassionate community centred intervention, so that by the end of the video we are convinced of Ford’s impact on the lives of individuals.
Hudson Pulse Mindset
The video game Minecraft has been enjoying a bit of a moment these past few years and as part of this trend, retro 3D animation has similarly enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.
Hudson followed this trend admirably with their 2016 explainer video advertising its Pulse Mindset tool, which evaluates what motivates different individuals in the workplace and makes suggestions on how they might improve based on their personality.
It also helps employers to choose the best candidates for different roles and identify future leaders based on their results. And the simple, clean animation used in this video demonstrates this in an accessible, colourful and fun way.
HR Polytech
The animation in this video is, to say the least, impressive. Not only are the character illustrations and background extremely well-rendered and detailed, but the colour palette fits remarkably well with the workplace environment being portrayed.
The script is also witty and sharp, with several strong relatable characters, each with their own demonstrable skill set. However, the real subtle genius of this particular explainer video is that it makes the technology at its centre seem so effortless. Even the video’s hopeless job prospects can use it, and in the context of what we’ve seen, using HR Polytech for recruitment purposes must be easy indeed.
Ocado Technology
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Given that Ocado Technology are the minds behind powering the Ocado Supermarket delivery chain (as well as powering more traditional supermarket chains like Morrison’s) and given that they have been involved in groundbreaking research involving Artificial Intelligence, robotics and IoT, it’s unsurprising that the animation in this video seems so futuristic.
Beginning with a 3D animation of an ultramodern cityscape, the video pans out to reveal a seemingly innocuous piece of paper on a desk which subsequently springs to life with a sophisticated CGI of how Ocado works. This is designed to appear attractive to any potential employees, and indeed, it does show Ocado in the light of the dynamic, forward thinking company it is.
Tipico
Where some other videos on our list were happy to spend their time explaining what their business does, this refreshing take on recruitment from German betting company Tipico asks explicitly: What’s in it for you, the recruit?
It then proceeds to lay out all of the benefits in store for its HR employees, including: competitive salary, job security, medical insurance, subsidised gym membership, free food, and attractive location. All of this is laid out in easy-to-interpret 2D graphics with a compelling and colourful storyline. It’s so convincing I might just… be right back.
Rivs Recruitment Software
Ever thought you’d see the sort of noirish animation that once made Cartoon Network so great in a recruitment video? Well, that’s precisely what Rivs have done here.
Perfectly setting out the difficulty many employers experience during the hiring process, Rivs then demonstrate how to use their technology as a solution to many of the problems these employers face. This is animated colourfully and effectively, utilising humour in a way that endears.
Virgin Mobile
Virgin first made their reputation as a disruptor of the marketplace in the 1970’s, when CEO Richard Branson launched his record label. Since then, the company has branched out into everything from retail to soft drink manufacturing to mobile phone development and even space travel!
In that spirit of rebellion, this recruitment video turns the very idea of “recruitment” upside down and encourages its applicants to just be themselves; whether that means wearing casual clothes, interviewing on a desktop, or even interviewing in their underpants! (You’ll see when you watch).
Islamic Relief
Utilising a subversive mix of Roy Lichtenstein-era Pop Art and Pointillism (the practice of giving shape to patterns from a series of small, distinct dots) this recruitment video for Islamic Relief is nothing short of poetic.
Indeed, given the subject matter of the video (that is, recruiting for a global charity), the use of a more artistic style of animation is a clever way of ensuring that naturally sensitive, artistic and creative people pay attention to the central message, as these are the sorts of people who are more likely to be attracted to a career in the charity sector.
SAP
The thing that’s really striking about this video from SAP is the sheer joyousness of the colour palette. I mean, look at it. It’s awash in beautiful, lush neon-hued greens, blues, yellows and reds while still retaining a slick, modern professional look.
As the world’s largest business software company, it’s clear from this video that SAP wanted to take diversity in the workplace seriously. In the UK, for example, only 9.7% of executive positions in FTSE 100 companies are currently held by women, and in seeking to redress this issue by targeting women at the recruitment stage, SAP will have needed a declaration of intent. This video is it.
Some Final Thoughts
What the above range of animated recruitment videos demonstrates is that there is no one right way to encourage people to come into your business. There are multiple ways, and the great thing about animation is that it is such a malleable art form. As long as a concept is within the skill-set of whichever particular script writer, illustrator and/ or animator you employ, animated video allows you to do pretty much anything you want. Live action, unfortunately, is limited by the talents of the actor (and indeed by the wider limitations of being human).
Some things to consider before you commit yourself to either are: your budget, how much time you have, what demographic you’re trying to appeal to, and whether you want your video to have lasting appeal or whether you need something more immediate. With all of these things taken into account, you should have a good idea by now of what sort of recruitment video suits your company best. And being the talented people that we are here at Wyzowl, we’ve created this ultimate guide to help you create an amazing explainer video.