One of the hottest trends in recruiting, and for good reason, is recruiting videos. “While a picture may speak a thousand words, a video has the potential to reach millions” says Lubo Smid, COO & co-founder of STRV. “Videos give job candidates a taste of what it’s like to work at your company, especially in regards to office culture and structure.” STRV aims for a new culture video on their website and social media networks at least once per quarter and the effort pays off. STRV’s videos have led to numerous hires.

The success of recruiting videos is two-fold. First, videos are highly shareable content and thus optimized for a very digitally connected workforce. Second, recruiting videos have color that job post copy, no matter how eloquently written, doesn’t. “Recruiting videos can excite by allowing potential recruits to better ‘see, feel, and hear’ the passion and the excitement at your organization” says Dr. John Sullivan, CEO of DJS. “Videos allow an outsider to “meet” your employees, to see your technology, and even to tour your facilities.”

Recruiting videos can be hosted on your company’s careers site or on popular video sharing sites, like YouTube. Whatever site you choose, make sure that it is mobile optimized to improve accessibility to candidates in the age of the smartphone. Beyond that, there are many ways to get recruiting videos right! In no particular order, check out these companies’ great examples:

Top 15 Most Awesome Recruiting Videos

1. Ingram Micro 

Ingram Micro’s recruiting video doesn’t start the way you’d expect. Before heading to the workplace, it features employees doing everyday human things, like walking the dog and making egg-in-the-middle toast. It catches the viewer unaware, humanizes Ingram Micro’s employees, and makes it much easier to believe that the company’s claim to ‘invest in passion’ isn’t just pretty writing on the wall.

2. Dropbox 

Dropbox takes quirky to the extreme with their recruiting video. Featuring an all-puppets cast, the video’s creative format shows that Dropbox is an innovative company that isn’t afraid to take risks. It’s also a lot of fun to watch, especially given the high degree of puppet customization, to match human counterparts on the Dropbox team, and the absolutely hilarious puppet facial expressions.

3. Hillsboro Police Department 

This local police department’s humorous recruiting video shows that you don’t need to be a big company with a big budget to make a compelling, shareable video. It’s unique and unusual, way funnier than dry police recruiting videos typically are, and gets a lot of employees involved. That shows how important teamwork is to their culture and appeals to potential candidates who are interested in an environment where everyone pitches in to achieve team goals.

4. Hubspot 

Hubspot’s video is straightforward, shot beautifully, and gives an inside look at life at Hubspot by incorporating footage of the actual working environment. For companies that have unconventional, fresh, and creative workspaces in their offices, this is a great strategy to show off how nice ‘going to work’ is at your company.

5. BambooHR 

Being able to keep work at work and having reasonable work hours that allow for a fun and healthy work-life balance are huge selling points for many candidates. BambooHR’s recruiting video, which is all about what employees do outside of the office, emphasizes that BambooHR is a life-friendly startup, without the long hours and stress that are often part of startup life.

6. Starbucks 

Recent graduates make up a large part of the talent pool and Starbucks cleverly targets that specific audience in this video. By focusing on early career employees and following the progression of interns as they rise up the ladder, they address the concerns that recent graduates are thinking about as they consider jobs. They show that there is a place for early career employees at the company and it’s one that’s full of promise and potential.

7. Gorilla 

Gorilla’s recruiting video does a great job of showcasing their work culture. The two minute video makes it clear that Gorilla employees are true team players with a lot of passion for their work. For candidates who are similar, there are few things more appealing than that.

Want to see the other 8 videos? Check out the full article on the Happie blog!