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January 4, 2023

Video for Human Resources Sales and Recruiting

Olivia BarickmanHuman Resources

If you’ve wanted to learn about using video for human resources sales, you’ve come to the right place. Video is one of the most key HR sales tools to attract businesses to your PEO, recruiting firm, or HR solution.

In this guide, we’ll cover the most crucial video strategies for human resources sales, as well as virtual recruiting ideas. With these tips, you will be prepared to select, implement, and optimize your video outreach as a salesperson at an outsourced HR or recruiting company.

What we’ll cover:

Outsourced HR overview

There are several reasons businesses may choose to outsource their HR or recruiting functions. For one, outsourcing HR functions to an expert allows businessowners to focus on the revenue-generating and strategic parts of their business. Outsourced HR companies may fall under professional employer organizations (PEOs), software-as-a-service (SaaS), shared services, business-process outsourcing (BPO), or single-source outsourcing. SHRM has a helpful guide that explains these categories in greater detail. These organizations need strong HR tools.

Staffing and recruiting companies can help match up businesses with top talent or fill a large volume of roles at once. Recruiters tend to focus on filling one specific role that may be at an executive level. Staffers typically fill many roles and often handle the payroll and other HR functions for that group of employees. Their virtual recruiting ideas should match the focus and scale of who they are hiring.

This guide is specifically created for salespeople, decision makers, and professionals in outsourced HR, staffing, or recruiting roles. The goal is to consider how to add video for human resources sales into your toolkit and determine the HR sales tools most important for your business. Additionally, we will provide some virtual recruiting ideas for staffers and recruiters using video.

Choosing video for human resources sales

You have several HR sales tools: email, direct mail, phone calls, traditional advertising, content marketing, and more. Video for human resources sales is great option to create another touchpoint with your audience, which you can add into your full sales cadence.

Many people are familiar with using video for synchronous communication (like using Zoom for work meetings or interviews). Personalized video is a great HR sales tool for asynchronous communication. With a tool like Covideo, you can record a video to send directly to your contact or prospect through email, LinkedIn, or even your CRM that they can read on their own time. This video for human resources sales is tailored specifically to them, which will set you apart from competitors.

Your HR sales tools may vary depending on your outsourced HR solution. A PEO or HRO (HR outsourcing) company may primarily use video for human resources sales. A business that operates as a SaaS (software as a service) or BPO (business-processes oursourcing) company may use video for both human resources sales or demos and training.

Why use video as one of your HR sales tools?

People ask us all the time, why use video for human resources sales?

In any sales situation, video is powerful because it puts a face to a name and helps your audiences retain information better than in written text. (Insivia found that viewers retain 95% of information they see in a video, compared to only 10% in plain text.)

When speaking of video for human resources sales specifically, there are even more reasons:

Humanization: In a very people-focused field, there is no better way to humanize your outreach than video.
Differentiation: Most of your competitors have not added video to their HR sales tools.
Versatility: You can use video for human resources sales during your sales cycle or to communicate with clients or peers.
Improved communication: HR can be complex, and video is an HR sales tool that allows you to explain difficult topics more clearly and designate a strong point of contact.

Check out these examples of real personalized videos from an HR sales team!

Communicating value with video

According to NAPEO, there are about 480 PEOs in the United States alone. That means you need HR sales tools which communicate what sets you apart from the competition.

Here are some virtual recruiting ideas and key stats and considerations to add into your outreach:

A PEO or outsourced HR option helps you focus on the revenue-generating side of your business and leaves the HR administration to the pros. (In-house HR professionals spend about 73.2% of their time managing tedious admin tasks!)
Using a PEO or outsourced HR company can save you from legal trouble when compared to doing HR by yourself. (A PEO takes on compliance with FLSA, EEOC, and other important labor requirements.)
Of employees doing “ad hoc” HR functions, 82% aren’t certified in HR and 29% have no help from outside services to manage those functions. (ADP has this great infographic explaining why you should move these crucial functions to a PEO!)
Using a staffing or recruiting firm helps save time and money by advertising open jobs, improving the talent selection process, and decreasing costs incurred by the hiring business.

By picking some top stats and emphasizing the time and cost savings offered by your solution, you’ll have a go-to example when creating video for human resources sales.

Still, we recommend video is just one of your many HR sales tools. Personalized video should be interspersed with phone calls, regular meetings, and other contacts. Video for human resources sales should also be sort and succinct to get your point across and entice your prospect. Aim for about 30 seconds.

Even our sales team, which consists of video pros, does not only communicate through video. We’ll usually start the sales cycle with a call or email. However, we do find it helpful to embed a video into an email early in the sales process. It’s a great HR sales tool to stay top of mind.

If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our scripts you can use on your video for human resources sales strategy.

More HR video use cases

There are endless ways to add video to your HR sales toolbox. When selling your HR solution, software, or service, consider using video for human resources sales to differentiate your outreach and close more deals.

Like all sales teams, the biggest hurdle for selling a product is getting the dreaded cold shoulder on cold outreach. Sending a video to your prospects’ inbox leads to higher engagement than a plain-text email. It also shows your contact there’s a real person on the other side of the screen.

Also, using video for human resources sales also helps you get to your point faster, which busy small- and mid-sized businessowners will appreciate.

Many salespeople in the human resources world still rely on in-person meetings. Visiting in person is still a helpful and smart HR sales tool, but it’s made even better when video is part of your strategy. Record a video for human resources sales before the meeting to introduce yourself and after as a follow-up thank you to stay memorable. You always want to cash in on a little extra face time!

Lastly, use video as an HR sales tool to communicate how your solution can scale with business. Maybe you’ve connected with a small business owner who is expecting to make it big soon. Use screen sharing to walk them through all your different options and how your product can seamlessly add and remove features as needed. It will lead to a greater feeling of security for your client and increase the chance that they’ll upgrade.

More virtual recruiting ideas

There is a strong case for recruiting firms to use video as an HR sales tool. Imagine an interview in your head. You likely pictured to people sitting across from each other, probably at a desk in an office. They probably shook hands and exchanged a printed resume.

Well, that picture is no longer the reality of hiring. According to an Owl Labs study, 42% of workers prefer working remotely and 36% choose hybrid.

You need strong virtual recruiting ideas because in-person hiring is no longer the norm. Here are some easy use cases:

Create video for job advertisements

Are you posting a job to a job board on behalf of a company and hoping to capture top talent? Make your listing stand out with a video. Not only can you talk candidates through the ins and out of the job, but you can include helpful office tours or “day in the life” videos.

Prepare candidates for the hiring process

Another virtual recruiting idea: use video to walk candidates through the hiring process, prepare them for interviews, and vet them for positions. While there are many tools to communicate in real-time, personalized messaging apps like Covideo are HR sales tools that allow for asynchronous communication. That means you can record personalized messages on your own time and review when you are able.

People are more likely to stop their scroll for a visually engaging piece of content. So, bring your virtual recruiting ideas to social media.

LinkedIn is an especially smart place to share outreach videos with potential candidates. (And fun fact—Covideo has a LinkedIn integration so you can seamlessly send videos over direct messages as well.)

Track candidate engagement

It would be a shame to put so much time into your virtual recruiting ideas and videos but not know if they’re making an impact. That’s why Covideo has in-depth analytics to show who is watching your videos and when. Plus, you can get notifications when someone watches a video, which can help you plan next steps.

Secure future business

We know you’re chalk-full of virtual recruiting ideas to win over candidates. But you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not using HR sales tools after you secured a candidate. A “thank you” message goes a long way, as well as following up with a business to ensure all is going well with its new candidate. You may just line up your next opportunity.

Video for staffing firms

Many of these virtual recruiting ideas also apply to professionals working for staffing firms, but you can tailor your HR sales tools specific to staffing large groups of people at once.

Staffing provided jobs for 16 million people per year before the pandemic, and it continues to be a growing business for the industrial, administrative, professional, engineering, and health care industries. Whereas a recruiter may be seeking the perfect fit for an individual candidate, a staffer may be bringing hundreds of workers into a job. Staffers may also handle more HR functions—like payroll—on behalf of the business they’re working for.

Therefore, you should adapt your HR sales tools to a larger group of people. You can still create videos for human resources sales to keep up with your point of contact, but you can also use apps like Covideo to create more general messages to send to the full group of people you’re staffing. It’s smart to consider when it’s worth personalizing a video to one person or when to create a single video for a wide audience.

As always, Covideo’s tracking capabilities will show you which people have seen your video and who you might need to follow up with.

Video for human resources sales: the hiring process

As we’ve explained above, in-person hiring is not always possible. Video can be a great HR sales tool, but it can also be a game-changer for in-house HR personnel and candidates seeking new opportunities.

With so many resources on the Internet, job applicants can find hundreds of new jobs a day. And with the rising popularity of remote work, you need virtual recruiting ideas that not only compete with other businesses in your area, but that compete with businesses globally.

Video can be used for human resources sales as well as in the hiring process. Creating personalized videos can set you apart from other businesses that are posting text-only job applications or simple emails.

First, you can create videos to go with job postings. This virtual recruiting idea applies to both recruiters and in-house HR personnel. Have the hiring manager create a short video describing the job expectations, the type of candidate they are looking for, and the perks of joining that business. You can include a link to this video wherever you post a job.

Once prospects apply to the position, use your HR sales tools to them engaged. Here are some videos you can send to candidates going through the hiring process to capture top talent:

Acknowledge that you have received a candidate’s application and resume and will be in contact soon
Send them a few pre-screening questions before the interview to get to know them better
Congratulate them if they’ve been accepted for the job and explain next steps
If they are not offered the job, thank them for their time. Explain what they did well in the interview so they can use those tips in their next hiring process
Prepare them for their first day on the job and any paperwork they need to sign
Introduce them to their new team members or workspace

Virtual recruiting ideas: when to create a video resume or cover letter

These HR sales tools can also be useful for candidates. Competition for top jobs can be fierce, but most of the other prospects are not sending video to human resources. Sales, administrative, and other roles where you need to show your face and personality can benefit from video in the hiring process.

Candidates should consider the impact of a video cover letter. In this video, you can include all the same information you would in a written cover letter: your background, qualifications, why you’re interested in the job, past experience, and what you love about the business. However, your video will stand out even more, and with Covideo, you can embed it directly in an email.

If you’re making a video cover letter, prepare notes ahead of time with your key points, and make sure you’re looking polished—as though you were attending an in-person interview.

Candidates can also use video in follow-up emails. Your hiring manager may be busy, or if you’re working with a recruiter, you want to stay top of mind. If you haven’t heard about your application, send a video to that manager’s inbox.

The implications of video as a virtual recruiting idea are clear, but there are times where it’s a smart move for the candidate side to use video as well.

Using video as a job candidate allows you to demonstrate both hard and soft skills like:

Your grasp on media skills and technology if that’s important to your job (like IT, marketing, media relations, to name a few)
Your personality and communication style if you’re applying for a consumer- or client-facing role
Your desire to innovate and stand out from other candidates
Your willingness to try new things and adapt to bold ideas

HR sales tools for remote work

Video for human resources sales is perhaps more important than ever during the rise of remote work. Remote work has been around for a long time, but the pandemic permanently made virtual teams the norm. Video is now both an essential HR sales tool and a helpful internal communications tool that can boost employee engagement and promote company culture.

These tips are more geared toward in-house HR teams and remote companies, though outsourced HR teams may be able to adapt them as an HR sales tool.

Understand when to use synchronous vs. asynchronous communication

As we previously covered, many remote employees have become accustomed to synchronous video communication, like logging on for Zoom or Teams meeting. But it’s key to know when to use asynchronous communication, or communication that does not happen in real time. If you need to provide a recap or check in briefly, you may be able to save your team time and avoid a meeting by recording a quick, personalized video to their inbox.

Boost remote engagement

We’ve talked about how video can be an excellent virtual recruiting idea. Personalized video can be great way to keep employees engaged after hire. Send a weekly check-in describing everyone’s projects. Do a quick mental health check with your team by asking them to respond to your video with an emoji or comment of how they’re feeling. Do a little show and tell project. Video can be used for both serious and fun culture boosts.

Explain tools and processes

It’s important that remote employees do not miss out on opportunities for mentorship. Use video for human resources sales or internal HR teams to walk remote employees through tools or skills they’ll be using on the job. A screen sharing tool is super helpful.

Onboarding, open enrollment, and performance reviews

Human resources requires personalization, and video is a great method to deliver personalization to your remote employees. For recurring events like onboarding, open enrollment, and performance reviews, you can create videos to communicate virtually. Each year, you can tweak your script based on what each individual needs to know.

Implementing your video and virtual recruiting ideas

We hope this guide has helped you consider how to use video for human resources sales and review your virtual recruiting ideas. We can’t wait to see you update your HR sales tools and add video into your overall sales, recruitment, or in-house HR strategy.

What comes next? Covideo is an excellent tool to record, send, and track all your personalized videos, and the great news is you can Gert Covideo Free for yourself. If you have questions about how personalized video for human resources sales or recruiting can impact your business, you can also schedule a demo with one of our experts.