Hiring great employees isn’t just about finding the most qualified or experienced people. You also want to make sure a person is going to fit; they need to feel at home, be excited to work in your company, and add to your company culture. A good career page doesn’t just list the open positions; it also gives prospective employees a sense of what it is like to work at the company.
I was recently tasked with creating a video about working at Zendesk. While recruiting videos of this sort aren’t a new idea, they are usually too flashy, too “marketing-feeling”, and too full of employees saying things like “I am literally excited to get to work every day.” That sentiment may be true, but it doesn’t feel genuine. I have worked in many places, and the ‘excited to be here’ part is a small aspect of the experience. When we set out to make our video, we did so with the intention of showing what working at Zendesk was really like.
Obviously we couldn’t encompass the whole experience and this wasn’t a documentary about working at Zendesk. But as we worked out ideas with our recruiting and leadership teams, we kept our focus on two words: sincerity and authenticity. We wanted to speak truthfully about working at Zendesk.
We are proud of the results. The video may not work for some prospective employees – some may find it strange (“why are they showing someone eating salted licorice?”) – but as Lorie, our recruiting manager told me, “If they find the video compelling, they will most likely fit in here.”
Jennifer King over at Software Advice recently wrote about how to go for authenticity in a recruiting video. She offers some relevant examples from companies including Zendesk.
So far, we’ve found some great prospective employees who immediately “get us.” A recent job candidate even told us, “Kudos to the recruiting video on the Zendesk site, which is impossible to watch without a smile and chuckle.”
It’s even been lauded by folks not looking for a job:
Zendesk has the single most entertaining careers video I’ve ever seen. @lukesbeard
All of which is to say: if you are thinking of making a recruiting video for your company, your aim should be to focus on sincerity and authenticity. Don’t be afraid to show your company’s true colors. It will resonate with the right candidates.
If you are looking for a job, check out our careers page and watch the video to see if we are a good fit for you!
