Thomas Otter

Readers of my blog and research will know that I’m largely in favour of HR exploiting the “rich tapestry” of the Internet, and especially web 2.0 solutions such as YouTube, Facebook, Ning and LinkedIn. Candidates are using these tools, so HR is missing something if they aren’t aware of what’s out there. I do wish more HR folks would at least read The Cluetrain.

Microsoft’s recruitment blogs are an excellent example of the effective use of blogging in a recruitment context. They  provide good guidance on how best to apply to Microsoft and put a human face on what is, for most job seekers, a daunting exercise.  They make good use of video too.

I’m  working on a note at the moment on the employer brand and social software, so I decided to spend sometime in YouTube surfing around looking at recruitment related activities. Nothing like a bit of primary research.

I found this example from Google. An engineer is doing the talking rather than corporate communications or HR.  It isn’t a professional video, but it is neatly produced. It works quite well, and it does an excellent job of showcasing female engineers. There are some moments of “scripted acting”  but most of it is genuinely open and transparent discussion. It gives a good insight into Google. It is probably a tad long.

This one from Cisco. More polished, professional presentation. It positions the organisation well, without being too syrupy.  There is a strong CSR message in here too. A big factor when recruiting, especially for youngsters, but not something you can fake. There are several other Cisco employee cameos out on YouTube, most of them well done.

Xobni, a start up, (Xobni is inbox spelt backwards) uses, for want of a better term,  “developer” humour. It picks up on the company culture and gives an excellent insight into the business. It works. I really liked this one.  However, it takes a good bit of creativity to pull this off.

I suppose I’m nearly 20 years older than the target market for this clip, but I do wonder about the effectiveness of this particular effort from Cap Gemini.

At the very least, HR should have an idea of what is out there on YouTube about their company. Consider putting recruitment videos on YouTube, but I’d suggest you need to tread a fine line between over produced corporate advertising and “hip and funky” amateur attempts.  Hippness is impossible to fake.

But remember also to consider copyright issues on backing soundtracks, the last thing you want is the RIAA after you.

What techniques have you seen out there that work? Please send me links to the ones you like and the ones that make you cringe.

Gartner research subscribers may want to look at The Business Impact of Social Computing on HR Data (G00160278), 05-SEP-2008 and Alumni Community Management Isn’t Just for Universities and Consulting Firms (G00159095), 17-JUL-2008