Your Guide to Making Effective Recruitment Videos in New York City
Show, don’t tell! That’s one of the golden rules of marketing, especially in a city as dynamic as New York. Video gives NYC companies a unique opportunity to highlight their culture, diversity, and unique energy to attract top talent.
In fact, a CareerBuilder survey showed that job postings with a video received 34% more applications.
A recruitment video is a short video that tells potential candidates about a job opening, helping them understand what your company does and what it’s like to work in your New York-based team. Whether it’s tailored for a specific job post or a general culture piece, these videos can reflect the city’s vibrant and fast-paced atmosphere.
The best thing about this is that making recruitment videos in NYC is easy and cheap. All you need are the right tools and a few enthusiastic people, and an exceptional strategy.
The right video tailored to the unique job market of New York could potentially create 800% more engagement and more organic reach on LinkedIn and other job platforms than regular text-based postings. If you’re not already doing it, you’re putting yourself at a major disadvantage.
What Makes a Great Recruitment Video?
In our book, one of the most important aspects of an effective recruitment video is authenticity. People crave connection, but they need genuine humans to connect to. A recruitment video displays the quirks and traits that make your company and team unique, your human side.
There are other elements that we consider sacred when it comes to producing awesome recruitment videos.
- Address the viewer’s questions
- Short videos are best, usually between two and five minutes long
- Keep the videos fun, the kind that keeps you glued to the end (this requires great storytelling and scripting)
- Watch what you wear and display it on the video. Brands and logos, such as those on clothing, can create copyright issues
- The sound and music have to be sublime, period
- The video should be clear and concise with a powerful call to action
You can hit all these points even if you have a modest budget. But first, you need to decide what kind of recruitment video you want.
Types of Recruitment Videos
Recruitment videos work best when you have a strategy. That includes evaluating your current recruitment process and identifying holes where video could bring the most impact. For example, your job posts might not be getting enough awareness and spread, or you may not be getting enough responses despite massive circulation.
Once you have a plan, you can choose the type of recruitment video you want.
5 tips to look your best in front of camera
click here to download the guideGeneral Announcements
These are videos that shout, “We’re Hiring in New York!” Post it on LinkedIn, social media, your website, and local job boards like Built In NYC to maximize reach. Use iconic backdrops like Times Square, Central Park, or the Brooklyn Bridge to visually convey your company’s presence in NYC.
Whether you have a single or multiple spots open, a general announcement generates buzz in your circles and increases your reach. Posting on social media, for example, encourages 1,200% more shares while posting on your careers page increases SEO rankings on Google.
Open Job Posting Videos
Compared to general announcement videos, open job posting videos are more detailed and targeted like highlighting specific roles you are hiring for in New York City. They generally feature a senior executive or hiring manager talking about the job and the benefits of living and working in NYC, from networking opportunities to cultural diversity.
These are the kind of videos you can post on Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and other job platforms.
Culture Videos
These are the most common and effective types of recruitment videos we’ve seen. They are used to drive engagement and increase response rates by showing off your company and what it’s like to work there.

There are several types of culture videos you can create:
- Sneak-peek videos—these offer a glimpse of the job by showing an employee doing the job and highlighting the challenges, perks, and goals of that job
- Testimonials—these are usually a montage of “brand ambassador” employees highlighting what they love about the company. They’re often the easiest to make
- The “documentary” videos—a narrator weaves a story of the company, its employees, major achievements, and its culture
- Office tour videos
- Humorous videos—these show the funny and quirky side of your brand, but they’re the riskiest to pull off and require immense creativity and significant investment
Culture videos work wonders for recruiting, providing both engagement and reach. You can reuse them for as long as you like, which gives them the best returns on investment.
One-to-One Candidate Videos
These are simple videos where the CEO or a senior executive talks about the company and the job. Candidates get to meet their potential boss, which is great when you personalize each video for specific job postings.
Explaining the unique benefits of working in New York can be powerful. Tailor these videos to emphasize NYC-specific perks, such as proximity to major industry events, easy access to other businesses, and endless networking opportunities.
One-to-one videos are especially useful when hiring for permanent and senior positions, such as law firms hiring lawyers and businesses hiring managers. By talking about strategy and goals, you can appeal to the right cadre of applicants you are targeting and drive more responses.
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A Simple Guide to Making Recruitment Videos for New York City
There’s a lot that goes into making a fantastic video. There’s the videography part that comes from years of experience and training. There’s scripting and storytelling, which requires talented writing to make it compelling. Then there’s the business side of it that aims towards driving engagement and conversion.
As we wrap up, remember this: YouTube ad targeting isn’t just a tool; it’s an opportunity to connect with your ideal customer in a world that’s overflowing with content. Use it wisely, use it creatively, and watch your business thrive. If you’re not sure how to get started and want to get expert help, contact us to request a free quote from us.
This is not the time to talk about panning, lighting, sound, green screens, camera angles, backgrounds, and all that goes into video shooting.
Instead, let’s discuss how to make your recruitment video compelling.
Introduction
When crafting your video, keep in mind the fast pace and competitive nature of NYC. Start with a compelling introduction that speaks directly to the local audience. Include subtitles for accessibility, considering the diverse population of the city.
This makes the video feel fresh and shows that you put effort into what you do. If you’re resharing an evergreen culture video, create a short introduction video and make it a playlist.
Mind Accessibility: Use Captions and Pronounce Your Words Clearly
Accessibility is critical when creating recruitment videos. Talk precisely and clearly, unhurriedly, and include high-contrast captions. For videos posted on social media, use open captions that are baked into the video itself. Other video accessibility options include transcripts, audio descriptions, and accessible video formats.
Always Use Real Employees
It may be tempting to use actors, but they will make your videos sound hollow and unnatural. Select your loyal employees who have been with you for some time and have them speak from the heart, which is how you can create that authentic feel.
Use real employees to showcase your team’s diversity, which mirrors the melting pot of New York. Let your videos capture the unique NYC energy – from the fast pace of Wall Street to the creative spirit of SoHo.

Why Should the Viewer Care? Start With That
It’s critical that hook the viewer early on in the video. They wanna know “What’s in it for me?” Some of the things that work in otherwise dry corporate videos are surprising (add a fascinating fact or event, such as filming employees gaming in the office), humor, or a hint at a juicy story.
Explain the Business in Brief
By this point, viewers want to know what your company is all about. Explain briefly, talking about how and why it was founded and your mission. Cherry-pick the details that are most relevant to the viewer rather than reciting your entire history.
Answer as Many Questions as You Can
By answering several important questions in the video, you ensure that candidates build up more interest in your company. Talk to them about the job’s requirements, working hours, perks, and remote/in-office working arrangements, among others.
Finish With a Clear CTA
Conclude with a specific call to action that aligns with the New York job market. Encourage candidates to visit your office in NYC, apply for jobs on local platforms, or join you for a virtual coffee chat to discuss opportunities.
Finish off with a single, compelling call to action telling the viewers what you want them to do. Whether that’s submitting a CV via email or filling out an application form, be very specific.
We recommend giving the video several takes until you get it right. We also advise that you script your videos and edit them as much as necessary to keep them short and sweet. Remember to brand your video accordingly to reinforce your brand and messaging.
Want to know how much a video costs?
click here to download the guidePartner With MultiVision for the Best Recruitment Videos
In today’s job market, recruitment videos are a dime a dozen. It’s a candidate’s market with a severely limited labor force, so you’ll need a truly special video to stand out from your competition.
When you work with local video professionals like MultiVision Digital, you get access to experts who know the New York landscape. We’ll help you create a video strategy tailored to NYC’s unique job market dynamics, helping you attract the right talent. We’ll work with you to create a working video strategy, then pool our years of videography and video production experience to create something awesome.
Best of all, we’re affordable and are great at staying within your budget. Talk to us today to make your recruitment videos more effective in New York City.
As we wrap up, remember this: YouTube ad targeting isn’t just a tool; it’s an opportunity to connect with your ideal customer in a world that’s overflowing with content. Use it wisely, use it creatively, and watch your business thrive. If you’re not sure how to get started and want to get expert help, contact us to request a free quote from us.