can you upload a video to cover letter submission

Recruitment Blog

How a video embrace letter can assistance screen for client-facing roles

Recruiters know all too well that paper embrace messages for customer-facing roles can come in the hundreds, even thousands. Reading through each i can exist daunting, take time and is hardly the near enjoyable task.

The concept of a video cover letter is condign the central to screening high volume roles in regards to customer-facing roles. We've spoken with industry professionals who accept shared their ain experiences and findings since using the upcoming screening feature of video encompass letters.

Reducing time to hire

A video encompass letter gives candidates the run a risk to show themselves and is useful when it comes to customer-facing roles. Recruitment Manager Steph, who we spoke to on LinkedIn, shared how "more than 50% [of candidates] would submit" video cover letters for this particular office. It as well assists recruiters who receive a big volume of candidates.

This is supported by UniLodge's Recruitment Officeholder, Sam Smith. She commented on how video embrace letters, rather than paper embrace letters, take get a "good arroyo" when dealing with an exceedingly high volume of applicants.

"We've got a few roles that we have made it mandatory equally we know we're going to get in excess of 500 applicants. And probably well-nigh 450 of them are not suitable. And then we've done it every bit a strategy and so that the people that are applying are genuinely applying," she said.

Of course with an ATS in place, it can help make your recruitment process more efficient and effective. With video encompass letters becoming an of import part of the recruitment process, it could become a highly effective method for shortlisting and placing candidates in customer-facing roles.

When it comes to making the transition from newspaper to video, ultimately the ball'due south in your court, only consider the process and last effect earlier taking your shot.

Video vs. paper

If y'all're new to the process of what a video embrace letter looks like, here'south a short instance of that. This video was uploaded almost 10 years agone, and video embrace messages accept come a long fashion since then. Changes since then include the length, creative mode, structure and more.

Video content is easier to process and recall than standard text. What video has over text, is it stimulates and catches our attention through auditory and visual elements. It not only engages the states, but it leaves a positive lasting impression – if done correctly.

Co-ordinate to Justin Ashman, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Leadbolt, recruiters should make video encompass messages mandatory for customer-facing positions. "It gives you a deeper insight into your applicants," he said. You want to see for yourself before the possible interview phase if this candidate tin continue heart contact and speak straight to the camera. Are they actually equipped and experienced to bargain with customers?

Even though video encompass letters are starting to become more than mutual, candidates can still experience slightly uneasy about recording themselves on camera. This may deter them from applying, especially if it's for a role that doesn't require the candidate to be on photographic camera, such as an engineer.

Finding a process that works

Deciding on whether to make video cover letters mandatory depends on the market place and your recruitment strategy and procedure, but consider the benefits of using video cover letters.

Justin has noticed a modify in his recruitment procedure since using video comprehend letters.

"It certainly speeds upwardly the process every bit the initial review procedure flows improve. I tin can share the video embrace letter with the Hiring Manager to review the profile and this increases the chances of an interview. It gives a Hiring Managing director a better insight into the applicant'south personality and experience."

Sam concurs. "People that we wouldn't have selected based on their newspaper embrace letters, take made it through the side by side round. We got a adventure to see how they presented themselves, their attention to particular and even just reading our instructions. The communication style and culture fit have given u.s.a. a different level of understanding for candidates, rather than just looking at their cover letter on paper," she said.

Bated from the promising success of video cover letters, candidates tin still struggle to participate or experience comfortable submitting a video. "The market hasn't quite defenseless upwards to the applied science, " explained Justin. "Not all companies have adopted the practice. Not anybody has had the risk to interact with video embrace messages, and when they practise for the first time, it tin can be a chip daunting," he said.

He noted that candidates applying for certain roles were more than hesitant. "Some applicants are unsure or not comfortable near taking part in a video encompass letter. I found this to be very common when hiring for technology roles, where we had piddling to no applicants using this."

Steph noted that "less than 25% who lack noesis in technology or confidence," would submit video comprehend letters. She believes "yous must be smart performing introductions to the right audience."

Despite the small number of candidates submitting video comprehend letters, Sam noted, "recently we've had some great ones," which encouraged UniLodge to take a second wait at candidates. They recently placed a candidate who was successful considering of their video cover alphabetic character. At start, this placement's written comprehend alphabetic character didn't look impressive, but once they saw her video she was put through. "She equally impressed the Hiring Manager, she was hired and is even so in the role," Sam added.

The quality of a candidate's video embrace alphabetic character

Whether you're new or have years of experience under your belt, you lot've met or volition meet every candidate imaginable. Possibly you've run across some interesting characters along the manner or some that just blew you away and made you think, "is this person existent?" Either mode, with video cover letters you volition meet high quality and low-quality applicants.

Here's one example Sam recently faced. "I one time had a guy with no shirt on, and a bottle of vodka in the background. It might have been very entertaining only information technology was ane we didn't expect," she said. Of course, you will receive a mixture of video cover letters just similar you practise with paper cover messages.

Hither's an example of a artistic rap video cover letter. It was even reported that the candidate got the chore! Bear in mind that your industry may not prefer or approve this fashion. Cue music.

Sam had the pleasure of watching artistic videos where candidates included "music, spinning intros and product placement. There were some actually artistic entries and they were submitted for roles where we didn't need a video comprehend letter."

Despite only seeing a small number of video cover letters, Justin noticed candidates "calmly explained their feel, sometimes in more detail then what a written cover letter would allow."
Sam adds to this point on the topic of quality of hire. She institute that video cover letters and newspaper cover letters go hand in hand.

"If they are impressing us in a video cover letter and they've got the experience, and so that would increase their chances of making information technology through to the next circular. It's too early to tell. If they didn't submit their video and still looked adept on paper, I would likely [put] them upwardly for the part," she said.

Apart from the quality of hire and allowing candidates to showcase their skills and talent, video cover letters has also reduced fourth dimension to hire according to Steph. It has also "reduced time wasters and ensured we could see a fit to the part, instantaneously. If yous know your customer, you know what will fit straight abroad," she said.

The bigger picture

It's important not to single out candidates who struggle with video cover letters, especially when it comes to techy roles that don't require loftier-quality presentation skills. "I'm making certain we use information wisely. We don't want to discount someone considering they haven't performed well in a video cover letter," said Sam.

A client-facing part, meanwhile, is "adequately standard to expect people to have good communication skills, good presentation, time management and a adept ability to present themselves," she added. To keep unconscious bias in check, Sam believes in training managers and ensuring that everyone understands what they do with the information that they receive. "Information technology's about making sure that at that place is no bias in our processes," she explained.

The overall effect that video cover letters tin bring can be explained through Justin's experience when making a placement. "Those candidates that submitted video cover letters and were hired have definitely had an bear upon on the concern and in their part," he said. Considering that "people are however getting used to video cover letters, we're notwithstanding testing information technology out," Sam commented. UniLodge is primarily focusing on the quality of the embrace letter with skills and experience. This applies regardless of whether they've submitted a video cover letter of the alphabet.

"This is non something that we would discount candidates for. Just we practice rank them college if they have done a video cover alphabetic character," Sam said. "We're not shortlisting based on those that accept submitted one – we're looking for skills and experience," she added.

What could y'all take from this and what's the best arroyo when introducing video cover messages into your recruitment process?

Lights, photographic camera, action

You may wish to consider these 8 tips from our industry professionals on video cover letters.

Sam Smith – UniLodge:

Approach video cover messages with an open mind, but make certain that it's appropriate for the kind of role that yous are recruiting for. You want to make certain that you're getting equally many people into your funnel as possible.
There's a lot happening out there in terms of video comprehend letters, and we're non the only ones using them. Information technology is condign more and more mutual– if we have this conversation five years from now it would exist pretty standard to accept video cover letters.

Steph – Recruitment Managing director:

Consider [the candidate'due south] tools, their level of competency with technology, and how this function of the procedure could positively or negatively be affected by using video encompass letters.
If fourth dimension is of the essence and yous're using a video encompass alphabetic character to screen a office where people have less admission to technology, it may crusade your fourth dimension to hire to increase! Like all recruitment aids and tools, use them wisely and finer – ane size does non fit all.
Candidates enjoy it as information technology gives them the time to promote themselves, but as well helps them pace outside their comfort zone.
Video embrace letters are a tool that is aiding meliorate recruitment.

Justin Ashman – Leadbolt:

Don't be disheartened if you lot see a slight drop in applicants because [candidates are disheartened past the process]; it will eliminate those less-suitable applicants.
Be selective nearly what roles you apply the videos for – with JobAdder you take the option to make the video cover alphabetic character mandatory or not.

JobAdder video cover letters

Thinking of enabling video embrace messages in your recruitment process? With videos being uploaded and viewed every second, successful video platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, Instagram stories and more than, take pioneered the way for this medium.

It's quite articulate – video is everywhere and is transforming not merely the manner we communicate but how we recruit. Video has become routine and has as well started to accept hold in the task awarding process. Why? Because you're hiring a real person. It's still considered common for recruiters to ask for a written comprehend letter every bit it does summarise and allows recruiters to assess a candidate'south experience on paper. Just when it comes to soft skills, such as communication and character it tin can go a lot harder to gauge via a paper cover letter, even for experienced recruiters and hiring managers.

Different video cover letter platforms offer you diverse options on how candidates can submit their comprehend letter. With JobAdder, our video cover letter functionality allows candidates to submit a 60-2d video on their mobile, tablet or desktop device. Recruitment professionals can then lookout candidates' video submissions straight from the job awarding quick view. You lot can too click on the "Get share link" to re-create a share URL for the video straight to your clipboard. From there you lot tin share the video encompass letter with a team member, or directly to your hiring managing director for review.

You'll be able to see how your candidates interact, gauge their personality, and rapidly eliminate any inappropriate applicants. By reviewing both the CV and video cover letter, you tin easily find the right person for the task.

A video cover alphabetic character could mean the divergence between spending precious hours of your day organising and conducting telephone screens and contiguous interviews, to progressing or rejecting candidates in under a minute!