Insights into the daily work of a craftsman's own business convey an authentic working atmosphere. (Photo: © frimufilms/123RF.com)
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Digital Crafts - Theme specials
March 2025
Crafts 4.0: Video recruiting, as a modern form of attracting skilled workers, offers companies the opportunity to present themselves as attractive employers on social media platforms.
Short videos are enjoying a constantly increasing reach: According to Statista.de, the proportion of 14- to 30-year-olds who watch Use videos on social media, in Germany at 79 percent. ARD/ZDF Media Study 2024 also showed that young people up to 24 years of age on average almost 45 minutes daily spend watching short videos on their smartphones. For 30- to 49-year-olds, it is 21 minutes. This means that short videos have become a natural part of everyday life. Crafts businesses can take advantage of this trend to attract potential Reaching skilled workers and young professionals in new ways – via video recruiting. But what exactly does this term mean? And how can you best reach out to prospective candidates?
Video recruiting is a innovative form of personnel recruitment, in which companies present themselves as attractive employers in short videos to attract potential employees. This is not only about filling vacancies, but also to authentically convey your own corporate culture and working atmosphere. Craft activities in particular can be presented particularly well in moving images: This allows interested parties to directly work environment and their future tasks. In addition, the advantages of a company, exciting projects, or a particularly family-friendly atmosphere can be vividly presented.
"Video recruiting makes sensebecause it captures the attention of job seekers more effectively than pure text content," explains Bastian Naurath, founder of the SEO agency Curato Leads. "Because Videos appeal to multiple senses, convey emotions and allow an authentic Insight into everyday work. In addition, social media and platforms such as TikTok or Instagram are very strongly focused on video content, which increases their reach and interaction enormously." A special effect in social networks: Here, companies not only reach craftsmen who are actively looking for a job, but also also potential interested partieswho come across the recruiting video by chance through keyword searches or automatic video recommendations – and spontaneously enthusiastic about the advertised job.
The functionality of video recruiting is quickly explained: Instead of a classic job advertisement, companies create a short video highlighting the most important aspects of the company and the advertised positionThis video can then be published on various channels, such as your own website, social media, or online job boards. Bastian Naurath: "For craft businesses, videos offer the opportunity to Making careers tangible and to present the employer brand attractively." This gives prospective employees a vivid impression of the company and helps them decide whether they would feel comfortable here.
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When creating a recruiting video, craft businesses have two options: Professional results are delivered by agencies or service providers specializing in video productionThis solution is recommended for companies that want to invest as little time as possible or value high-quality results. Depending on the effort and your own wishes, the Total costs here are usually in the four- to five-digit range per videoHowever, neither the cost nor the professionalism are decisive for the success of a video: In contrast to highly polished image videos, recruiting videos are primarily about genuine authenticity and creativityThis was shown, for example, by the Sterz Glassworks from Langen, which for a long time was unable to find any trainees – until the boss posted a self-made video on social media in which he dropped a large glass plate and listed the advantages of his trainee positions (tinyurl.com/yf3fuubz). The video consists of only one take, without cuts, without script, without technical finesse – simply realIn no time, the 80-second clip became a viral hit, garnering more than a million views – and the glassworks was delighted to receive more than 35 applications.
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When companies If you want to create your own recruiting videos, all you need is a smartphone or tablet with a good camera. A tripod is best for shake-free images, and beginners should also ensure good lighting and clear sound. If individual recorded scenes later re-edited, optimized, provided with commentary, effects, background music or subtitles Video editing software can help if you want to create your own videos. Many good programs, whose basic functions can usually be used without prior knowledge or after a short training period, are available for free download on the Internet (see table).
But which content promises high viewing figures?The best results are usually achieved by humorous or emotional stories – for example, funny scenes from everyday working life or touching stories from trainees," explains Bastian Naurath. "But also conceivable are before-and-after videos of successfully completed projects or authentic insights into one's own everyday work, the workshop, and exciting construction sites."
Videos in social networks offer numerous opportunities to to attract young talents and specialists to your teamWith a little creativity, even small businesses can quickly create successful videos and use them in addition to traditional online job postings. Video recruiting for craft businesses of all sizes is an effective way to increase the reach of their own job offers.
Authenticity: Show your company as it really is. Let employees speak and provide insights into
everyday working life.
Story: Tell interesting stories that focus on your company or individual employees.
Originality: Stand out from other companies' recruiting videos with exciting camera angles, unusual narrative perspectives, and a generous dose of humor.
Briefly: The attention span of online viewers is limited, so keep videos as short as possible—no more than two to three minutes.
Call to action: At the end of the video, you should encourage viewers to apply. Provide clear instructions on how to do so.
Channels: Distribute your video on various channels, such as social media, job boards, and your own website, to reach the largest possible audience.
Sometimes companies want more Applications from specific target groups – for example, to acquire certain skills and Bringing experience into the company or to increase the diversity of the team. The SEO agency Curato Leads the following tips:
Women: Companies can specifically target women by showing videos of female role models in the trades and highlighting gender diversity and a supportive working environment.
Older professionals: This target group is often persuaded by content that focuses on experience and stability, such as the use of high-quality tools or the transfer of knowledge to the next generation.
Trainees/skilled workers with limited German language skills: Subtitles in simple language or multilingual content are recommended here. Emojis and visual content can also help.
Skilled workers abroad: To bridge language barriers, companies should create videos with subtitles in English or other relevant languages. In terms of content, projects that meet international standards or present interesting challenges are more compelling.
Define target group: Who should be addressed (e.g. skilled workers, trainees)?
Formulate expectations: What skills and experience should the new employees bring with them?
Obtain equipment: Depending on the location, a camera (a smartphone is often sufficient), microphone, tripod or lighting are required.
Highlight special features: What makes your company unique? What values ​​should you convey? What special benefits and opportunities do your employees enjoy?
Create script: What content should be conveyed? Who will be on camera? What scenes and transitions are suitable? Are there pre-prepared texts and plots, or should the people in front of the camera act spontaneously?
Select filming locations: Where can the atmosphere of your company be best displayed (e.g. workshop, construction site, office, salesroom)?
Develop a story: How can the content be presented in an entertaining, engaging, and compelling way? Possible ideas include stories from existing employees, successful projects, everyday work, and trainee video diaries.
Visual design: It is important that all videos have a consistent and brand-appropriate design with authentic, yet good recording quality.
Suitable lighting: The images should be neither overexposed nor underexposed – without shadows or backlight.
Good sound: Avoid disturbing background noises and hissing at all costs.
Direct approach: At the end of the video, interested parties should be explicitly asked to apply.
Dynamic editing: With editing software, scenes can be easily cut together, shortened, or enhanced with effects. The finished video should not exceed two to three minutes in length.
Music subordinate: Depending on the video, quiet background music can underline the mood of individual scenes. Free solutions such as royalty-free or fully AI-generated music are available online.
Targeted dubbing: If you don't want the people in front of the camera to speak for themselves, the video can be dubbed with a voice-over. Clear and simple messages are most effective.
Add subtitles: If potential viewers watch the video without sound – for example, in break rooms, public transport, or waiting rooms – the most important scenes should be provided with subtitles.
Convert video: If necessary, the video should be adapted for the different platforms (e.g. length, formats).
Increase reach: To ensure that the video is found when relevant search terms are entered, important keywords and hashtags should be included when uploading.
Observe laws: Does the video comply with all applicable laws, such as the GDPR, copyright law, and the Telemedia Act?
Evaluate results: How many views, likes, and comments are there? How many applications have been received?
Gather feedback: What did applicants like? Where is there room for improvement?
Optimize videos: The results will allow videos to be tailored even better to desired target groups in the future.
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