Digital Salvation

So why have I put this on the blog?

Is it....

a) An attempt to start a discussion about recruitment videos on Youtube

b) An attempt to start a discussion about the skill shortages in the digital industry

c) Blatant self promotion for our recuitment campaign at Barkers

Answers in the comments please!

Comments

[Alex]

1) I think YouTube usage as part of the recruitment / employer branding promotion mix is an interesting development - if you can provide something engaging and are big enough to tough out the storm that it may create (or indeed are not upset by the doldrums). Found your video quite amusing and can only take my hat off to an organisation that uses all media and methods to try and recruit (on and offline working in beautiful harmony indeed). If we don’t know how to in recruitment advertising then who the heck does?

Can't mention YouTube and recruitment videos without mentioning this though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZpM1MzUaX4

On the one hand you've gotta hand it to these guys for coming out and showing their true colours. On the other hand - are those true colours particularly flattering to show off? Answer - who cares? Their target audience certainly doesn't, so good luck to them. As I say, if they can weather the scorn I’d imagine people could direct at such a video but recruit 4 good people then it’ll almost certainly pay for itself. I, on the other hand, am very happy in myself that I would never be target recruitment audience for Recruitment Consultancy / Estate Agency / 2nd Hand Car Sales professions.

2) Agree there’s definitely a shortage of talent in the digital arena – but then we’re an evolving space, so what can we expect? Bringing in experienced people (where they exist) is also very expensive as we’re having to compete with product and “proper” digital agencies. And it’s not just the cash price – it’s the sexyness that pure players can offer in regards to client base, budgets and pioneer spirit (and let’s face it – who left university desperate to get into Recruitment Advertising).

I’m not knocking this industry – I actually happen to think it’s great and probably offers more opportunity than many other comparable industries, but much like the print creative side of the fence you’re not going to recruit an Art Director from an Ogilvy or Saaatchi’s – instead we need to have the vision, dedication and investment in training to trawl the colleges and university courses and bring the talent on ourselves. Of course as everything races ahead in our space we’re all, to a greater or lesser extent, playing catch-up so it’s important to attract a level of experienced talent too – people who have seen it happen elsewhere – but, as I’m sure you’re finding Matt, people in our industry who really understand the digital environment are, unfortunately, and as a historical result of quite a few “ostrich” agencies, few and far between.

3) my CVs in your inbox and I look forward to your due consideration ;-)

Alex

[Matt]

1) Thanks Alex! Next time we try and pull a stunt outside 33 though we'll at least try and get the right building! Putting the video on YT was an experiment for me. It's basically an in joke and you had to know what we did to really appreciate the video. However YT gave me the opportunity to put it up on several blogs and also for our team to send it to their friends in other agencies. We've had a number of applications on the back of it so it shows that you don't have to get thousands of views to be succesful!
I also agree with your comments about the Computer People video. No doubt of interest for their target audience but incomprehensible if you're outside that group. That's what would worry me about it putting on such a public forum. If I was a candidate or client of Computer People who saw it, I'd feel exploited that my CV / money was going towards properties, fast cars, expensive holidays and not to mention copious amounts of hair gel!

2) Also agree and love the phrase "Ostrich Agencies". Our recent recruiting experience has also shown that there seem to be number of people out there with not much experience who want vast sums of money for not much substance. We will still look to employ good experienced people whose skills add direct value for our clients when we can find them, but to me a strong graduate recruitment strategy is the way forward

3) I look forward to reading your CV but you might well be better suited to working for these guys at "Going Interactive"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Q4j9AQfZI&mode=related&search=

[John Whitehurst]

this is a good video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBTB4ZXzFN4

[Matt]

You're not wrong. Would love to see the rest of the campaign and know how they were intending to get people to watch it

[Alex]

great execution - and that's what I call a production budget.

I too would be interested in finding out more about the campaign - I'd hope they have it somewhere that has more succcess than 200 views since July. Worrying if you spend that kind of money on a "build it and they will come" type approach. But whichever way you look at it - that's a real Salami beater for me.

:-)

[Ben]

I really like that too - as you say, they must have had a fair production budget - but then I guess that's why it looks so good!