As the talent landscape evolves, Gen Z talent acquisition has become critical for employers looking to attract and retain top young talent. This is particularly true when it comes to attracting Gen Z talent, a fast-growing cohort entering the workforce.
To capture the attention of this digitally native, purpose-driven generation, savvy employers are leveraging employee video stories to differentiate their employer brand in a crowded marketplace.
When done effectively, employee video stories can serve as a powerful tool for showcasing company culture, highlighting key employee value propositions, and ultimately inspiring prospective Gen Z candidates to consider joining your organisation.
Why video over text for Gen Z recruitment
When it comes to Gen Z recruitment solutions, video has a unique advantage over text or images. Video allows employees to share their stories in their own words, with genuine emotions and personalities shining through. This creates a more authentic, relatable, and emotionally resonant experience for the viewer.
Seeing and hearing real employees discuss their roles, their colleagues, and their overall experience working at the company can have a much stronger impact than reading a written testimonial.
Understanding the Gen Z mindset in hiring
Understanding Gen Z’s unique priorities and preferences is critical to effective hiring. Born between 1997 and 2012, this generation has grown up in a hyper-connected, fast-paced digital world. They value authenticity, social impact, and meaningful professional experiences.
When evaluating potential employers, Gen Z candidates aren’t just interested in surface-level perks and benefits. They want to understand the true culture, values, and employee experiences that define an organisation. Real stories from current employees, rather than polished corporate marketing, are far more likely to engage and inspire them.
Effectiveness of employee story videos in attracting Gen Z talent
Employee story videos can be a game-changer for attracting Gen Z talent. By showcasing the diverse range of employee backgrounds, roles, and experiences within your organisation, you can paint a vivid picture of what it’s really like to work there.
Seeing and hearing directly from employees—in their own unscripted words, with genuine emotions and personalities on display—creates a level of authenticity and emotional resonance that text-based stories simply can’t match. This helps Gen Z candidates envision themselves thriving in your work environment and culture.
Moreover, the video format aligns perfectly with the digital-first, visually-driven content preferences of Gen Z. You can distribute short, highly shareable employee story videos across your career site, social media channels, and other key touchpoints to capture this generation’s attention and inspire them to consider your company.
Tips for crafting an employee story Videos that captivate Gen Z
To maximise the impact of your employee story videos for Gen Z audiences, consider these best practices:
- Emphasise purpose and impact: Encourage employees to share not just the “what” of their work but the “why”—the deeper sense of meaning and positive impact they derive from their contributions.
- Prioritise Authenticity Over Perfection: Gen Z values genuine, unpolished storytelling over overly-produced corporate content. Let employees’ natural voices and personalities shine through.
- Showcase Diverse Perspectives: Reflect the full breadth of backgrounds, roles, and experiences represented in your workforce. This demonstrates your commitment to an inclusive, equitable culture.
- Optimise for Mobile and Social: Create visually engaging, attention-grabbing videos that are easily consumable on the go and shareable across social platforms.
- Weave in employee advocacy: Empower your featured employees to help promote and distribute the videos through their own social channels, expanding your organic reach.
By harnessing the power of employee stories in video form, you can forge deep emotional connections with Gen Z talent, differentiate your employer brand, and inspire the next generation of top performers to join your organisation.
Gen Z recruitment solution: C-Me Video First Hiring Platform
On C-Me, employer brands and jobs come to life with video, enabling organisations to increase their Gen Z appeal and improve Early Talent hiring results.
Create video-first career landing pages, publish and share video job posts, rank highly on Google Jobs, and manage candidates in C-Me’s AI-powered Applicant Tracking System with CV screening and video interviews (or use our ATS integrations).
Upload your own videos or let C-Me Productions create engaging video content to communicate your employer brand, including promo videos, “Day in the Life,” “Meet the Manager,” “Employee Stories,” and more.