New opportunity for jobseekers to view potential employers

Job applicants have a new opportunity to visualise what life might be like working for a potential employer through videos launched on the innovative online jobs board www.jobs.ac.uk.

The new videos of employers will help job seekers determine what it would feel like to work for the employer, whether they would fit in and what the people and atmosphere are like. Viewers can picture themselves in the job, mixing with colleagues and working in that environment.

With an increasing number of employers using new technology including search engines to vet candidates, employer videos will add a new dimension for jobseekers who want to research their employer of choice.

Andrew Gordon, director of jobs.ac.uk, the leading online jobs board for research, science and academic related professions said: ìWe live in a very visual world. The younger generation are used to creative, interactive technology, and as recruiters we must appeal to them and enable them to search effectively for jobs. Employer videos offer huge advantages in the recruitment process. A professionally shot video will allow candidates to make a more informed, holistic decision when applying for jobs. By communicating the benefits and values of the organisation, employers can connect with future employees whilst casting their net in a wider talent pool.

ìHigher Education (HE) employers need to continue to attract high calibre candidates and are embracing new technology including e-recruitment to raise their profile online. The employer brand is now just as important for HE as it is in the commercial sector. A strong online presence and greater accessibility online increases applications from the many job seekers who use the internet for their searches.î

The University of Warwick are leading the way as the first employer to use the new service, which features staff from across the University describing working life there. The video provides information on working at the University including staff and students, its location, leisure and cultural attractions.

Christopher McClelland, HR Operations Director at The University of Warwick explained: ìThe aim of our online video is to attract new candidates for the wide variety of jobs we are advertising at the moment. Itís important for us that job seekers have an insight into our culture and how we work so when they apply for a job they are informed about working life here. The video is a simple way to explain who we are and attract candidates who will enjoy working for us and will empathise with our culture and goals.î

The new service marks the growing trend of employers using videos to attract jobseekers to their vacancies. jobs.ac.uk are predicting that recruitment related videos will soon become commonplace on job boards, recruitment agency websites, corporate vacancy pages and even YouTube.

jobs.ac.uk already have videos for other universities in production including Nottingham University and Keele University. The video plays in Adobe Flash Player which 98% of visitors to the website have, allowing them to watch the video without having to download additional software.

To view The University of Warwick video, visit www.jobs.ac.uk and select any University of Warwick job advert.