TL;DR — A careers page with real employee voices on it reads as more credible than stock photography and copy alone. Collect short, specific stories with a prompt list, get clear consent before anything goes live, and refresh the clips periodically so the page doesn't feel dated.
- Short, specific stories outperform polished but vague ones on a careers page.
- Written consent to publish is required before any clip goes live externally.
- Refresh clips every year or two so the page reflects who's actually there now.
- A handful of varied voices beats one long, heavily produced testimonial.
On this page
Why employee voices do more work than a mission statement
A careers page full of adjectives — "collaborative", "fast-paced", "people-first" — tells a candidate nothing they couldn't find on a competitor's page using the same words. A short clip of an actual employee describing a specific thing that happened to them carries more weight, because it's harder to fake and easier to judge as genuine.
This doesn't require a production budget. A handful of short, honest clips recorded on a phone, with decent lighting and clear audio, will outperform one over-produced testimonial that reads like a script.
Prompts that get a genuine answer instead of a generic one
As with any employee-generated content, the quality of the question determines the quality of the answer. Avoid "why do you like working here?" — it invites a vague, flattering non-answer. These prompts tend to produce something more useful:
- What's something that surprised you about this job once you actually started?
- Describe a specific day or project that felt like a good representation of working here.
- What would you tell a friend considering applying, that they wouldn't read in the job ad?
- What's changed about your role since you joined, and how did that happen?
- What's one thing about the team or the work that took some getting used to?
- If you had to describe the culture here in one specific story rather than one word, what would it be?
Getting consent right before anything goes live
Employee video used externally — on a careers page, in a job ad, or on social media — needs clear, specific consent, separate from the general consent someone gives for internal use. Tell each contributor exactly where the clip will appear, how long it will stay up, and that they can ask for it to come down later, including after they've left the company. Keep a simple record of who agreed to what and when.
This is a practical note, not legal advice: check your organisation's own policy and, where relevant, local data protection rules before publishing employee likeness and voice externally. See the ICO for general guidance on using personal data and imagery.
Keeping the page current
A careers page with the same three employee clips for three years starts to look like nobody new has joined, or that the people featured no longer work there — both read badly to a candidate doing basic research. Plan to refresh at least a portion of the clips every twelve to eighteen months, and remove anyone who has since left the company promptly.
Where this fits alongside other recruitment video
Employer brand video sits upstream of the hiring process itself — it shapes who applies rather than who gets through screening. It pairs naturally with a referral push: see Referral Campaigns on Video for using the same kind of employee voice to encourage people to pitch open roles to their own networks. For the screening stage once candidates apply, see the recruitment video hub.
How to collect this in Whoosh
Set up a campaign with your prompt list, share the link internally, and let employees record on their own time from their phone or laptop. Review clips as they come in, confirm consent for external use, and download the ones you want for the careers page or job ads.
- 1.Pick two or three prompts from the list above rather than offering an open brief.
- 2.Share one link with employees who've agreed to take part.
- 3.Confirm explicit consent for external publication before using any clip.
- 4.Publish a small, varied set rather than one long testimonial.
- 5.Set a reminder to refresh the set in twelve to eighteen months.
Frequently asked questions
How many employee clips should a careers page have?
Four to eight short clips covering different roles and tenures usually works better than one long, single-voice testimonial.
Do we need written consent even for enthusiastic volunteers?
Yes — enthusiasm at the time of recording doesn't replace a clear record of what they agreed to and for how long, especially once a clip is live externally.
Can we use clips from someone who has since left the company?
Best practice is to remove them once they leave, or re-confirm consent, since the clip no longer reflects a current employee and may create an awkward impression if a candidate later recognises the name.
What if an employee asks for their clip to come down later?
Honour the request and remove it promptly — this should be part of what you tell them when you first ask for consent.