How to Avoid Christmas Card Fatigue (Hint, Try Video)

When was the last time you received a holiday greeting card and thought ‘’wow, this business really understands me, this gesture of appreciation fills my heart with joy’’. Err ... never? 

Although, if the card is accompanied by real champagne, any number of scrawled platitudes can be forgiven, am I right?

Sadly, we can’t all afford to courier chilled French bubbles to our clients. While we’re not ragging on the old faithful Christmas card (well, we are, a bit), we are encouraging you to get creative and more personal with your end of year communications. With all this technology in your toolkit, there’s really no excuse for posting that off-the-shelf card. 

We know things never really slow down for talent teams, but sticking with the status quo may be doing you more harm than good. Holidays are the perfect time to connect with clients and candidates with festive video communications. 

Why is empathy important in fostering candidate and client relationships?

In the talent industry, we interact with so many diverse people everyday on the phone, via email and face-to-face. We’ve naturally learnt to empathise with our candidates and our clients by understanding who they are as people and what matters to them..

But when it comes to December there can be a serious build up of lactic acid and keeping that empathy muscle flexed can feel almost impossible. Before you opt for a cookie-cutter end of year communication tactic, consider that this generic outreach might damage the connection you’ve spent all year building. 

It’s no denying that the war for talent is raging more fiercely than ever and to win requires more than execution; it demands reinvention. The festive season is an untapped opportunity to differentiate your business by providing thoughtful, high-value content, that truly connects with your audience (or at the very least makes them smile!)

How to stand out with meaning and connection this holiday season

Imagine your clients and candidates are rockstars. They’ve just finished an epic set and the crowd is throwing flowers and unmentionables towards the stage. Most gestures are disregarded, but there are some that they take notice of and hold up for the world to see. This could be you and your creative end of year communications. 

With just a little bit more thought and a creative format that cuts through the noise, you can ensure that your business is the one that remains top of mind for 2020. How do you plant a more meaningful seed that will continue to blossom into the new year? We’re so glad you asked!

Creative video ideas to foster your talent pipeline and client relationships

Video is not only the perfect format to connect personally and make your audience feel special; with 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the United States, opting for a digital solution is a heck of a lot kinder on our environment.

The festive season is all about the spirit of giving, so to embrace this we’ve developed two video ideas that give something of value to your audience. Whether it’s a one-to-one video from a leader to your clients or your team sharing their top interview advice for candidates, these ideas will help you stand out and connect. 

Based on how much time and resources you have, the quiz wizard will serve you the right video idea for your business. You’ll receive an example video, script to repurpose and a step-by-step implementation guide. These resources will help you build trust and confidence by sharing valuable information that your audience wants to receive.

The objective of these ideas is to engage clients or candidates with a value-first video format that will strengthen your relationship and keep you front of mind. Both ideas should be delivered one-to-one via email, LinkedIn messenger or other chat platforms where you might already be having a conversation.

Creative video ideas to boost employee engagement

After you’ve shown your appreciation to your candidates and clients, turn your focus inward and prioritise your employees. This busy time of year may mean that your employees become less engaged in their work, your company and their colleagues. 

But with unemployment rates at an all-time low, this is not the time for employers to take a back seat. Surprise and delight your team with a creative video idea that not only brings them together but cements their sense of belonging into 2020. 

If you’re short on time and resources then our Survivor inspired Guess the Colleague idea could help you inject some quick fun into your workplace before you break for the year. All you need is a chair, some plants and a few confessions from your colleagues, then you’re good to hit record.  

If things are starting to quieten down then playing a game often seen at hen’s parties or after the final rose ceremony on the Bachelor is a great way to engage and connect your employees. Our game of How Well Do You Know Your Team? will bring some healthy competition in before the new year.

Creative video ideas to share your employer brand

We’ve engaged our existing employees, communicated with our candidates and clients but what about the passive market? We all know that the strength of your employer brand can be the difference between passive candidate engagement and an unhealthy talent pipeline. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to focus on celebrating the uniqueness of your employees and helping their stories power your employer brand. Here’s how to equip your employees with shareable content this Christmas that could influence your potential candidates and positively impact your company. 

Regardless of how many employees you have left in the office, a Vox Pop style video is easy to plan, quick to film and simple to edit. Give your employees an engaging video that they'll want to share across their social network and watch your talent pipeline reap the benefits of employee advocacy.

If you have more time on your hands and a personality filled employee at their desk, then a Walk and Talk video can really help you stand out. Providing your employees with creative content worth amplifying can help you tap into the most widely used channel to influence potential candidates, social media. 

If hitting record before you hit out of office isn't realistic, don't worry, we get it! The Video Ideas Generator is designed to give you a creative burst of energy today, tomorrow or in the new year. All of our festive ideas and formats can be repurposed for whenever you have an objective in mind. Happy videoing!