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Are You On YouTube?

By Bryan Johanson, July 26, 2007

The FBI is looking for a few good interns, and they are looking on YouTube. Surprised? You shouldn't be. In June I spoke at the Arkansas Association of Colleges and Employers. As I travel I always ask my audiences, "What's new in recruiting? What have you seen that's really innovative and cutting edge?" One of the leaders of this group, Ron, mentioned the new campaign that the FBI launched three months ago on YouTube. He was so excited about it that his career center is now in the process of producing something similar to promote internships at his college. Naturally I had to take a look.

Read more articles by this author.

Related Topics:

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FWIW, I found the video on YouTube almost immediately by typing in "FBI internships" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=r3bcasxLueQ). It was the first option on the list and, as of this morning, it had 527 views in the last three months. Not bad for a recruiting video. Here's what I really liked about the approach:

1. The video was absolutely genuine. It is simply an edited set of interviews with kids from colleges around the country that participated in the FBI Honors Internship Program. The filming was not intended to be slick, but had a rather home-spun video quality that made it seem more natural and approachable. Translation: it didn't cost that much to put together, but the messaging was very powerful. I hear all the time; "We don't have the budget to put a great video together for our career website." Baloney! The FBI video is proof that it doesn't have to be professional grade to be effective.

2. While they didn't script it, they did take advantage of the key messages which were absolutely clear from these interviews. Nobody from the FBI spoke in the video, it was only the students who participated in the program.

1. The FBI is the best internship I've ever had.
2. I'm doing really important work - not faxing, shredding, or grunt work.
3. I'm making a difference in the national security of our country.
4. I'm learning more than I could possibly imagine.

When I finished viewing the 6:22 minute clip, I wanted to do an internship at the FBI. It sounded cool, important, and really exciting.

3. I love the fact that they posted it on YouTube rather than their own career website. The goal, of course, is to attract potential recruits that wouldn't normally think of the FBI as a potential employer.

How could the FBI do better?

While 527 visits in 3 months might sound impressive, IMHO it doesn't quite measure up to the "Word of Mouth" factor that drives real visibility on YouTube. Compared with the "Potter Puppet Pals and the Mysterious Ticking Noise" which got 7,950,537 views in the last four months (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1XIm6q4r4), 527 just isn't all that impressive. BTW, I found out about the Potter Puppet Pals from my kids who insisted that I couldn't sit down to dinner until I watched it.

If the FBI really wants to drive visibility, they've also got to include a marketing and sourcing plan that drives people to view the content. Word of mouth is generated only when what people see on the site really catches their attention AND they feel a need to share it with others. There are thousands of videos on YouTube that never really get notoriety. If YouTube is going to become a vehicle to get the word out about internships or job opportunities, creativity must be at the core. Humor helps. This generation wants to be entertained and if we are going to attract them, we need to find ways to tap into that mindset. MWBRL

IMO, the FBI has barely scratched the surface on what's possible using YouTube. If you are really going to take advantage of this new medium it's going to take AFPOE . The FBI gets Kudos for being one of the first, but I'm looking for anyone who is doing really innovative and ground breaking work using YouTube, Myspace, or Facebook, to name a few important recruiting venues. If you've got a great idea or if you've seen something related to recruiting or sourcing that really stands out, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me directly at bryan@adlerconcepts.com

C/S

AYTMTB? I'm telling you this because, if you are responsible for college recruiting, you need to create visibility for your opportunities where the students are. That includes exploring recruiting opportunities on Myspace.com, Facebook.com, YouTube, and other sites where teens and college-age kids are spending time, energy, and money. I know of several large companies who are looking at doing "something" but as one client recently mentioned, "We are waiting for approval from Legal." The recruiting race will be won by the swift and the bold, not by those waiting for Legal to bless some watered down approach for leveraging these important recruiting vehicles. Let the race begin, because a year from now, it will all be over and we'll be looking for a less crowded way to reach potential candidates - maybe newspaper ads will make a come-back. You think I'm kidding? ADBB

BB4N

Happy Recruiting!

P.S. Why all the acronyms? If you're going to recruit the younger generation you've got to speak their language. If you don't like it you can contact the AAAAA (American Association Against Acronym Abuse or visit the AFZ (Acronym Free Zone). Maybe try writing an ad completely in acronyms. You might be surprised who responds.

GTG 9

If you need a translation for the acronyms visit http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm.