A new tool to help your company attract top talent

By Wayne Dunbar, Cofounder/Owner, aftertec advanced imaging

Co-authored by Ciera Pratt, Marketing Manager at Star Staffing

The marketing landscape in 2017 for companies and recruiters paints a picture of tough competition and the top talent funnel is going to continue to narrow over the coming years. This will require companies to step up their game. Leveraging the latest technology in creating visual assets that will engage the next generation of your workforce is a must. A 2015 Pew Research study indicates that Millennials have surpassed Gen Xers to become the largest share of the American workforce. They will demand – – No, expect! – – that the companies they choose to work for are in the mainstream from a website and social media perspective to truly understand the culture. Generation Z candidates are growing up in the virtual reality era. 44% of recruiters say that social recruiting has increased both quantity and quality of candidates1. So there it stands the Millennials are digital and they are going to want to get a good idea of your web presence and how you use social media.

2D photos of your campus are passive. The Call of Duty generation will want to be in the driver’s seat and navigate and go where they want to go and see what they want to see. In a day and age of technologies like Google Earth and 2D static 360 panoramic photos used in street views they will want to get an understanding of the layout of the workspace as well in its true dimension. Some like to read the map to see which route they will take, but the creative and intuitive minds might prefer seeing where it is they are going and take notice of landmarks to know where to turn. 3D Imaging gives a sense of dimension – a real-life like experience which brings the space to life.

Bottom line – when they come to your website you want to keep them there as long as you can and have visual assets and tools that will keep them engaged and interested.

Here are the top 5 reasons why companies who emit their brand and culture through their workplace should leverage 3D Walkthrough Tours.

1.     Give new recruits an immediate sense of the workplace

Great talent can often choose their workplace.  Part of their decisions are often based on a good work-life integration with the office space. Does your office space distinguish you from other potential employers competing for the same talent? Travis Garland, Leasing Manager, Portman Management Company Says “An office space represents the organization’s brand, impacts employee recruiting and retention, and is a visual testament to how the company invests in idea creation, productivity, and human capital.”2 If your company has space that you are proud of and feel it can be leveraged to attract, recruit and retain great talent, why not give them online access to it 24/7? A 3D Model and virtual tour showing off your amenities could become a powerful recruiting tool for those looking for the right cultural fit. Scans of the surrounding area as well can give potential candidates a better idea of what it is like to live and work in the area. It’s important for them to know what kind of neighborhood or area in respects to their workplace. Adding 360 outdoor views can help give them a sense of the environment where they will likely spend a lot of time.

2.     Save on travel costs to show candidates where they would be working

As stated before Millennials are very immersed in the digital world. 3D Walkthroughs, Virtual Reality and even 3D Video is now almost expected before visiting or choosing to visit any space. So goes for top talent looking for a job. By using new tools candidates may make a decision to work for your company without ever stepping foot on your location. 3D tours could eliminate the high cost of travel and entertaining a candidate.  On the other hand, you may have paid a lot bring a great candidate to your office only to find they were not a cultural fit. Either way your company could save tons of travel costs and entertainment expenses at the same time better qualifying candidates who are more likely to fit with your company culture well before they set foot in your office. The face-to-face relationships and connections can be made using tools like Skype.

3.     Highlight company culture while showing the workspace

Whether it is work-life balance, on-site fitness, training rooms, etc… potential recruits can immerse themselves and get a sense of the space. Using information tags throughout the company can help identify and give more information about the amenities as well as provide links directed to the relevant pages on your website. Tags could be used also to show a new recruit where their desk, office or workplace will be. Or HR could walk them through the office over a WebEx or other online meeting platform and show them where they will be working.

4.     Include 3D models and virtual walkthroughs links in welcome packets for new employees so they get a sense of the workplace before their first day

Electronic welcoming packets can include tours of the company. Gone is the need for an interviewer or manager to have to spend 30 minutes walking a new candidate around to introduce them to show them around the building.  Depending on how many candidates you bring in to interview, this could potentially save in resource time by eliminating the time it takes to walk around and show your facilities. They can experience it before even coming to the interview.

5.     Leveraging the use of Social Media to draw people into your website to recruit

The ability to use a powerful visual asset like 3D walkthroughs must be aligned with the digital mainstream. It has to be one that can easily be added to your website and shared on your social media channels. It also must be responsive in format so that the candidate can take the tour using whatever device they have. Having the ability to invite any audience to a 3D walkthrough tour is much better ‘click bait’ than posting a 2D photo or even a video. While virtual reality has not really caught up with the mainstream, 3D walkthroughs are easily rendered into a virtual reality version compatible with iOS, Google Cardboard and Samsung VR Gear. However, if you are a VR technology company, why would you not offer candidates a VR tour through your company?

There are other great uses for a company to 3D scan their offices including building management, architectural development, collaboration with distant contractors, office design and layout meetings, to name a few. Companies may wish for their remote workers to feel more like a part of the team in the headquarters.  Give remote employees a sense of the space where the people they work and interact with daily.

What’s your plan to differentiate your recruiting in 2017?

1 Recruitment Strategies To Attract And Win Top Talent, by Dora Wang, Tiny Pulse, Nov 18 2015.

2 Making a Statement with Office Space: Finding Workplaces that last.  Well-designed office facilities will aid a company in recruiting and retaining talent in today’s marketplace – and well into the future. By Travis Garland, Leasing Manager, Portman Management Company.