Visuals Have the Ability to Spark an Instant Emotional Connection in a Matter of Seconds
There have been countless research studies conducted that break down the power of visuals and the human brain, how they are processed, and their ability to tap into emotion and foster comprehension.
Nearly all forms of advertising and media are visual for these very reasons. Print advertising has harnessed the power of visuals to sell products and influence consumers since newspapers and magazines began to gain popularity in the early part of the 20th century.
In today’s digital age, social media was built around the historic effectiveness of images, photos and visual content to connect people globally to one another. Facebook reports that visual posts increase engagement and retention by 140%. As recruitment efforts continue to stall in a myriad of post COVID anomalies and challenges, Talent Attraction leaders are forced to find ways to “stand out in a recruitment sea of sameness” to increase performance in this competitive environment.
We know that job seekers are not spending valuable time reading lengthy text-based job posts that all look alike. According to an article from ERE, applicants spend an average of 40 seconds or less reading job descriptions before submitting their resume. They are quickly skimming job posts for keywords but aren’t taking the time to truly discover if the company and position is right for them. This often leads to a large quantity of applicants, but very few who are right for the job.
A career choice is an important life choice. Serious candidates are interested in more than duties and responsibilities. They want to understand what it is like to work in your environment, your organizational purpose, passion and culture. This is critical to conveying your employer brand and using visuals to help convey this story is proven to be far more effective than text alone.
Of all information transmitted to the brain, 90 percent is visual, which means the majority of your content should be presented in that format.
The brain can process a visual scene in less than 1/10th of a second.
Visuals Act as a Stimulator for Emotions
Connecting with candidates virtually and standing out amongst competitors in this highly competitive job market is a challenge. Visuals are proven to immediately spark emotion, leading to a sense of connection, curiosity and understanding that your company is a good fit for them. When visuals lead your recruitment strategy, they help to create deeply engaged candidates who are driven to apply or learn more about the position and your company.
As a recent article in Forbes points out, today’s consumer makes most decisions based on emotion and connecting with candidates is no different. Ensure the creative image portrays a simple, clear message. Appealing to human emotion is always a great way to showcase the personal side of your company.
“Images that feature people tend to do better in terms of engagement, since we feel more connected.” – Forbes
Emotions and visual information are processed in the same part of the brain, which creates a faster and stronger reaction than text. Powerful images create strong impressions and lasting memories, which proves powerful when recruiting passive, high-quality candidates.
Visuals Drive Motivation
Adding visuals into your recruitment marketing strategy increases action and drives motivation among candidates. Visuals make a lasting impact with potential candidates. Creating an emotional connection paired with the increase in comprehension presents the best opportunity for effective engagement.
Images, videos and infographics are more captivating and draw attention, allowing you to stand out amongst competitors and messaging that all look and sound the same.
Powerful images create strong impressions and lasting memories, which proves powerful when recruiting passive, high-quality candidates.
Images stimulate the imagination and positively affect cognitive capabilities through emotions, enabling candidates to picture themselves working for your organization.
Visuals stretch the human bandwidth, the capacity to take in, comprehend and analyze new information, resulting in a more informed, serious candidate review of the job and your brand.
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