If you want to make a video for your brand, you’ll probably need a production crew. At Lemonlight, we have our own production teams stationed all across the country to be closer to our clients, so we’re no strangers to these types of hires. Learn from our expertise with these three tips!

1. Always request a portfolio.

The best way to check if someone’s work is up to your standards (or if it matches the style you’re looking for) is to take a look at their portfolio. 

What the portfolio contains will vary pretty significantly depending on the position you’re hiring for. If you’re hiring a videographer, you’ll want to see a reel of their work. If you’re hiring a production designer, you’ll want to see photos of their designs and the final videos themselves. The general rule is that you want to see examples (more than one, ideally) of the exact type of work that the person will be doing for you if they get hired.

Asking to see someone’s portfolio is standard practice for production positions, so your applicants shouldn’t be surprised by this ask if they have production experience. The benefit of checking out someone’s portfolio is that you get to see real-world applications of their skills. It’s one thing to see someone’s experience on a resume or hear them describe their past efforts, but it’s another thing to see the work itself. 

Plus, even the most qualified applicants will have their own unique styles. No two people are the same, especially in creative fields, so a portfolio gives you the opportunity to compare someone’s work to the vision you have for your video content. If the two are compatible, that’s a good sign!

2. Use interviews to check compatibility.

When we say “compatibility,” we mean that in two critical ways. First, you’ll want to check the culture fit. This is a common reason any company performs an interview. Will this person’s character mesh well with your team? Can you stand to be around them for 40 hours a week? Do their values align with the values of your company? These are important questions that interviews can help clarify.

If they pass that test, the next step is to check compatibility in a more technical sense. Let’s say all of your editors work with one specific software, and this person is only trained on a different one. When you’re using expensive equipment and software, there’s a potential for applicants to lack familiarity with your specific tools. Eliminate that potential problem by making sure you’re on the same page in an interview. 

3. Recruit people who haven’t applied.

You may get a ton of great applicants for your position, but you’re still missing out on a key audience: people who haven’t applied. These people might not be actively applying for any jobs (maybe they currently work somewhere else, for example), or they might have not seen your job listing and missed out on applying. Either way, you should be aware that these people exist and consider reaching out to them in your applicant search. 

Let’s take a great candidate who currently works for another company as an example. This person might have seen your job listing and decided not to apply because they’re happy in their current job. Or, they might be unhappy but haven’t started looking for other employment yet. There are a number of situations that might describe this person’s outlook on your role, but at the end of the day, they’re not going to apply on their own.

Despite this, they could be a great applicant if you nudge them in the right direction. By recruiting people who aren’t actively applying to your listing, you can hand-pick candidates who look like the best fit, and they may be more likely to commit to the hiring cycle if they already know you’re interested in them.

Many people could be talked into leaving their current job if they were offered the right new position, so make the case for why your role is that “right new position.” You never know who you might find by doing a little extra work to find these unconventional applicants. 

Time to Hire

With these tips in mind, you’re ready to hire a top-notch production crew. Just make sure to request a portfolio, check compatibility during interviews, and seek candidates who haven’t applied, and we know you’ll find the perfect crew for the job. Happy hiring!