Giving a Bayer Plant a Voice: A Recruitment Video for a Small-Town Workforce

Snapshot Summary

In 2021 one of Bayer's regional plants finished its harvest short-staffed and needed to fill more than a dozen positions before the next season. I led the recruitment video. For this plant, being located in a small town has its perks, but a large available workforce isn’t one of them. Bayer needed a recruitment video that would go the distance in speaking to the unique qualities and benefits of both the company and the location, in hopes of drawing new talent from across the country.

Through dedicated effort, I gave this plant a voice and a chance for potential new employees to see themselves with a positive future at a great organization. This investment will continue to pay dividends for Bayer as a positive recruitment tool for years to come.

Project Clients

Bayer Global | Regional Plant

Bayer is a global life sciences company whose agriculture business includes a leading hybrid corn brand.

The Problem: Recruitment

Bayer's corporate office wanted the plant fully staffed, so it could run at target capacity.

The Process

My approach to Bayer's recruiting problem was threefold.

To start, I worked closely with their corporate and facility leaders to create a video strategy that would solve their problem.

Next, I travelled to the plant to not only capture "bushels" of footage at the plant, but also talk with current employees about why they valued working at this Bayer plant.

Finally, I took back not only the footage, but a first-hand look into the needs of the business, and headed into the editing suite to give the plant a voice that would help attract potential talent from around the country.

Use Systems To Solve The Problem Before It Grows Beyond Repair

If you're not in the people business, you're not in business. Staying on top of recruiting trends, investing in high-ROI collateral, and leading hiring initiatives before it's an emergency will ensure that your team stays on top.

Placement Insights Shape Your Production Strategy & Results

Knowledge of where you will use the video makes building a strategy from scratch easy. This is why understanding placement is so essential. Ask your production team if they can advise you on best practices for distributing your video.

A Smart Strategy Begins With A Thoughtful, Cohesive Brand

The thoughtfulness of a brand can make or break a business. Bayer knows their brand and what aspects matter to their customers, which makes the strategy behind video content much more focused.

The Results

After all that effort, the resulting video was stunning. Not only did it go above and beyond on Bayer's corporate office's need for an on-brand experience, I captured the hearts and lives behind a busy seed-processing plant. The shoot meant dodging forklifts, piloting drones, and filming every inch of the facility, then sitting down with the people who worked there to hear why they valued this plant.

First published on the Davidson Ventures site, May 2025; lightly edited.