Creating training videos is crucial for engaging and effective learning, leading to growth and prosperity of employees and business. Discover how to create videos to enhance employee performance and productivity.
Training videos have emerged as the most effective tool for employee onboarding.
It is understandable companies are reluctant to hire unqualified candidates. But many of these companies do not invest in creating effective training programs either.
Employee training, in fact, is one of the areas receiving the least attention. How can companies expect their employees to outperform competitors without effective training?
Many employers have not yet realized business and work culture have changed. To prevent employees from falling behind, companies must focus on initial training and retraining.
So, what should employers do to cultivate efficient and productive employees? The answer is simple: create training videos.
Today, we will discuss why focusing on training videos is preferable to text-based training. You will learn how to create effective training videos for your employees. This will be an enjoyable experience. Let’s get started.
What is a training video?
Training videos are instructional content designed to teach skills and impart knowledge. They also educate employees about workplace practices and policies.
They communicate job requirements and employee expectations. These videos are also used to convey both short-term and long-term company expectations to employees.
Like customer onboarding videos, training videos can educate new recruits about the intricacies of their job and the best practices for performing it. Employee training includes instruction on workplace behavior, interpersonal skills, and diversity training.
The training program goes beyond employee onboarding. It emphasises the importance of continuous knowledge improvement and encourages employees to develop innovative and creative problem-solving skills.
Apple – Inclusion and Diversity (https://youtu.be/cvb49-Csq1o )
Why invest in training videos for your employees?
Your presence here suggests we don’t need to convince you about the importance of training videos for your employees. However, we strongly urge you to approach the entire process of creating training videos with a serious mindset. It is crucial not to create training videos simply because others are doing the same.
The business environment, workplace technologies, and work culture, as well as policies, are evolving rapidly. Even the most skilled newcomers and experienced employees can be negatively impacted by the absence of an effective training program.
Implementing effective employee training programs can enhance their competence and confidence. Investing in training videos is a mutually beneficial endeavour for both the company and its employees. Here are several advantages to consider:
Training videos bring consistency
The use of videos brings about uniformity in training materials and fosters consistency in understanding information.
Unlike text-based materials, training videos minimise the risk of misunderstandings. By ensuring all employees receive the same training, they are aligned when it comes to executing their tasks.
Training videos are conveniently accessible on-demand, allowing employees to view them whenever and wherever necessary.
Additionally, employees can revisit the videos as needed. This consistent accessibility ensures the accuracy of information, reduces errors, and minimises discrepancies which may arise due to a lack of readily available training resources.
Employee onboarding becomes simple and easy
According to Forrester Research, 75% of all employees prefer watching videos over reading text material.
Visual learning aids in better comprehension and retention of information. It’s easier for employees to grasp complex concepts when presented in an engaging video format.
Creating training videos offers numerous benefits for companies as well. By using training videos, companies can reduce costs associated with hiring trainers and organising physical training sessions for each batch of employees.
Moreover, training videos minimize the time required for repetitive explanations, freeing up valuable human resources for other tasks.
Contrary to popular belief, creating training videos is not as expensive as one might think. You can record each lesson in-house and outsource the video editing process to reduce overall costs.
Employee efficiency and productivity increases
Without proper training, employees are left to devise their own methods to accomplish tasks. This can become laborious, inefficient, and time-consuming.
This Is precisely why companies implement training programs—to expedite onboarding and enhance efficiency.
Visual learning aids employees in acquiring knowledge more quickly and utilising tried and tested methods to complete tasks.
When employees become more efficient and productive, work is completed at a faster pace, resulting in a higher return on investment for the company.
Additionally, this leads to increased customer satisfaction. Most importantly, productive employees are highly valued within the organisation, increasing their chances of upward mobility.
Improves customer retention and business growth
The primary objective of training is to equip employees with the skills to provide improved service and enhance customer satisfaction.
Retaining customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Efficient employees foster loyalty and strengthen the relationship between the company and the customers. Consequently, this customer loyalty translates into repeat business, fostering better growth and return on investment (ROI) for the company.
Reduces employee turnover
Scouting, finalising, and hiring new employees is an expensive process. Moreover, it is a challenging and time-consuming task.
According to the Centre for American Progress, the cost of hiring a new employee to perform the same job can amount to up to 20% of their salary. This bears significant importance.
Effective training videos not only enhance productivity but also foster loyalty and employee retention. A survey conducted by the go2HR Society revealed approximately 40% of employees tend to leave a company within the first 12 months due to the absence of an effective training program.
What are the different types of employee training videos?
An employee training program can encompass a wide range of video types. This is due to the multitude of topics that need to be covered, and categorizing them into different types of videos can facilitate easier learning for employees.
The following are the most common types of videos included in a training program:
Software screencast videos
Screen recording videos are extensively used nowadays in a wide range of industries, particularly in SaaS and other software industries.
It is rare to find a company that doesn’t utilise specialised software to run its business. Screen recordings serve multiple purposes, such as creating how-to videos, tutorials, and other educational materials to train employees. By incorporating voice-over, one can effectively explain the content displayed on the screen.
Difficulty level: Easy
Equipment required: Screen capture tool, basic video editor, and voice-over talent.
Instructor-led videos
Similar to traditional classroom coaching, the instructor in this format explains concepts while facing a camera.
To aid the explanation, a whiteboard or projector may be utilised to display key points during the training session.
To enhance the training videos and captivate the audience, text annotations and graphics can be incorporated during the editing process.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Equipment required: Camera or smartphone, tripod, video editor, and instructor.
Animated training videos
The utilisation of animated videos is an excellent method for simplifying complex concepts. While a skilled instructor can provide explanations in straightforward terms, animated visuals have the ability to depict the concept in action. Animated videos have the power to breathe life into even the most mundane topics.
When it comes to creating animated training videos, there are options to develop them in-house or seek the assistance of professional animated video production companies.
Online platforms offer both free and premium animation tools. However, for the production of top-notch employee training videos, it is advisable to engage the services of an experienced animated video production company.
Difficulty level: Moderate
Equipment required: 2D or 3D animation maker software, voice-over talent.
Example: Learn how to manage people and be a better leader (https://youtu.be/PWmhl6rzVpM )
Interactive videos
Interactive videos elevate employee training to a new level. It’s gradually gaining acceptance in the corporate world for their remarkable effectiveness in tutoring and engaging employees.
These videos utilise a combination of visuals, images, graphics, animations, text, quizzes, audio, and more to train employees.
Rather than being mere spectators, employees actively participate in the storytelling process, fostering a dynamic learning experience.
Furthermore, interactive videos facilitate easy progress tracking, ensuring seamless monitoring of employee development.
Difficulty level: High
Equipment required: Camera, animation maker, voice-over talent, video editor, and more.
Scenario videos
This technique is not common yet holds great potential as a future employee training method.
Scenario training encompasses various approaches, such as role-play, interactive videos, online quizzes, games, and VR/AR technologies, to effectively train employees.
Even in this employees exhibit a high level of engagement, and it allows you to monitor their progress.
Difficulty level: High
Equipment required: Role-play script, camera, animation maker, voice-over talent, video editor, and more.
The ingredients of an effective training video
Not all companies succeed in creating exceptional training videos for their employees. While there is no fixed formula, there are certain key ingredients present in all effective training programs.
Adhering to these four points can assist you in developing highly effective training videos to cultivate efficient and productive employees.
Focus on the message and outcome
The initial step in creating a training video involves identifying the message and goal.
Define the desired learning outcome and then formulate the training material to facilitate the achievement of the goal. It is crucial to maintain a consistent focus on the identified outcome throughout the video.
Ensure the content and language remain simple. Avoid excessive use of technical jargon, overwhelming videos with an abundance of information, or including irrelevant content, as they can confuse viewers and diminish employee engagement.
Whenever possible, consider incorporating rewards for employees who excel in quizzes or assessment exercises during the training program. Recognising and rewarding top performers is an effective way to motivate your team during the onboarding stage.
Develop videos with the audience in mind
Imagine you are tasked with creating a training video on software development processes. Your objective is to cover the fundamental aspects of software development, explaining key concepts and terminology, as well as addressing common challenges faced by newcomers.
It is vital to tailor these videos to the specific requirements of your intended audience. New trainees may not possess the same level of familiarity as experienced employees. It’s important to provide information suitable for their level of understanding.
In order to produce effective custom videos, thorough research must be conducted to understand the needs and expectations of the audience.
To gain valuable insights and perspectives on the audience, it is advisable to consult with members of relevant departments. They can offer valuable input and assist in refining the video content to better meet the needs of the audience.
Use the most suitable video type and format
The communication medium is just as crucial as the message itself. The selection of video format plays a significant role in influencing the effectiveness of the content and the response elicited from new employees.
In the previous section, we explored five types of videos you can utilise for employee training. However, it’s worth noting there are numerous other options, including corporate videos, discussion videos, and more.
Once again, it is essential to consider your audience’s preferences and tailor the choice of video content accordingly for effective training.
You must ensure that you do not share training videos outside of your organisation and create landing pages with exclusive access for employees.
Make short videos to prevent information overload
Employee training videos should not be treated like YouTube Shorts or TikTok videos. Therefore, it is important not to fall into the misconception that due to decreasing attention spans, micro videos (videos less than 60 seconds) must be created.
Conversely, creating long-form videos is also counterproductive. The key is to determine the appropriate length based on the message, script, and content of the video.
Long videos have the potential to disengage viewers, and much of the information conveyed may be forgotten by the employees. If you have a significant amount of information to share, it is advisable to divide the content into segments.
In Summary
Visual training is a game-changer. Training videos ensure a consistent and continuous access to valuable materials.
For employees, videos offer effective learning opportunities, enabling them to be more productive and fostering growth within the company.
From the employers’ perspective, training videos help cut costs associated with hiring trainers and conducting physical training sessions. Additionally, visual training reduces employee turnover and the expenses related to hiring new staff.
However, to reap the benefits of the training program, it is crucial to do it right. Employ the tips provided in this article to create training videos that yield efficient and productive employees.
About the Author
Cristian Stanciu is a freelance video editor, owner and post-production coordinator of Veedyou Media – a company offering video animation services to marketing agencies, video production studios and brands all over the globe. You can catch up with him on his blog or on LinkedIn.
