Without a doubt, video content has become one of the best avenues companies can pursue to stand out and engage new audiences. However, the medium’s versatility doesn’t stop there. In this piece, we’ll go over how you can use video content like demos and explainer videos to provide a more seamless Onboarding experience and a few prime examples for you to learn from. How to use a video onboarding process.

What Does the Video Onboarding Process Bring to the Table?

The first natural question here is, why should you invest time and effort into developing well-produced onboarding videos? So, let’s look at how they can optimize your HR team’s onboarding and training strategy to be more efficient while preserving company resources in the long run.

Effective information delivery and retention 

video Onboarding offer a way to streamline each stage of your company’s onboarding process, and they do so by making information easier to understand. If there’s one thing that two years of remote work have taught the corporate world, it’s that some things are just better understood through pre-recorded explanations you can reference when needed. 

Drawn-out emails on critical company processes can confuse new employees, and it is easy to misinterpret information or unintentionally read over essential details in extended text communications. And when it comes to comparing in-person training with training videos, a key difference is that videos are infinitely scalable, reusable without additional costs, and can be accessed at your new hires’ convenience (more on this in a bit!). 

Since employees can move through the content at an individual comfortable pace, it allows them to retain this information much more easily. Now more than ever, video continues to prove a powerful asset that can be used not only to connect with prospective clients but also to streamline and enhance the onboarding process within a company. 

Fostering personal brand investment

As the saying goes, employees who feel valued and have their needs met will reciprocate that effort in the work they do. 

Some may argue that onboarding videos are not as effective because they are less personalized than in-person training sessions. However, when provided with effectively branded, convenient content tools that make remote onboarding easier, employees are more likely to feel like their success within the company is being prioritized. This will assist in building a positive relationship with the company that motivates them to work harder.

Consistent access to information

As mentioned above, onboarding videos trump in-person training in terms of information retention, but then they go a step further by making information available on demand. An online-based learning system is a game changer in terms of onboarding because it allows for the process to take place even when employees aren’t in the office (if they so choose to).

Whether an employee is on their first day or in their third month, they can use these videos to refresh their memory and clear any confusion at any time. As a bonus, your company won’t have to worry about hosting training sessions that deliver the same information standard. Onboarding videos can be used to train new recruits on an ongoing basis without requiring additional personnel. 

Nurturing brand perception

Producing onboarding videos centered around corporate culture can help improve new hires’ perceptions of the brand. They provide aspirational content that fosters a sense of unity and belonging within the team. 

For example, a welcome video that explains a company’s vision, values, and goals can inspire new employees to carry out their roles with these factors in mind. The easier it is to understand what a company wants from its employees, the easier it is for new employees to fulfill these expectations.

A few popular types of video onboarding

We’ve looked at how this type of content can benefit your company in broad strokes. Now, let’s break down four specific types of popular onboarding videos and see what each excels at. 

Demo videos

Demo videos are perfect for getting new employees clued up on their duties and how to perform tasks correctly. They present a great alternative to having current employees lead in-person training sessions, which keeps them from having to put their work on the back burner.

Through demo videos, employees can screen-record themselves performing different tasks and include voice-overs that educate new employees on what they are doing and why it’s done in a specific way. Once these videos are developed, they can be used to facilitate training sessions that don’t pull part of your workforce awa

y from their tasks.

EMBED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqifFwyGvoQ

Animated explainer videos

Animated explainers are creative educational pieces that use eye-catching visuals and an optimized script formula to illustrate and simplify different concepts, from straightforward procedures to more abstract ideas. 

A professionally-made video in this style has an engaging three-act structure that works great to grab the viewer’s attention long enough to deliver your message effectively — making them a perfect type of video to educate and train employees. 

In an onboarding setup, explainers are typically used to provide tutorials, explain company protocol and policies, and even map out different departments within a building.

They also accommodate a remote learning environment where skills can be learned from home, making online-based training much simpler and more manageable. Many companies use video explainers to build a digital learning system for their new employees.

Different videos are categorized based on the department or role they’re made for. Employees can refer to these videos to gain clarity or a better understanding if they have queries regarding specific tasks.

EMBED: https://youtu.be/R0UWvdyABFo

Interactive video onboarding

Interactive onboarding videos contain clickable items that each lead to different content pieces. Their very interactive nature makes them innately engaging and provides an individual experience that allows employees to find and absorb personalized information in a didactic way. 

Immersive video content goes hand in hand with remote training. While giving employees the power to customize their learning experience, activity-based videos work to get new hires more involved in the learning process. It is a proactive approach that allows them to make their own decisions and see where they’ve gone, right or wrong. 

This also does wonders to improve information retention as it is more effective than simply listening to a long presentation. You can get their brains thinking and make a super impactful onboarding video by including practice questions and examples.

EMBED: https://youtu.be/O1KuDETLqVw?t=42

Welcome video onboarding

Many of us are familiar with the nerves of starting a new job. You want to provide an excellent first impression of both your work and when meeting your new co-workers. Onboarding welcome videos can act as icebreakers that easily integrate employees within a company.

Through welcome videos, employees can meet the team of people they will be working with, get a sense of the company culture, and even familiarize themselves with the spaces they’ll be working in.

These things can substantially impact how quickly a new hire adapts to their new position. Not to mention that they also contribute to forming strong business cultures and positive working relationships. 

Employees that feel at ease amongst their co-workers right from the start are more willing to ask questions and collaborate with the team, which leads to more remarkable performance. Welcome videos are all about making that possible.

The five pillars of video onboarding content

You now understand the potential impact great onboarding videos can deliver and are familiar with some of the most popular styles.

But what makes an onboarding video that is worth both your investment and your employees’ time? Well, here are some of the most crucial characteristics of a well-crafted, compelling onboarding video.

They maintain a reasonable pace

An onboarding video needs to unfold and deliver data at a healthy pace to keep viewers engaged, and it shouldn’t be long and drawn out with unnecessary content. 

When it comes to getting new hires up to speed, you want to make the information as digestible as possible. Employees appreciate a video that highlights vital points in a short amount of time before moving on to the next one, as moving too quickly is a surefire way to overwhelm them.

They are motivational

Motivational and inspiring elements are a must in any onboarding video. Essentially, a great onboarding video should inspire an employee to perform a task as best as possible. This usually requires a presenter with an upbeat personality and a few words of encouragement here and there. 

When applicable, incentives such as badges and training certificates can also be leveraged to enhance your employees’ investment in the learning process.

They are straightforward

A common misconception about creating videos for internal company use is that they need to be of exceptionally high quality, with Hollywood-level storylines and visual effects. That, of course, isn’t the case.

Your onboarding videos need to be well-produced to uphold a sense of professionalism, yes, but the main aim is to get new hires up to speed as quickly and effectively as possible. After all, when instructing or educating new employees about their position, including the most important details while keeping the content simple and concise is paramount.

They are tailored to a specific task or topic

Role-specific onboarding videos are made to accommodate specific positions, pairing the right skills and information with the right employee. You want to give your employees all the info and resources they need to carry out their job requirements as best as possible, so the more generic an onboarding video is, the less effective. 

Customize your onboarding content the right way to fulfill specific tasks for specific types of employees. You’ll then have content that allows new employees with complex roles to become proficient within a shorter time. Hence, they not only improve productivity but provide a great ROI as they can be used to train future recruits.

They can reflect brand personality

When creating video content, companies tend to use a distinct style, voice, and design elements to convey their brand personality. These practices should be applied when developing onboarding videos as well, as they streamline your content and organically communicate company culture. 

Reflecting your brand’s personality is all about ensuring consistency. Use jargon that is unique to your company, presenters who can convey the tone you are going for, and include visual elements such as logos and brand colors, and you’ll have a much more robust onboarding video.

Best practices for the Video Onboarding Process

Every company follows different training processes with varying stages depending on the position. Now that you’re aware of the benefits and critical principles of great onboarding content let’s walk through four practices that can help you create an even more effective onboarding video.

Outline the video’s purpose beforehand

The employee’s position or tasks you are designing the video for should be your content’s foundation and guiding principle. They will allow you to choose a style and format to deliver the information effectively. 

Is it for an extensive role that requires a series of onboarding videos? Or is it a simple 30-second clip introducing an employee to their co-workers? Like with most other types of video content, a script needs to be developed beforehand, and you need to outline and break down all you need to accomplish with your piece in the early stages to avoid headaches later on.

Ask for expert opinions

To double-check that your video is up to par, speak to current high-performing employees and supervisors that work in the same position or department. Having actual experience, they’d be more clued up on the job requirements and what information to prioritize. Let them proofread your script and make suggestions along the way to pinpoint where improvements can be made to make the video more attractive, informative, or even less complicated.

Include KPI’s

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) can be strategically added to your content to show new employees the goals they need to pursue to succeed within their roles. Moreover, showcasing KPIs in your videos lets them use what they’ve learned in training right away. It communicates that for a task to be carried out effectively, they must pursue specific results. Thus, when placed toward the end of an onboarding video, KPIs can motivate new employees by providing them with clear-cut objectives.

Make them human

Relatable content is easier to understand and something that new hires would be more receptive to. The person that hosts/ narrates your onboarding video shouldn’t present information in a monotone, clinical voice. They should speak freely and try their best to engage viewers. 

Ideally, if an employee in the same position leads the video, they should discuss personal experiences that have taught them to do their job better. All of this contributes toward nurturing a more life-like onboarding experience.

Improve Your Video Onboarding Process

Onboarding videos allow more flexibility and accommodate the availability of both new and current employees. They work great to accelerate training without interrupting the company’s workflow. 

With a variety of video styles to choose from, they can accommodate different onboarding requirements. To create a compelling video, a solid framework that addresses your employees’ needs is essential, and this content should be presented in a way that’s easy to understand.

Since the world is moving towards remote work as a new normal, it can be said that onboarding videos are a trend that will shape the future of the HR industry by appealing to the new generation of more digitally inclined talent.

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