While videos have been a part of employee on-boarding and compliance training since the advent of the VHS tape, they’ve become much more critical - especially with remote staff.

Creating videos for employee training can save time for the company and employees. Employees can get the information they need quickly - and even in the comfort of their own home - without needing another employee to assist them or scheduling and attending a formal training period. Unlike those old VHS compliance tapes, modern employee training videos serve many purposes.

Uses for Employee Training Videos

• Onboarding & compliance

• Showing company culture

• Platform & product updates

• Frequently asked HR questions

• Sharing company information

• Safety and security guidelines

• Personal interactions with clients and other employees

Companies also record team announcements and events to share across the enterprise.

Video Training Formats

Unlike static employee training options like Powerpoint and handbooks, video allows you to ‘show and tell,’ provide demonstrations, and be an easy resource they can refer to.

When creating an employee training video, there are various ways to present the information. A few of these options include:

• Host speaking to a viewer

• Screen captures and voice overs

• Micro-videos

The type of employee training video you decide on will be based on the kind of message you’re trying to convey.

With hosted video, you may have the speaker in an office or other environment speaking directly to the viewer and imparting news or information. This is an excellent choice for communicating directly with your audience.

Many hosted videos also include onscreen demonstrations, illustrations and screen sharing. This onscreen variation tends to be the preferred method for training videos, keeping the viewer more engaged.

For product training videos, a screencast recording of your computer screen may be the preferred method. If you are training on new software or platform, you’ll want to show your audience what you’re seeing. In these, you can have a host or just a narrator, depending on your audience’s preference.

If you are training employees on a single process or idea, you may opt for microvideos. These are typically only a few seconds or up to a minute long. With this option, you may create a series of process videos so employees can easily find and select the video they need. It also allows them to break the training up into easily digestible parts.

Lastly, one of the most creative and involved options is the role play video. In this type of video, a scenario is acted out between actors or talented employees to demonstrate how specific interactions should play out. You’d use this method to illustrate sales techniques or social interactions, for example.

Scripting

Whichever format you choose, you’ll want to think about your employee training video in the same way a teacher might approach a lesson. To do this, include the following key sections:

• Introduction

• Preview of key points

• Main material

• Section Introductions (if needed)

• Recap of key points

During your video, you can also add key points onscreen as banners, with explanatory images or screenshots to help drive home the message.

If you’re doing a screen cast or micro video that involves screen recordings, practice going through the process you plan to show. It might help to think of how you’d explain the process if someone from your audience were sitting with you.

In summary, using video for employee training videos of all kinds is fast, affordable, and convenient for your organization and your employees. With so many different approaches available there’s a solution that will work for you.