Video is an incredibly versatile medium with proven results in increasing productivity and boosting morale among employees. Not only is it a powerful tool for communication, but it is also highly effective in transmitting information. Research from MIT shows that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and viewers can identify an image in just 13 milliseconds—60,000 times faster than text. For HR professionals, these capabilities make video an ideal solution for engaging employees, particularly as they face the challenges of bridging the HR-to-employee ratio gap (currently 1.7 HR reps per 100 employees), keeping employees engaged in a remote and hybrid working environment, and meeting the expectations of a new generation of workers like Gen Z.
Video as a Tool for Employee Engagement
Video can elevate the employee experience in several impactful ways:
1, Onboarding: Setting the Tone from Day One
First impressions matter, and onboarding is where HR teams can set the tone for an employee’s journey. Video offers a scalable and engaging way to welcome new hires, train them on policies, and introduce them to company culture.
Take, for example, InTouchCX, a global business process outsourcing leader in customer support that onboards hundreds of employees monthly—and up to thousands during the holiday season. By adopting a video-first strategy, they transformed a traditionally resource-intensive process into an efficient, engaging experience. The company’s employee onboarding experience features multiple videos within the first month of the employee journey, all focused on keeping new employees engaged between hiring and orientation events, providing helpful information about company culture and administrative resources, and setting expectations for how new hires can be successful in their roles. This includes inspiring stories of employees who have found success at the company.
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This type of employee-generated content is critical for a business centered around people and a brand diverse with global voices and perspectives. What’s more, the team can empower more creators in the business to produce videos globally and reduce the design team’s editing workload by using easy-to-use video software that scales across the business that anyone can use.
2. Leadership Communication and Updates: Building Trust and Transparency
Effective communication from leadership is critical for employee engagement, but traditional emails and memos often fall short. Video allows leaders to connect with their teams naturally and authentically, putting a face to the message and letting their personalities shine through.
Imagine a quarterly update where leaders share company milestones, discuss future goals, and answer employee-submitted questions—all through a short, polished video. Not only does this approach humanize leadership, but it also fosters trust and a sense of inclusion. New video technologies help democratize video creation to make this approach even easier. Even AI avatars can help scale your CEO’s presence in video or automatically translate their message into the local language with one click for global businesses.
3. Ongoing Training and Development: Driving Continuous Growth
Learning and development (L&D) are essential for employee retention and satisfaction, but they often require a significant investment in time and resources to deliver. Video makes L&D programs accessible and engaging, allowing employees to learn at their own pace while catering to diverse learning styles.
For example, one software company has transformed its knowledge base into a video library and iTHINK Financial credit union adopted video to enhance and streamline its L&D efforts while saving up to 75% of its team’s video creation time and increasing employee engagement. By using video for L&D, companies can upskill their employees and reinforce a culture of growth and innovation.
The Power of Personalization, AI, and Data in Video
At the core of any successful video strategy is the ability to personalize content and leverage data to enhance the employee experience. Advances in AI and enterprise video platforms (EVPs) allow HR teams to tailor videos to individual employees based on their roles, locations, preferences, and needs.
For instance, using data from an employee’s learning history, HR teams can create customized training videos that address specific skill gaps or career goals. Similarly, AI can help HR teams generate visuals and video scripts, making video creation accessible even for those without technical expertise.
Best Practices for Creating Video Content
HR professionals don’t need to be video experts to create impactful content. With the right tools and strategies, anyone can adopt a video-first approach. Some tips to keep in mind:
- Keep It Short and Sweet: Attention spans are short—focus on delivering concise, engaging content that gets to the point.
- Engage with Interactivity: For longer-form training videos, use interactivity such as chaptering and surveys to keep employees engaged and allow them to move to the topics they choose.
- Leverage AI for Visuals and Scripts: Use generative AI tools to simplify video production and design tasks, reducing the need for specialized skills.
- Create a Video Content Calendar: Plan ahead to ensure a steady stream of relevant, timely video content for your employees.
- Make Videos Personalized: Companies can provide highly relevant videos that drive better engagement and viewership by integrating with other HR systems, or by simply uploading a CSV file with employee information they want to personalize.
Why Video Matters for the Future of Work
The workplace is evolving rapidly, and HR teams must adapt to meet new demands. Video is more than just a communication tool—it’s a strategic asset that can transform how employees experience and engage with their workplace. Companies like Okta, InTouchCX, and iThink Financial demonstrate the potential of video to address HR challenges while fostering a culture of transparency, growth, and connection.
Whether it’s recruiting top talent, streamlining onboarding, or driving continuous development, video offers endless opportunities to create a more engaging and efficient employee experience. As HR professionals embrace video, they’ll find themselves not just keeping up with the times but shaping the future of work.
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