How to Train Employees Better Using Video

The news is in. Most people prefer educational videos to other methods of learning. Below we've outlined the cognitive advantages video has in employee training and why video should be integral to your training strategy.

When you incorporate video and interactives into a broader, more dynamic learning journey, employees gain more confidence in their role and the organization.

Need tips to create engaging training videos? Watch to learn.

How to Train Large Groups of Employees Using Video

While we advocate for employees' learning journeys to be as personalized as possible, video can be an engaging through-line in training that takes the weight off of hiring managers and provides consistent messaging.

Instead of trainers needing to teach large groups of people at once, videos can give employees foundational knowledge first and allow trainers to fill in the gaps later in a one-on-one or in a classroom setting.

Also, employee onboarding is the perfect place to use video to establish and communicate company culture, values, vision, and role overviews. Then the hiring manager can contextualize that video to a person's specific role.

When done well, video does all the heavy lifting and efficiently allows the trainer to tactfully support the employees in the areas they need it most. 

How To Train Employees Remotely Using Video

Video becomes all the more important when employers are wondering how to train employees remotely. Whether it's thorough product demos, animated explainers, onboarding videos, or systems and processes explanations, if employees can't experience a critical work concept in person, they need the next best thing. 

Not doing this will leave employees feeling frustrated, confused, and disengaged from their work. And with 33% of all new hires quitting after the first 90 days, employers can't afford to not train their remote employees well.

Video has tremendous advantages for large group training and remote employees. Here's why it works so well.

Boost Engagement and Memory

Training videos help people appreciate and remember things they learn at work. While workers can remember about 10% of what they read after 3 days, they can remember 65% of what they see in pictures and video.

There’s just something about video that creates a lasting picture in our minds. Videos inspire creativity and spark discussion that helps us remember what we’ve learned. After seeing an educational video, your employees can chat about what they’ve seen for days, weeks, or months afterward.

Explain Complex Concepts

If your company requires employees to learn complicated ideas, video is an excellent choice for teaching them. No matter how sophisticated the information is, there are video options you can choose:

• Animation allows total flexibility introducing and demonstrating concepts.

• 3D and motion graphics show movement and assembly instructions.

• Product Demos show product introductions, customer interactions, and performances.

• Interactive video allows back-and-forth instruction and Q&As.

• Scenario-based videos put employees in hard-to-replicate situations to test decision-making safely.

Show Detailed Views

The level of detail that video allows can open new worlds of instruction for your company. If your products have detailed inner workings, or if your facility has new equipment, you can use video to explain all the ins-and-outs to your employees.

You can even incorporate animations and quizzes that ensure your employees are grasping the details of every video. At the end of each segment, include a wrap-up of key points that highlight the most important concepts.

When it’s time to train a new employee, you’ll have a video archive full of detailed information they can use to learn. This makes employee onboarding a much faster and easier process.

Fun and Entertaining

Let’s face it: Training has a reputation for being boring. Your employees might be used to dragging themselves to your training seminars. Wouldn’t it be great to shake things up? Videos add fun and entertainment to training. They’re mini-movies that allow your employees to sit back and take in the video experience, feeling open and relaxed as they learn.

In fact, educational videos are so entertaining, they’re one of YouTube’s fastest-growing niches. New YouTube stars like Veritasium and VSauce present highly technical educational information in fun, engaging ways to millions of subscribers.

Support Long-Term Retention

One big advantage of videos over other types of instruction is that your employees can view them multiple times, over and over, until they understand. When in doubt, they can always go back to the video. Plus, they’ll retain the information they learn in your training videos much better than anything written or spoken to them.

One study of 1,800 U.S. workers found that after viewing training videos for the very first time, 90% found them effective for absorbing new information. This large group of workers vastly preferred videos to their previous forms of training, including reading through printed materials and receiving verbal instruction.

Retain Your Employees, Too

Speaking of retention - training videos can also help your company with its employee retention. A whopping 74% of employees wish they received more training at work, and 70% say not receiving regular training influences their decision to stay at or leave a company.

Training videos keep employees informed and on board. If your company creates a steady stream of new training videos, you’ll inspire employees to work skillfully at your company for many years to come.

Are you ready to use videos to keep your employees engaged, motivated, and educated? Our team of training video experts can bring your ideas to life. Connect with NextThought for a quote, and let’s start brainstorming.