Video Employee Onboarding: 15 Awesome Tips To Do It Right

Video is one of the most powerful types of content out there. 90% of the information our brains process is visual. Not only do videos offer a fun, impressionable way for employees to be onboarded, it also helps newcomers retain information better.

Plus, videos are way more cost effective. Onboarding videos that showcase corporate policies, for example, can be created once and reused again and again. Which keeps employee onboarding experiences consistent (another plus).

Better for knowledge retention and cost-effective. Need we say more?

5 Quick and Easy Tips for Making Effective Onboarding Videos

We can’t all be actors and producers, but there are ways to make sure your onboarding videos are awesome regardless. Our top tips:

• Be engaging: You’ll hold your newcomer’s interest (and focus) better with content that isn’t flat. Smile and use hand gestures! Spice it up from just you speaking to the camera by including shots of your office, team or screen recordings.
• Keep it short: Opt for cutting up one topic into several mini videos rather than a long one. It feels less daunting to watch four 5-minute videos than one 20-minute one! Between 1-3 minutes for introductions and 5-10 minutes for explaining more complex topics is ideal.
• Make it human: Your newcomers probably feel excited and hopeful about starting a new job. Capitalize on that. Don’t hesitate to inject some of your own personal story. Reflect on when you first started and inspire possibility!
• Involve others: Onboarding videos don’t have to be a one-wo/man show. Enlist the help of others, such as direct teammates or higher-level management, to add flavor to your onboarding content (more on that below).
• Personalize videos when you can: Some onboarding videos, such as company policies, can be done in a one-size-fits-all approach. Other videos, such as for a first day welcome message, can really stand out when going the extra mile of personalizing it.

Psst! 👀 If you’d like to know how to create awesome welcome emails with templates and tips, check out this page!

5 Useful Employee Onboarding Videos To Have

You can create as many videos as you’d like to complement your onboarding experiences, but here are our top 5 that we recommend having in your arsenal:

• First day welcome message: Make that first impression stand out with a personalized video message and start your newcomer off on a positive note the second they log on. Make sure to mirror the same enthusiasm you’d like your newcomer to embody.
• Introduction to tools and environment: Recorded videos allow for newcomers to learn at their own pace. In the case of information-heavy topics, videos are great because they can be more comprehensive in a shorter amount of time and employees can always refer back to them when needed.
• Company culture at a glance: This is your opportunity for storytelling. Play it as a day in the life of an employee, or splice together several testimonials of other employees—find ways to showcase the highlights of working at your company and share key insider information.
• Corporate policies: While it’s standard practice to go through corporate policies with every newcomer, approaching the topic via video format could help turn an otherwise bland subject into something that is a little more interesting.
• A message from the President or Stakeholders: It’s always a good thing to get to meet the people who steer the ship. That said, stakeholders don’t always have the time for 1:1s with every single new recruit. A welcome video from top management can be recorded once and reused.

Psst! 👀 If you’d like to try recording a welcome video, do it directly with Softstart! 👇

5 Ways to Involve Team Members in the Process

The collective strengths of your colleagues is what makes your company great, and your onboarding videos should showcase that. Leverage the skills of your team to infuse even more value into each one of your videos. You can:

• Ask team members to contribute a short clip each for a welcome message
• Get people who are good at presenting to record key video sessions
• Include footage of coworkers to pepper in your company culture
• Create introduction videos to introduce individual team members
• Ask for feedback from other members to make your videos even better

Not just for pros! 🤩

Softstart helps those who are NOT as confident in front of the camera too! Leverage our step-by-step guides and script options to create great videos—whether its your first time (or thousandth time) recording one.

Ready, set, action!

The majority of businesses have embraced video as a tool for their hiring, training and onboarding—88% of large companies have adopted the technology, while 64% for smaller companies. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to get with the program.

If you’re ready to create your first onboarding video, create your free Softstart account where you can find templates, scripts and step-by-step directives to record an awesome welcome message.