5 reasons why HR videos are worth investing in

Summary

HR videos can contribute significantly to a well-rounded learning experience – from recruitment to onboarding to training – by aligning all team members on common, shared positions and conveying an image of the company that is consistent with its values and reputation. In addition to this reason, which we could place on a more ideal level of branding and awareness, there are other reasons for using HR videos that have to do with the actual management of the company, and with costs, results, and business objectives. If companies want to enhance their recruitment, onboarding, and training processes, they need to invest in HR videos–in this post, we’ll show you why..

HR Video: some data

According to LinkedIn, it takes a company an average of 41 days to hire a new employee. If the expected notice of termination is short or the skills required are difficult to find, the period where the position goes unfilled can be even longer, and negatively impact efficiency, productivity, and costs. The ability to attract the best candidates and to select and retain talent is often deeply undermined, in 49% of cases according to PWC, by the difficulties and frictions experienced during the recruitment, onboarding, and corporate training phases. This is why developing a proper HR process planning strategy is no longer a simple alternative but an imperative. And, to implement it efficiently, you’ll need to take the possibilities of personalization and interaction enabled by new technologies into account.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that a recent survey by PwC HR Technology found that 58% of HR professionals say they use technology to find, attract, and retain talent. Digital systems now represent a decisive form of support, and for this reason they are increasingly integrated in the processes of research and selection of personnel, recruitment and onboarding of new recruits, and, more generally, employee training.

The evolution of corporate e-learning has made it possible for companies to significantly reduce paper documents, to automate a large part of the processes, and to free the HR department from manual and repetitive tasks, allowing the HR team to concentrate on the activities with the highest added value. In this context, HR videos, including recruitment videos and training videos, are two particularly powerful and flexible tools that can improve the quality of HR work.

All the benefits of HR video

Before we delve into the reasons why more and more companies are investing in HR video, HR professionals – regardless of the industry in which their organization operates – need to take a critical step before they can use this content appropriately. They need to identify the points in their recruitment or training flows that video could actually be the most appropriate solution. One of the superpowers of HR video is that it can communicate complex information simply and directly, breaking it down into modules and units.

From this distinctive feature, there are many reasons that video is an undeniably beneficial training tool for HR. We have summarized them in 5 fundamental points.

1. HR Video enhances everyday operations

From the dematerialization of paper documents to the ease of data transmission, from the organization and management of large amounts of information, to new forms of personalized and interactive content… We’ve already mentioned that e-learning in general, and HR video in particular, have brought about a major change in the management of everyday routines. Here are some examples of this transformation.

• Easier interviews. Video HR allows candidates to be interviewed with significantly less effort than traditional methods. In the past, in-person interviews severely limited the number of candidates a company could reasonably expect to consider and evaluate in a short period of time. Now that the remote option is widely accepted, HR teams can arrange and conduct interviews with candidates who are on the other side of the globe. In addition, the same interviews, properly recorded and perhaps enhanced with interactive features, can be sent to other managers for comparison and review.
• More effective presentations. HR can use video conferencing software to schedule and produce webinars aimed at people in the company, tailoring them to the professional level of different audiences, from executives to middle level to new hires. Video conferencing tools all have a screen sharing option that allows you to show presentations in different formats in real time. Again, conferences, events, and single lessons of a refresher course can be recorded and made more performant by adding interactivity elements such as tests or calls to action.
• Improved accessibility. HR videos allow you to reach candidates or employees around the world while minimizing or resolving any accessibility issues. With video and other digital collaboration tools, every viewer can afford to learn at their own pace. In this sense, HR videos represent a particularly promising solution when it comes to communication for people with disabilities: subtitles and speech synthesis open the world of video content to the deaf and hard of hearing community; high-contrast colors can help viewers with visual impairments; and sans serif fonts of size 12 or larger make reading easier for viewers with dyslexia.

2. HR videos enable connection on a personal level

The human resources department is a composite reality of different roles and their tasks that coexist and collaborate, and they can all benefit from video: from HR professionals who are responsible for employee communications, to those who manage benefits, to managers who set strategic goals. Every member of the HR team can use video to communicate clearly and efficiently across all available channels, primarily digital. In addition, one of the greatest advantages of HR video, as we have said many times, is its ability to communicate immediately across great distances.

Furthermore, and this is perhaps one of the main advantages they offer, videos can help achieve the objectives of a training plan. The merit is the specific way that the audiovisual message is used, whereby the viewer demonstrates greater receptivity and a higher level of attention. The language of images offers the possibility to learn and inform oneself through an experience that is more stimulating and engaging than what can be conveyed by email or yet another manual. This is because HR video facilitates personal connection. The human element in communications – we’ve experienced this significantly during long periods of social distancing – can be a tremendous boost to increase attention, satisfaction, and productivity (whether it’s in work, study, or professional development). Let’s see why.

1. Video resonates with people. Video is a medium with extraordinary characteristics: it can combine music, speech, and moving images to create the emotional connection people need when it comes to changing their minds, forming an opinion, or making an important decision. Put another way, video uses the expressiveness and warmth of faces and voices to tune in to the audience, to communicate information about topics, processes, and belief systems. For example, a video that features the CEO or president of a company may be seen as more reassuring, making employees feel part of the company and more involved in the decision-making process.
2. Video fosters engagement and loyalty. There are good reasons why a large percentage of a company’s staff (48%) consider video to be the most engaging form of communication (versus 37% who prefer text with images and 15% who are fond of email). Let’s quickly review some data:

• viewers tend to remember 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, yet only remember a smaller portion (10%) when they read it in a written text;
• more than 70% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service by watching a video;
• after just 7 days, the average employee forgets 65% of the information explained in a traditional lecture.

From this data, we can conclude that many people simply learn better when information is communicated in a visually stimulating way. That’s why a well-constructed, clear, and concise video is the most effective alternative available today.

3. HR video offers versatility and flexibility

Employees each have their own approach to the firm and each captures the information they need and processes it in their own way. Each person learns in their own way. In HR, video has an undeniable advantage. It is a flexible tool that allows for a more personalized training experience:

• allow employees to learn at their own pace, quickly scrolling through concepts they have already mastered or going back to focus on more difficult concepts;
• they can be enjoyed in any place and time the viewer prefers and on any device.

HR videos “work” so well because the employee is in control. He can choose to watch a video on demand, at the time that is most convenient for him: at the office, at home, and as often as he needs to. He can pause the video and resume viewing later if he feels it is necessary, or skip certain sequences or the entire video if it is something he already feels confident about.

HR videos are versatile for another reason: they can simplify and streamline the many aspects of day-to-day activities for a variety of HR functions. For example, in the onboarding process, videos can make facility tours, job tutorials, product or service overviews, and customer and business flow insights more effective.

4. HR videos increase productivity

HR videos, then, not only create flexibility for employees, but also for the HR team. They can replace meetings whose agenda consists of service announcements or convey training content. They can be used to facilitate new hires, thereby freeing up time and resources. Another reason that has a lot to do with versatility, and equally important, concerns the positive consequences that HR videos have in terms of measuring results, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.

• Measurable results. With traditional training methods such as presentations, tutorials, and seminars, it’s difficult to be able to accurately measure the results achieved. Many HR professionals are unable to make an informed assessment of whether a learning journey or onboarding process has been successful until employees practice what they’ve learned. Videos make it easier to measure employee and new hire engagement by providing some important quantitative and qualitative information, such as the number of views and whether people watch the videos from start to finish. These are real-time metrics that form a snapshot of employee engagement at different points in time and can provide the company with valuable feedback on the quality of training materials.
• Reduced costs. Traditional methods based solely on face-to-face lectures by experts and trainers are expensive. Moreover, for these courses to be truly useful, they must be repeated over time, and the costs quickly erode the budget for training activities. On the other hand, once made, videos can be shared with employees as often as needed and, especially in the case of automated production platforms, any updates or customizations can also be made in a way that is cost effective. This cost reduction that can be achieved by using HR video concerns many aspects – organizational, logistical, and productivity: from travel expenses, to those related to physical spaces (lighting, utilities, rent, etc.).

5. Contribute to the spread and affirmation of corporate culture

Especially in the last couple of years, the tools made available by digitization have allowed employees to overcome company silos and communication barriers. In this sense, HR videos represent one of the latest technological developments within an evolving context. This ability to create and enhance relationships between employees plays an important role in: HR videos strengthen the relationship between employees and the company and reinforce the company’s identity and value system from within.

Elisabetta Severoni

Copywriter for television and online, she has been creating and managing editorial content for more than 15 years for multiple formats, including marketing and television.