Are you using corporate video as effectively as you could be? There are ways a business can use video that go beyond just marketing. Video is an entire medium unto itself — and it can be incorporated into just about every level and every department of a business. Video excels at being interesting and engaging, and at being able to explain complex concepts in a fast and approachable way. As you explore new ways to integrate video into your company’s operations, consider the advantages of some of the below corporate video types.
Talent Recruitment:
Whether you’re just starting a business or aiming towards expansion, getting the best talent is of critical importance. Many companies are finding that emphasizing their human resources is the best path towards success. Hard-working, skilled employees can improve upon the efficiency and productivity of a business at every level, thereby improving the company’s ability to thrive and to react to change. Yet getting the best talent can also be very difficult, especially in particularly competitive markets.
Video is uniquely well-suited to talent recruitment, as it gives prospective employees a very intimate and personal look at a company and what that company can do for them. By including the testimonials of existing employees, information about the corporate culture, and a behind-the-scenes peak and the company’s inner workings, a business can draw in the talent that is best-suited to it. Finding the best employees isn’t always about raw qualifications: sometimes it’s about finding the employees that are going to be drawn to the brand and its messaging.
To use video for recruiting the best talent, a business needs to explain what makes it better than the competition. A talent recruitment video has to be earnest and believable: if it’s too commercial, it may instead be seen as disingenuous. Highlighting a few unique programs can help, such as Starbucks’ educational program which offered funding for college. Otherwise, a company can also focus on its own mission and the change that it’s bringing to the industry.
Training Videos:
Nearly every large business conducts a portion of its training through video. It’s easy to see why. Training videos, such as the above, are the best way to explain complex information such as safety protocols. Employees are able to hear and see what they should be doing in any given situation, increasing the chances that they will internalize this training quickly and they will follow the desired protocols when a situation does occur. A training video can visually show employees the consequences of not following training, emphasizing the importance of following a company’s processes.
Yet employees have also seen a myriad of training videos, and many of them may zone out entirely if the video isn’t engaging and unique. In Tesco’s case, the video uses quirky animations and a fun premise to draw the audience’s attention, thereby imparting more information than it otherwise could. This is important: being a little silly and fun with corporate videos can make them more effective, as well as displaying the overall attitude, voice, and identity of the brand. Training videos must also be updated periodically, to keep them accurate and interesting.
In addition to general purpose training and safety videos, video can also be used for specific tutorials regarding a company’s software, hardware, or other technology. Video is almost universally the best format for tutorials. Many people learn in different ways, such as through reading text, through hearing an explanation, or seeing things done in real life. A video tutorial is able to successfully mimic all of these things. Further, video training and video tutorials reduce the amount of in-person training an employee needs, thereby drastically reducing costs for the company.
Company Culture:
Company culture is important. It’s what really drives employees to excel within a business. It’s also what brings in the right employees. Unlike a recruitment video, a company culture video isn’t solely targeted towards bringing in staff members. Rather, it’s intended to highlight some specific and unique aspects of the company. It may not even be the content of the video that really shines: rather, it’s the way that the content of the video is presented. Many employees are looking for work-life balance. They’re looking for a company that treats them like a family. Being able to guarantee that is another way to secure the top talent.
In addition to this, when used effectively, company culture videos are also a way to extend and enforce company culture. A company culture that is on display is a company culture that is more likely to be followed. By producing media that shows a certain set of values, a company can ensure that its employees will follow these sets of values during the course of their work. The more the culture is on display, the more authentic and important it will feel to the employees. Anyone can say they have a strong company culture: incorporating it into the company’s media is another thing entirely.
Company culture isn’t only designed to retain employees or to give the workplace a specific feel. Company culture is also used as a method of ensuring that employees adhere to a specific set of values even in situations that they did not anticipate. In a company culture that prizes customer service over all else, a manager will be more likely to approve a refund for a customer who otherwise wouldn’t qualify for one. Though that does cost the company a refund, it also means that the customer walks away happy. It’s these types of decisions a company must consider when they’re first forming the company culture that they want.
Employee Direction:
Videos can be used not only to show employees how to complete their tasks, but also to give employees a general sense of direction and purpose. A directional video will tell employees how the company expects them to collaborate or otherwise create, outlining the company’s expectations for their work. For many businesses, this is incredibly important: employees who do not know what to expect are employees who aren’t going to be able to deliver. Directional videos differ in company culture videos in the sense that they are applied.
While a company culture video may tell an employee what the company values, an employee direction video instead directly states how it expects its employees to interact with each other, its projects, and its technology. These videos can be used to underscore the importance of collaboration, tell employees when to communicate with each other, or direct employees to escalating issues at a certain point. These are specific business processes that will be outlined for employees, while also explaining the meaning behind those processes.
This is also how a directional video differs from a tutorial. A tutorial shows an employee how to complete a specific task, but a directional video will usually tell the employee not only how to complete a task, but the philosophy behind completing the task in this way. In so doing, these videos become foundational videos, showing employees not only what the company is about but also a great deal about how to handle their position.
Internal Communications:
Videos are frequently used for internal communications, as it’s a more personal way to distribute information across larger companies. Some of these internal communications may just be events and news that the company would like to share, such as new “green” initiatives that the company will follow. Other internal communications may be more serious, such as discussing an upcoming merger in the business and how it will impact employees. Either way, it’s a way to show employees that management wants to engage with them directly.
Frequently, an internal communications video will be used to address issues that employees are concerned about. Being addressed directly by an individual higher up in the company, such as a CEO, can make employees feel more secure regarding their position within the company and the company’s future plans. Employees may worry that a company is moving into certain directions without considering how it will impact them. The distribution of a highly personal video through a company’s internal communications can make employees feel like part of the team. At the same time, internal communications can also be used to extend the company’s branding and reaffirm the company’s culture.
Internal communications videos aren’t always about bad news. Sometimes they can also be about something like a new product that is going to be supported. They may also be general purpose Public Service Announcement that have nothing to do with the company at all, such as an informational communication about the most recent flu season. Having frequent internal communications can be a way that a business can ensure that employees continue to feel connected with their upper management, while providing important information in an easy to digest format.
Conclusion:
These are only a few ways in which video can be used throughout an organization. From video newsletters to corporate video blogs, video can be used just about anywhere. Any time a company wants to reach out to its employees in a personal way, explain complex concepts to an audience, or reaffirm its company voice, a video is often the best choice. While video content may be a little more involved to product, it can also last much longer than other types of content. Creating a variety of video content will ultimately foster a company’s relationship with its employees, bringing in the top talent and keeping it.
