AI Video for HR: Employee Onboarding, Training, and Retention

Why use videos in the HR function?

Just like any other department, the HR function can also benefit from videos. Here’s how:

1. Personalized onboarding at scale

Each job role demands specific onboarding information and processes tailored to its responsibilities. HR teams can leverage videos to create personalized onboarding experiences at scale and ensure they address individual roles, departments, and company values.

2. Consistent delivery of training content

In-person or virtual call-based onboarding depends on the availability of both the HR trainer and the new employee. Matching them both can be hard.

Videos ensure availability is not a bottleneck, and every employee receives the same high-quality and standardized content.

3. Faster creation of training materials

The need to update training materials to match the changing company needs and industry trends makes training materials production an ever-ongoing process. With AI-powered video tools, HR people can make updates to existing content or create new materials faster.

4. Cost-effective employee development

Having to train people in person can get expensive because it comes with travel, instructor, and materials costs. Videos reduce these costs by offering a one-time investment in production while remaining accessible to employees indefinitely.

5. Engaging and interactive learning experiences

Videos can transform plain and boring training classes with interactive features, such as quizzes and clickable options, making learning more engaging. These interactive ways are proven to help retain knowledge better than conventional ways because employees are actively participating, as opposed to passively consuming information.

6. Multilingual content for global teams

Localizing the training materials for a global team can improve employee experience and engagement rates. AI can help translate video content into multiple languages, ensuring inclusivity, better understanding, and connection with the employer, regardless of their location.

7. Real-time updates to policies and procedures

It is a lot easier to make changes to video content when the company policies or procedures are updated or changed. AI can make the sync happen in real-time, providing the employees access to the most accurate and up-to-date information.

8. On-demand access for flexible learning

Videos, as opposed to live training, make learning more flexible. Video content allows employees to learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. On-demand access ensures flexibility, empowering employees to revisit important training as needed.

9. Improved knowledge retention

Because videos are embedded with high-quality visuals, they stimulate human sensory and visual points, making them highly effective in explaining complex information. Employees are more likely to retain knowledge when it is presented in an engaging and digestible format.

10. Enhanced employee engagement and satisfaction

The way we learn and consume content is changing. Videos cater to modern learning preferences, making employees feel more connected and supported. This experience increases engagement which often leads to greater job satisfaction and loyalty to the organization.

Types of videos every HR department needs

If you plan to make the shift to a video-centric approach for employee onboarding, training, and retention, consider these essential video types:

1. Onboarding and orientation videos

Welcome messages from leadership can set the tone for a new hire’s journey within the organization. A warm and personal video from the CEO and hiring managers would make the employees feel valued and connected to the company’s mission from the beginning.

Similarly, an overview of company culture and values provides new hires with a clear understanding of the organization’s foundations, core values, mission, and vision that drives the workplaces and helps form a better connection.

Other video materials that the HR teams can prepare are office tours or virtual walkthroughs for the remote/hybrid employees and role-specific training videos that give an overview of what’s expected from the employee.

2. Training and development videos

Skills development tutorials are critical for employees to take over the tasks they are responsible for, with utmost efficiency and accuracy. These videos can cover everything from mastering specific software to improving soft skills.

Compliance and policy training videos ensure all employees remain informed about critical regulations and internal protocols. Videos make the information easy to follow and retain.

Diversity and inclusion workshops are again critical to building a great company culture, and when delivered through videos, promote a better understanding of how employees can make the workplace more inclusive.

Leadership development programs can also benefit from video content by equipping future leaders with the tools and insights they need to manage teams effectively, drive results, and inspire growth.

3. Employee engagement videos

Team-building or icebreaker videos are a great way to foster connections between employees, especially in remote or distributed teams. The HR team can get creative and include fun activities or challenges that would build a team’s bond.

Recognition and appreciation messages on the other hand build confidence and loyalty among employees and when delivered directly by the leadership via videos creates a personal connection.

Highlighting employee spotlight stories or success stories is another effective way to build morale. These videos can share inspiring narratives of team members who have excelled, providing motivation to others.

To add a touch of fun, HR teams can also organize fun challenges or short virtual events that bring employees together in lighthearted ways, fostering a sense of community.

4. Internal communication videos

Company updates via videos ensure the effective delivery of the message which is extremely important as they concern organizational updates, the launch of new initiatives, and company goals.

Videos make the message feel more personal and engaging compared to emails. The same applies to any updates of policies and procedures as well as crisis management. It builds confidence and offers reassurance that employees need.

There is more that the HR folks can do to keep the sense of community alive, like quarterly or annual recap videos. These updates provide transparency and a collective sense of accomplishment.

5. Recruitment and employer branding videos

Besides posting the regular job advert with a detailed JD, adding a video message from the hiring manager can be effective in reaching out and attracting top talent on social media.

Otherwise, the HR people can also link videos showing the day-in-the-life of employees, the company’s mission and vision, and behind-the-scenes content to the job advert to offer a raw glimpse of the workplace.

These videos show the human side of workplaces, highlighting moments that reveal the authenticity and personality of your team.

6. Wellness and support videos

Mental health awareness campaigns delivered via video build a supportive environment that cannot be envisioned via text. HR people can build video assets featuring expert advice or internal initiatives aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging mental well-being.

Tips for work-life balance, shared through short, actionable videos, help employees manage their personal and professional lives effectively. Stress management tutorials on the other hand can introduce employees to techniques such as mindfulness or relaxation practices.

Additionally, a video library of employee assistance programs ensures employees have access to the resources they need during challenging times.

7. Exit and offboarding videos

Exit interview guidelines in video format can simplify the offboarding process by providing a clear overview of how to conduct or prepare for these interviews professionally.

Knowledge transfer tutorials recorded by departing employees can ensure their expertise and insights are passed on seamlessly to successors, minimizing disruptions.

Finally, farewell and gratitude messages offer a personal and heartfelt way to thank departing employees for their contributions. These videos leave a lasting impression, showing appreciation and reinforcing a positive relationship even after their departure.