Do you know how to minimize the costs of training your employees, give them consistent training materials, and solve their problems while providing them with knowledge and skills? The answer is pretty simple—video training.
When training your employees, videos have become the go-to digital media of many companies. If you’re not using videos to train your staff, it’s time to check them out and use them at your convenience. However, you might want to understand what training videos are first.
A training video is a method of passive learning, not active. You should not expect your employees to learn everything with the video you provide. It may be an essential key factor while learning, but it’s still far from solving problems and filling knowledge gaps.
An effective training video breaks down complicated and abstract concepts into simpler pieces of information through spaced repetition and other techniques. It grabs the attention of your employees to drive learning effectively.
Many companies have already invested their resources in training videos. If you want to know why you may visit Resource Rockmans Creative Media and other similar materials for more information.
Different Types Of Training Videos
There are many ways you can train your employees with videos, such as the following:
Instructor-Led Training Video
This video will show an instructor or presenter discussing and delivering concepts and information with a virtual audience. It’s one of the most popular training methods nowadays because many employees are now working remotely in the comfort of their homes.
However, this type has low engagement rates. The audience may be bored while listening to the same instructor and nothing else for a couple of hours. To grab attention and become more effective, you’d need to incorporate other elements in the video presentation, such as images, animations, and screencasts.
Instructor-led training videos are perfect if the presenter is engaging and an expert in the field. These videos should also be short, with a maximum of 10 minutes, and they should be concise to help the audience understand the concept easily.
Animated Training Videos
Animated training videos are engaging content that may come in different forms. These include stop motion, 3D, kinetic elements, moving infographics, and whiteboard animation. They use animated features to explain and simplify a complicated concept. With this, your audience will understand crucial information in the blink of an eye.
On top of that, animated training videos are excellent for presenting and elaborating complex numerical data, process flows, and data-driven studies.
Simulation Training Videos
Simulation training videos use real-life cases and scenarios to help the audience understand a specific idea. These let the audience experience relatable situations and make them think of a possible solution.
Unlike others, simulation training provides content-specific videos. They present concepts that show how the audience should address the problem—for example, what you need to do to help the customer in need.
How-To Training Videos
These videos demonstrate how to do a specific process, such as cooking, crafts, etc. They’re popular on YouTube and other video streaming social media platforms. In addition, they help your employees acquire the knowledge they need through experience.
You can use this type of training video to explain complex processes, such as how to fix computer issues or how to create an effective sales script.
Presenter Training Videos
These videos are similar to instructor-led training videos, but they don’t require other visual elements to make them engaging and effective. Instead, the presenter showcases their skills and expertise to the audience.
On top of that, presenter training videos don’t require multiple edits and intense production. Thus, you can turn your training into a video with a simple camera.
HSE Training Videos
Health, safety, and environment (HSE) training videos discuss concepts and processes that will help your employees to remain safe in their working environment. They’re the best option if you want your staff to be aware of the potential threats that may put their health and safety at risk.
Aside from discussing general concepts, you should also include in your videos the safety protocols in your company. These include fire safety practices, accident statistics, and the common accidents around your facility.
These are the different training videos you can use for your employees. The right one would depend on your goals, budget, target audience, resources, and personal preference.
Furthermore, you can mix and match multiple types of training videos in one session. Frankly, this is more effective than relying on one type alone.
How To Create An Effective Training Video
When creating an effective video, the first thing you need to check is your resources, particularly the equipment you need, such as the following:
- High-definition camera (a DSLR-type camera would be great)
- Camera tripod
- Lighting accessories
- Lapel microphone
- Video editing and animation software tools
- Condenser microphone (preferably a USB-type)
The prices of equipment may vary based on features and quality. Because they’re often expensive, ensure you determine what kind of video you plan to present before purchasing any device.
Once you’re all set, it’s time to create an effective training video for your employees. You may consider the following steps to help you:
1. Set Your Goals And Objectives
When making a training video, the first thing to do is define your goals and objectives. Dig deeper into your strategy and understand your goals. What are you trying to achieve by making this video? Then, collaborate with your design team and analyze the process together. They’ll help you see the purpose of the training and how it will sync with your strategy.
Once you understand your goals, it’s time to know your audience, which is your employees. What are the things that would make them active during the presentation? To answer that, put yourself in their shoes and examine their point of view.
Knowing your employees’ needs will help you create a video that they can understand well and engage with effectively.
Moreover, define your learning objectives and make sure they’re brief, clear, and relevant. What would your employees do after their training? Will they be able to perform what was discussed? Your employees should know them before starting the training session.
2. Create A Plan
Now that you’ve already understood your goals, the needs of your employees, and learning objectives, it’s time to establish a plan. This will guide you through the process of executing your video training sessions effectively.
Here are the steps to creating a foolproof plan:
Build Your Team
You’ll need the help of other people to achieve your goals. You may need three to five people, depending on the scale of your video project. Likewise, you should hire the right people for the job. Ensure they have ample knowledge of videography, designing, and editing.
Select The Type Of Training Video
What type of video do you want to produce? Is it animated? HSE training? Or instructor-led videos? The answer would depend on your target audience, goals and objectives, and resources.
Set A Project Plan
You may need a series of more than one video to train your employees because it might be difficult for you to keep track of them at once. That’s why it’s critical to set a video project plan to manage overwhelming numbers of videos. You may also take advantage of online management tools to do this effectively.
Once you have an elaborate and clear plan, it will be easy to take the next steps.
3. Prepare Your Script And Design
Now that you’ve done everything you need to prepare, it’s time to proceed with the most vital elements of video development: scriptwriting and video designing.
When it comes to video making, an effective script is essential. Without it, your audience may not understand the concepts you presented in your videos. However, writing a great script may take time and a lot of practice. With that said, here are some scriptwriting tips you might need:
- Create an outline to note all your thoughts and avoid missing out on vital details.
- Avoid using complex words and sentence structures.
- Edit your script and remove unnecessary parts.
- Consult a professional proofreader and editor to polish your script better.
After preparing your script, think about the designs you want to include. Ensure that they’re aligned with your script and improve the flow of your video. You may also add surprising elements, such as humor, to make the video more engaging and attractive.
4. Record And Edit Your Videos
Once you have completed your script and design flow, you can start making your videos. You can record your videos using the following:
Voice-Over Recording
Ensure you record in a quiet place with no echoing sounds. Before you start, test your recordings to see if they sound good. Additionally, consider using a quality microphone for a more natural sound.
Screen Recording
This runs with help from software camera tools. Make sure to close unnecessary tabs to avoid disturbing you while recording. Most importantly, don’t forget to practice before starting.
Video Shooting
This requires more specialized equipment, such as tripods, lapel mics, etc. When shooting a video, ensure your team is prepared with the right accessories and look for the appropriate environment with good lighting. In addition, this is more complicated than the other methods, so it’s essential to focus on what you’re doing.
After recording, you need to edit your videos. This is a crucial process, so let the professionals take care of it if you don’t know how to do it. Yet if you prefer to do this by yourself, consider the following tips below:
- Use editing software that fits your needs.
- Be simple yet consistent when adding transitions.
- Add texts and graphics, but be sure they’re relevant.
- Add toned down background music that won’t cover your voice
Final Words
Training your employees with videos is an effective way to instill information while keeping them engaged. However, creating a training video is not easy. You may follow the four simple steps here to get you started and keep you right on track.
Yet before that, ensure you know what type of training video you’ll want to produce. Examine your available resources, audience, and goals to determine which of the different types will suit your needs.
By Freddy Hanson
Bio: Freddy Hanson is a professional management consultant. He’s been helping multiple companies solve their problems on business and employee management for 20 years. Other than that, he likes to swim, trek mountains, and perform other blood-pumping outdoor activities.