Engaging with the Modern Employees: The Role of Interactive Videos in Onboarding

Onboarding, the process of integrating new hires into the workplace, is a crucial part of any organization. It’s where newly hired employees get introduced to the company—its culture, policies, and work environment. 

But here’s the problem: Nearly 20% of employees reported their most recent onboarding was either poor or they received no onboarding at all. Only about 12% said their company did a good job at it! 

So, how do you improve your employee experience? Create interactive videos and incorporate them in your knowledge base center, which you can use for onboarding. 

Fret not; this page covers the role of interactive videos in onboarding. Learn how these videos engage with employees and improve their overall experiences. 

Read on.

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How Interactive Videos Improve the Employee Onboarding Experience

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Employee onboarding is where new hires learn more about various aspects of their organization as well as their new positions and job requirements. The goal is to ensure they fully understand their roles and feel welcomed, valued, and supported by the company.

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According to Talmundo, onboarding is essential for culture and integration. It helps you achieve the following business objectives:

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• A fast integration in the company culture (79% of respondents)
• A positive attitude towards the employer (78%)
• A positive employee experience (78%)
• A boost in employee engagement (73%)
• A clear understanding of performance expectations (54%)
• An increase in employee proficiency (51%)

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That's where interactive videos can help in employee onboarding and training. 

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Why? Interactive video clips are visually appealing, highly engaging, easily digestible, and truly memorable. They can be cost-efficient and cost-effective for your business’s onboarding process. As such, consider leveraging some of the following:

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• Explainer Videos: As the name suggests, they provide an overview of your company. They help simplify complex concepts by explaining various facets of your organization clearly and concisely. 

• Tutorial Videos: They tackle various processes and workflows for every department in your organization, including the employees' roles and responsibilities. These training videos offer step-by-step instructions on how to perform specific tasks. 

• Interactive Decision Trees: These videos show your company policies, procedures, and best practices. As such, they guide newly hired employees in making choices and decisions in your organization.

• Webinars or Live Streams: Your company can hold online seminars or live streaming, which are ideal for remote onboarding. They allow new hires to learn from your HR personnel and interact with them via virtual platforms in real-time. 

• Realistic Simulations: They capitalize on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. They can provide your newly hired employees with immersive onboarding experiences.

• Gamified Videos: They incorporate gaming elements, such as points, badges, and challenges, in the clips. With these in place, they make your employee onboarding fun and engaging.

• Quizzes and Assessments: These videos consist of embedded tests and evaluations. The goal is to assess your employees’ levels of understanding to obtain feedback and reinforce learning.

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Now that you know what interactive videos are, learn how they can improve the employee onboarding experience below. 

1. They Streamline Policies and Processes

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Onboarding involves a lot of information new hires should know, from company policies and job descriptions to employee benefits and compensation. Presenting these data in blocks of text can be overwhelming for them. However, letting them watch fun and engaging video clips can make a difference in their onboarding experience.

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Producing interactive videos lets you streamline company policies, processes, and other relevant information. Why? You need to sort and present data in an organized manner for these video clips. Then, you can dig into specific details like the maternity/paternity benefits, wellness program enrollment, or medical marijuana card for employment.

2. They Foster Learning and Ensure Retention

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Onboarding seeks to help newly hired employees understand various facets of your organization. Unfortunately, there’s a slim chance for them to absorb these pieces of information in a day or two. However, interactive videos are easy to digest and remember, fostering faster learning and higher retention.

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Suppose your company offers language programs, and newly hired employees should familiarize themselves with different languages. Imagine learning ancient languages such as Koine Greek during the onboarding process. In this case, interactive videos can help them easily and quickly learn the languages required for your organization.

3. They Promote Employee Engagement

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Every company aims to establish effective customer communication and collaboration for business success. But how about employee engagement? Since employees are the lifeblood of your organization, solid interactions should start on day one—during onboarding.

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Here’s the good news: Interactive videos can promote robust employee engagement. As mentioned above, you can incorporate gamified videos and realistic simulations as well as polls, quizzes, and assessments. They can keep your new hires fully engaged during onboarding, which can have a ripple effect onwards.

4. They Offer Personalized Experience

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Newly hired employees have different roles, jobs, and designations. Some get assigned in the admin department while others work in the operations. As such, there’s a need to provide them with customized onboarding experiences.

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Michael Power, CMO at DTF Transfers, recommends using interactive video clips for personalized experiences. “New hires can navigate different videos but can only have access to clips related to their jobs and functions. These clips provide answers to their FAQs, tutorials for their day-to-day tasks, as well as relevant tests and assessments.”

5. They Provide Assessment and Feedback

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Every business values customer feedback and performs data analysis for decision-making. But what about employees? You must also understand their needs by asking for feedback and welcoming suggestions. Doing so should start during onboarding so they’ll have the impression your organization values employee voices.

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That said, consider leveraging interactive video clips for the onboarding process. These clips should allow your employees to take assessments and provide feedback. Remember, employees who feel heard and valued even at the onset will most likely stay in the company for good.

6. They Give Access to Remote Employees

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There’s no denying the rise of remote work, accelerated by the recent pandemic. However, onboarding has become a growing concern since many companies now operate worldwide and hire remote employees. Not when you leverage interactive videos that have a global reach and give virtual access to people, no matter where they are.

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Volodymyr Shchegel, VP of Engineering at Clario, suggests using interactive videos for remote employees’ onboarding. “If you hire workers from different parts of the world, these clips can work wonders for their onboarding experience. Through interactive videos, they’ll learn more about what your company does and how they can contribute to your organization.”

7. They Guarantee a Smooth Transition

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Onboarding aims to orient newly hired employees about different aspects of your organization, including their roles and responsibilities. Before they can even hit production, new hires should undergo proper onboarding and extensive training. As such, interactive videos can make this transition a lot easier and more seamless.

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Linda Shaffer, Chief People Operations Officer at Checkr, recommends capitalizing on interactive videos for onboarding. “They allow new employees to learn about your company and their jobs more efficiently and effectively. And you’ll be surprised how they can easily and quickly remember all these key details as bonafide employees.”

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Final Thoughts

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There’s no denying the impactful role of interactive videos in employee onboarding. Consider how they can optimize the onboarding process, from streamlining workflows to fostering engagement to ensuring a smooth transition. Whether explainer, tutorial, simulated, or gamified videos, they can improve the employees’ overall experience. 

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Harness the power of interactive videos, and you can take your employee onboarding to the next level! 

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