Videos are always and everywhere accessible. If this is not the case, then it is more of an exception than the rule. 10-15 years ago, it was significantly more difficult to distribute and access videos. In the workplace, videos and video content had their importance primarily in the areas of: image films, advertising, and PR.
Even learning videos existed in the 80s and 90s – but not in bits, rather stored magnetically on video cassette. Trainings and workshops were supplemented with videos. A large cabinet was rolled into the seminar room. In this monster were a television, VHS video recorder, and Hi-Fi system stowed away. At least, that's how I imagine it, since my experiences with learning videos come only from school.
With the era of YouTube (founded in 2005), a lot has changed. In May 2016, a representative survey found that 85% of German internet users stream videos online. For 77% of these respondents, searching for information was a primary motivation. The results of the survey suggest that more and more videos are being accessed via smartphones and tablets. The medium of video will be even more strongly integrated into the working world to shape work processes, for example in customer service, sales, and internal communication.
2017: This is how companies use videos and video content
I am personally surprised at which data sources I rely on for a blog article. My question: Where can I find out how companies use videos? The first approach is of course the search engines. Sometimes you land on very interesting websites there. For example, on Forrester.com, a large American market research institute. There I entered the search term “video” into the search function.
The search results provide a quick overview of how videos are used in companies:
“Bank Of America Embeds Video Guidance Within Online Banking”
“Verizon Uses Video Demonstrations Within Email To Promote The Benefits Of The App”
“CIBC Uses Video Content To Answer A Customer's Search Query”
“Empire Life Embeds Educational Video In Its Recommendation Tool”
“Video - and Online Video Platforms - Are Essential For Customer Engagement”
The examples in the list speak to the new ways that work processes and communication are designed with videos. The goals are to inform, communicate, and motivate. Trainers and HR developers can transfer these objectives to training and company education. In this case, the customers are the employees.
Learning at the workplace - HR development, employees, and trainers need to get along
Before I move on to the specific areas of application, I want to highlight where certain challenges in corporate education lie. I stumbled upon a great English article by Jane Hart. She assumes that there are different perspectives on work-related learning, depending on whether HR development or employees are considered. I have already pointed out some of these points in HR development in the future.
The HR development department focuses on creating learning content and checking whether employees in the company learn what the HR provides.
Employees, on the other hand, do not necessarily benefit from time-consuming training and online courses in their daily work (which need to be completed mandatorily). These activities are often avoided or endured as a necessary evil. Learning happens when dealing with work problems, for example by simply googling. Jane Hart also points out that employees curate their own curriculum via video platforms (e.g., YouTube), social networks (e.g., LinkedIn or Twitter), or MOOCs. Additional information sources include colleagues, but also members of their personal networks outside the organization.
That these activities take place is ignored by HR or an attempt is made to document these activities (For reflection: Here the question arises of how one can document that, for example, an employee learned from a Twitter post how to improve their PowerPoint presentations in the future).
Jane Hart additionally emphasizes that the well-known learning-by-doing is already on the agenda for many employees. In this article, I have drawn a comparison that work is like an extended blended learning course.
So much for the current situation. I can find myself in these ideas and opinions, and they also reflect what I hear in customer contact and in exchanges with trainers, HR developers, and employees. The individual skill development of employees is becoming more prominent again in the digital working world. HR development has the task of shaping this learning process and enabling appropriate learning experiences. In this web, trainers and leaders play an important role.
Videos for Learning at the Workplace
In this process, videos will be a medium to transport learning experiences and convey information. Producing and delivering videos is easier for companies, trainers, and coaches than ever before. Where does video excel?
Video for instructions and demonstrations
As the saying goes: “Seeing is believing.” With the help of short videos, processes and situations can be demonstrated. This type of video content can be interesting for new employees and for employees with no prior knowledge. Here is an example:
It is ideal if this information (the video content) is directly linked to a task or exercise at the workplace.
Videos for personal skill development
How sales representatives benefit from video content is described in this article. Two areas of application are presented. Videos as informational material for learning and personal development as a salesperson and for thought exchange and reflection.
Here is a sample video from a sales best practice:
New or inexperienced sales representatives can discuss the clip and consider how the insights can be transferred into their own sales style. Here, videos are not just used as learning videos and for conveying best practices. Rather, videos are a tool for thought exchange and personal recap. How does that work? Salespeople record short sequences with their smartphones at the end of the week. They personally recap how the week went. What challenges did they face? What do they plan for the next week? What went well?
Sharing knowledge and opinions with short videos
Sharing knowledge via short video messages is on the rise. For example, LinkedIn uses this type of video content. Since mid-2016, a video Q&A function has been added to the platform. Initially, this feature was only reserved for a group of LinkedIn influencers. This group has the opportunity to record 30-second videos and post them as a response to a question. An example can be seen here: “What will artificial intelligence revolutionize first in the office?”
https://www.linkedin.com/watch/first-thing-office-ai-take-reid-hoffman-18408
Another case study from the company Reward Gateway. Here, the CEO regularly uses short videos to communicate with employees. In the interview, he states that it is faster for him than writing messages. Employees also regularly produce videos, for example, sales representatives do not leave a voicemail but send a video message to the recipient.
https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/a7a02efe23596d771d599e8a6b134b72e9a030d3/file.mp4
Tell me how you use videos in your workplace. Perhaps you are already doing exciting things with video. Let me know!
