Videos are a valuable addition to the digital onboarding of new employees. They illustrate processes clearly, make knowledge more accessible, and can be flexibly integrated into different onboarding processes. We therefore present three particularly effective video formats for digital onboarding.
Especially when new employees work at different locations, start partially from home, or need to be trained with flexible timing, digital onboarding offers many advantages. Self-study phases can be easily combined with personal exchange. One possible concept for this is blended onboarding:
Live sessions + Online course = Blended onboarding
Digital onboarding is particularly successful with different video formats: videos increase learning motivation and also learning success. In this article, we show you three video formats that are particularly well-suited for online training during onboarding:
A brief detour to start: General tips for video shooting
Is video shooting for online courses completely new territory for you? Then we have some helpful reading tips for you in advance:
How to overcome your camera shyness
Affordable equipment for high-quality videos with a smartphone
Create and edit good videos on your smartphone
The rule of thumb for good videos in online courses is:
Less is more: One core message per video is enough!
Keep it short: Videos under 3 minutes are optimal!
Explain things simply: Use the simplest language possible!
1. Welcome videos in digital onboarding
New employees first have to find their way around and in most cases only know a few colleagues from the interview. Therefore, it is all the more important to get to know the new colleagues and also the company properly. After all, your new employees should also identify with your company and feel comfortable at their workplace.
Some ideas for welcome videos:
Welcome new employees at the beginning of the course with a personal video message and explain the processes of the next few weeks in blended onboarding.
Ask your colleagues to also shoot a short selfie video of themselves to introduce themselves. Especially managers and direct team members should take a few minutes for this.
In some companies, new employees start directly from home and do not get to know the office in person at all. Therefore, make a virtual company tour and show the most important places in the office or on the premises.
The company history is surely exciting for new employees too. Introduce this briefly as well, or ideally have one of the founders or managing directors do it directly!
Tip: Create recognition value in your videos! For example, you can pass on a virtual microphone when introducing colleagues or integrate the company logo. You will surely think of creative things to make your welcome appealing!
2. Explainer videos for onboarding from home
Of course, onboarding is not just about getting to know the new working environment. New employees must also learn the internal processes and the basics for their own work.
You can perfectly integrate workflows, for example on machines, as an explainer video. For special topics, please ask an expert from your circle of colleagues to demonstrate the processes.
For content explanations, short animated videos or sketchnotes can help. For example, you can film yourself sketching processes and explaining them at the same time.
You can roleplay and simulate tasks, such as conducting a sales call, with the help of your colleagues.
Tip: Explainer videos can quickly seem dry and boring. Try to tell content as a story when it fits. With storytelling in onboarding, you can explain processes with the help of fictional characters or a story. Your new employees will definitely remember that!
3. Screencast for digital onboarding
Particularly technical workflows are often difficult to explain. For new colleagues to understand them, they should see the processes “live”. That is why screencasts are ideal here:
Screencasts are suitable for showing software and click paths directly in the application, so that new employees can follow them directly.
You can also record lectures and presentations as screencasts: simply hold your presentation on your computer and record your screen and audio.
Conclusion
Videos make digital onboarding clearer and more personal when each video takes on a clear task within the training.
Welcome videos help new employees get to know their team and the company. Explainer videos convey workflows and knowledge understandably, while screencasts are particularly suitable for showing software and digital processes directly.
Good onboarding videos do not have to be complex or long. Crucially, they focus on a clear core message and are meaningfully combined with other learning formats. This is how videos become an integral part of digital onboarding that guides new employees step-by-step through their training.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Which video formats are suitable for digital onboarding?
Welcome videos, explainer videos, and screencasts are particularly well-suited. They fulfill different tasks and together can cover various phases of digital onboarding.
How can welcome videos be used in onboarding?
Welcome videos can welcome new employees, introduce team members, enable a virtual company tour, or provide insights into company history.
When are explainer videos suitable in onboarding?
Explainer videos are particularly suitable for vividly conveying workflows, professional content, or typical situations from everyday work. More complex content can become more understandable, for example, through animations, sketchnotes, or simulated situations.
What are screencasts suitable for in digital onboarding?
Screencasts are especially helpful for digital and technical workflows. They allow software, click paths, or presentations to be shown and explained directly on the screen.
