You’ve completed the interview process, you have a signed offer letter. Now the most important phase of an employee’s tenure begins–onboarding. While it sounds cliche, the reality is that an effective onboarding process really can make or break an employee’s first few months on the job.
Onboarding isn’t just about job orientation. It’s a comprehensive process that involves providing new hires with all the necessary tools they need to get off on the right foot, and hopefully succeed in their new position. Apart from traditional job duties and company policies, it’s also a time to convey a deep understanding of your organization’s mission, values, and overall strategy.
And if you are still on the fence over employee onboarding, consider some of the statistics around it. One study found that hiring a new employee can cost the same as 6 to 9 months salary. Also, a good onboarding program can boost employee retention and help avoid repeating hiring costs.
One of the most powerful ways to elevate your employee onboarding is by incorporating video technology into your process. Video training can help convey vital information in a way that’s much more digestible and easy to retain than pages of written policies or outlines. Here are some of the best ways to incorporate video into your new employee strategy:
Introduction to your organization
One of the first things a new employee needs to understand is all the basics relating to your organization. Begin training by covering topics like a general introduction to the company, the history of the company, and a segment articulating your organization’s value proposition. To help reinforce the importance of these segments, consider getting the involvement of your leadership in your education videos.
A snapshot of your people and culture
Some of the best videos are the ones that showcase your organization’s culture. It doesn’t need to be professionally produced, but it should provide new employees a glimpse into what your people do every day and how they interact with each other. If possible, select employees from various departments and ask them questions like such as why do they like working at your organization? Or, what is their favorite part of the week/month? Don’t forget to also record events like company retreats and volunteer activities that provide deep perspective into what it’s like to work at your organization.
HR policies and procedures
Understanding important HR policies is critical for new employees. But the documents that discuss those policies are often buried in complex network folders, and when they are discovered, it isn’t always obvious what the policy actually means. By incorporating onboarding videos onboarding, HR professionals can film short segments that help explain what a policy is, why it matters, and who employees can contact if they require further assistance.
Health and safety videos
Educating your employees on critical health and safety information isn’t just common sense, it also may be your legal requirement. Depending on your industry, some organizations are mandated to educate employees on relevant health and safety matters. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is through the creation of short video tutorials. This educational content can also be included as part of a training module, with certification options.
On the job training
Learning doesn’t end when an employee’s onboarding is completed. Videos are a great way to provide additional training opportunities for your employees to continue to learn and improve throughout their duration of employment. A study by ClearCompany revealed that 76% of employees are looking for career growth opportunities. By integrating video into your learning management system, employees can easily access relevant training modules, receive interactive instruction, and attain certifications they may require.
An effective employee onboarding experience is about much more than communicating corporate HR policies or explaining how to perform daily job functions. By including a variety of orientation, training, and culture videos, you can help to ensure new employees have the tools they need to succeed, are motivated, and most importantly, have a strong connection to their new colleagues and team.