Benefit 1: Video helps to improve message retention
There are many alternative applications of technology that can enhance the training experience for employees delivering significant benefits to your organisation including cost efficiency and,more importantly,better retention and results.
Tech-based training is starting to steal a march on traditional instructor-led delivery and technology-based learning is expanding with the advent of AI,virtual reality and gamification. Perhaps the most ubiquitous adoption of technology within the training sphere is the incorporation of video. According to a Linked IN’s workplace report,seven out of 10 organisations now rely on video-based materials as part of their learning culture.
In an exploration of seven styles of learning Mindvalley’s Cheyenne Diaz highlights that the retention of facts is enhanced for visual learners by the inclusion of images and visual clues that help to reinforce the message.
Benefit 2: Video enables flexible delivery
Video offers huge flexibility when it is used in training delivery. In the workplace,in the classroom or as part of an awayday,video can be run anywhere,and can be viewed on an individual basis by anyone who has missed a group session. Mobile,distance or online learning that incorporates video can be accessed flexibly and played on demand. Video can be disseminated within email or utilised within a webinar as part of a live video conference. Interactivity can be promoted using a Q&A slot.
The variation in types of video is endless from screen-recorded demos and interactive animations to live action dramatisations,or a piece to camera by the CEO. Video can make use of music,sound effects or a sonic logo as well as bringing infographics to life.
Benefit 3: Video boosts audience engagement
Everyone absorbs information in different ways and it is wise to take account of whether your audience are social or solitary learners,or whether they respond to an auditory,physical or logical experience. For those who respond better to a visual stimulus,adding pictures to words helps recipients to retain your message for 55 per cent longer than just hearing it alone.
There is little doubt that video can really enhance the overall learning experience for all your staff because it appeals on so many levels. People simply enjoy watching video. Twenty-one per cent of people watch videos to learn something. Video promotes better engagement with training,encouraging your employees to identify with issues that are highly relevant within their own workplace. Using video increase viewers’ retention by three to six times compared with traditional communication methods.
Benefit 4: Video helps you to maximise resources
Using video has a very practical benefit in its ability to help make your training budget reach further. Filming a single trainer can serve to deliver essential information and skills across your entire organisation and is easily repeatable.
Avoid the inevitable quality fade of sending an individual trainer out on the road. Once they have delivered their best session,their motivation may slide. Or they might simply be having a bad day. Film them at their best and you will effectively be able to bottle the magic and disseminate the same messages to as wide an audience as you need. Using video makes sense as a great way to deliver high quality training without repeatedly paying out large sums for the privilege,allowing you to maximise your investment in bespoke materials.
Workforces are typically diverse with multiple sites,remote workers with some employees based on the shop floor and others in a customer-facing role. It is often difficult to hit all the targets with a single programme of training or updating,and video lends itself to matching the flexibility within your staff base.
Benefit 5: Video is adaptable for the context of your training
There are almost as many applications for video in training as there are types of video. Firstly,it is important to consider what type of video will work best for your audience. Think about the context first. Will your material be viewed online as part of a webinar? Perhaps your audience will be watching via mobile tech on the small screens of smartphones and tablets? It is important to take these factors into account when planning and producing your content to create the best viewing experience for your target audience.
Consider whether to use infographic elements to break down complicated concepts as part of an explainer. Done well these may not even need a voiceover which reduces the burden of production and gives the video universal reach including across international boundaries. Add personality through talking heads or active demonstrations to create engagement.
Benefit 6: Video works across multiple applications
Video training is used effectively across all industries and can be particularly helpful when precision and compliance is required. This might include the finance and banking sectors,or the medical profession,where procedures can be brought to life and the right way of doing something can be highlighted. Flight simulators have been in use by aircraft pilots for decades and there is no reason why any standardised process cannot be replicated and rolled out via video.
Perhaps one of the most effective uses of video in training is for health and safety applications. In an environment where operational safety is essential to avoid a high risk of harm,the precision and consistency of video can provide a boost to impact. In addition to staff training,video can be used within the workplace to act as an eye-catching reminder about safe behaviours as well as ensuring that visitors stay safe in high risk environments.
Training can start with basic induction and on-boarding for new team members. Using video is a great way to get the most essential messages across while at the same time conveying the essence of your company’s ethos and values. A positive experience of induction quickly helps new staff to develop a sense of belonging and promotes retention.
In addition to professional development,video can be used to launch new products and services,to demonstrate a new system or software,or to model best practice in customer service.
Benefit 7: Video works both on and offline
There are several ways to improve accessibility of your materials including publishing them online,including them in live streaming or via recorded webinars. Don’t forget that the medium of video also works offline. With developments in production technology,it is now possible to combine the benefits of video with the tangibility and personalisation of print.
You can create premium printed,but affordable,materials that incorporate an ultra-thin IPS video screen which plays automatically. Video can now be embedded within sophisticated brochures,static displays or almost any item that can be sent using direct mail. Each item can be personalised with ease for a location or individual recipient.
Including a tangible item as part of your course materials provides a reminder of the session and enables training delegates to revisit the classroom virtually at any time and re-live the training. Video brochures can complement face-to-face training if you record a training session and send it out as a follow-up tool. Video in print applications can be tailored for individual sites or depots,or even for individual colleagues depending on the level of investment. See https://www.facebook.com/VuetvVideoBrochures/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzpYWn51nng for details.