Rather than spend countless man-hours training new employees, why not use training videos to get them up to speed first?
Training employees can take up quite a bit of time, and every hour someone spends teaching an employee how to do something is an hour that is not spent bringing in money. While training is a necessary part of bringing employees up to speed, it can be made more efficient through the use of videos.
Creating training videos is a time investment that you will make once. After that, you will be able to use the videos for every new hire that comes in, saving more time and money in the long run. There are several other benefits, as well. If your company has staff spread out around the globe, it’s a simple matter to ensure that everyone receives the same basic training since you can provide the videos.
Another advantage of using videos for training is the fact that you can pause and repeat sections that are confusing. Most people learn well by seeing what they need to do and video can be an excellent way to convey information. In many cases, some follow up will be required, but you can get the new employee up to speed fairly quickly before anyone has to take the time to teach him.
How to Make a Training Video
The first thing to consider when making a training video is what you want to teach. It’s usually best to have several different videos, each based around a specific task. For example, if you are training someone to work in a house, you might have one video on cleaning the pool, another on tending the garden, etc. This makes it easier to choose which video should be watched and gives the viewer just enough information to process at once. You don’t want to overwhelm them with everything all at once.
Write out a list of video topics, then focus on one and break it down further. You probably have an existing training program and this can make an excellent outline for your video. It’s also a good idea to decide what format your video will take. Are you going to film people doing the tasks you plan to teach, or are you going to provide screenshots? A PowerPoint presentation can be useful in some cases, when captured on video.
Create your script, following the outline you have in mind. This should include everything from dialog or narration to the action, if required. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but should enable you to make the video without having to stop and think about what comes next.
Now you need to actually make the video. Depending on your level of interest in the project, you may want to outsource the video or make it yourself. In the case of screen captures and PowerPoint presentations, you will find it very simple to do on your own. If you want to show specific tasks being done, you will need a decent video camera at the very least and should be able to edit to a certain extent.
Once your videos are completed, you can either burn them to DVD or upload them to a video sharing site like YouTube, if they are to be public. They are now ready to become a part of your training program.
Using Videos as Part of Your Training Program
Now that you have training videos, how can you use them effectively? The best method is to have employees watch the video relevant to their level in the training process, then have them work on the task with someone supervising. This still takes time from a staff member, but considerably less than if the employee were to need instruction on every area of the task.
It’s usually best to train employees on a specific area of work and then let them get used to the task before moving them on to the next area. For example, you might train a waitress to take orders first, before teaching her to stock the fridge. Make sure each step is firmly cemented in the employee’s brain before moving on to the next step.
In some cases, you may be sending videos to long distance employees, which means you won’t be able to train them in person. Have them work on a test project and then check it before giving them more complicated tasks. You should see if there are any areas that need to be covered again.
Training videos can make all the difference in how much time is spent training new employees. If you want to speed the process up and avoid paying someone to spend hours training the new hire, consider creating training videos and streamline your training program. Nearly every business lends itself to some type of video, even if part of the training has to be face to face.
