How to Create Effective Employee Training Videos in Minutes

by | Jun 11, 2024

Without a commitment to continuous learning, employees become stagnant in their skills, leading to decreased motivation, disengagement, and, ultimately, turnover as workers seek opportunities for professional advancement elsewhere. Employers are not only impacted by the costs of turnover, but also lose valuable institutional knowledge and expertise.

Studies have shown that 70% of employees prefer learning from video, rather than written material. Tyfoom’s video-based microlearning platform makes it easy to share crucial information without overwhelming the learner. Easy to film and easy to edit, these simple employee training videos can be created and distributed in minutes.

The First Step is Taking the First Step

The prospect of creating employee training videos can understandably be overwhelming and intimidating, especially for those who do not have any prior experience. This was the case for Michelle McDermaid, DOT Compliance Manager at Wheeler Machinery. But with Tyfoom’s in-app video editor, Wheeler could create and distribute employee training videos in minutes, and produced 145 unique videos in one year. “Really the sky is the limit as far as topics go,” McDermaid said.

With Tyfoom acting as a rapid safety delivery system, Wheeler can quickly create videos to immediately address issues as they arise. And with an engagement score above 95%, Wheeler knows almost all employees will view the content within 24 hours.

Now is the time to push fear aside and give creating employee training videos a try. Here’s how:

#1 Define Your Audience and Their Needs

In order to effectively tailor content that is relevant to different roles, you’ll first need to understand the responsibilities, challenges and work environment unique to the individual employee. This may seem daunting, but the good news is you don’t need a crystal ball. If you want to know what an employee needs most, ask!

    • Brainstorm together: Asking workers a few simple questions will help you gauge what topics are most pressing and would be most immediately beneficial for employee training videos.
    • Keep a running list: Regularly survey personnel to determine what skill sets are needed by managers and desired by employees. Prioritize topics and keep a running list of content ideas to create over time. No idea is too big or too small.

#2 Isolate Skill Sets

Now that you have your audience in mind and know which needs should be addressed first, the next step is to get more specific. Break down the topic into several skills that can be taught to employees.

    • Look at top performers: Identify the skill sets that make top performers so successful. Don’t be afraid to ask employees what they have done to become effective and set themselves apart from peers. (After all, training is about cloning your best employees!) You will get key insights and they will get much deserved recognition.

#3 Determine Best Practices

Next, break down the skill set into a series of best practices. Typically, there are 3 to 5 best practices for each skill set. These should be simple and are often the first things that come to mind.

#4 Outline in Bite-Sized Chunks

Once the topic, skill sets and best practices have been identified, it is time to create your training with a simple outline. Employees are accustomed to bite-sized, digestible chunks of information from social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This information is easy to consume, understand and put to use. Training should be short, relevant and to the point.

    • No script, just use sentences: The outline will replace a formal script and make employee training videos much more personal because you aren’t reading from a teleprompter. To keep the employee training video short, write the outline in sentence form. The outline should include the following:
      • Intro (what I will say to introduce the topic – include a fact to build credibility)
      • 1-3 main takeaway points (best practices)
      • Closing and call to action (use emotion or appeal to their ethical character)

See the Create Effective Training in 7 Minutes or Less Cheat Sheet for a complete example of an employee training video outline.

#5 Time to Press Record!

As you prepare to record the video, remember that you are aiming for 2 minutes or less. Communicate only the information that is needed, and communicate it in a way that cannot be misunderstood.

    • Film on your phone: For quick training and communications, you can record the employee training video on your phone. Most mobile phones record video that is high quality and can be edited quickly.
    • Heads up: While recording look directly at the camera and address the audience as if you were sitting next to them in a workplace environment. Use a tripod and microphone if possible, but if not, hold your phone with your arm extended slightly above your head selfie style. If your arm gets tired, the video is too long!
    • Use a friendly face: Include employees as actors in the video. This makes the video more authentic and more engaging for other employees who might appreciate seeing their colleagues in action.
    • Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good: It is okay to do more than one take, but if you do more than 3 takes, the delivery of information will likely erode.

#6 Spit and Polish

Don’t spend too much time editing the video. Simpler is most often better. See Tyfoom’s free video editing guide on how to edit quality videos.

    • Skip the long branded opening: Start right into the first sentence of your outline. Users don’t want to wait for the information they need.
    • Consistency is key: Add a consistent, branded closing sequence at the end of every employee training video to help users feel connected to the company and remind them they are still on the job working.
    • No need for tunes: Background music can be distracting and is not needed.

Sharing is Caring: How to Distribute Employee Training Videos

Training must be delivered consistently over time and repeated on an ongoing basis. Learning just 1 to 2 minutes a day keeps retention at 100%.

With Tyfoom you can automate and customize the distribution of daily training across your organization within minutes.

Simply upload your training video directly to the Tyfoom app from your mobile device. Include 3 questions that test users’ knowledge on the 1-3 points from your outline. Then schedule it in a playlist to be sent to the appropriate individuals in your organization. You can also schedule it to be sent out immediately as an alert.

Tyfoom makes it easy and simple to create, distribute, manage and consume employee training videos. We employ non-disruptive, science-based techniques and gamification to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and increase accountability.

Learn how you can easily create and distribute employee training videos by scheduling a meeting to speak with a Tyfoom training consultant now.