How to Create Training Videos for Employees in 8 Easy Steps

Are you looking for innovative ways to improve how you train new employees?

If you're training new employees, you probably want their training to be consistent and efficient. If you're going to capture your employee's attention, you should ensure their training is entertaining.

We know what you're thinking. Yes, it is possible to make employee training entertaining!

Making employee training videos with Animoto, our online video editor, is both fun and simple. You'll be able to make engaging and informative videos that will streamline your employee onboarding processes, share important company updates, and educate your employees on all critical matters.

Read on to learn how to create workplace training videos for employees, and you'll be part human resources, part content creator in no time!

What is a training video?

A training video is any video used to train or educate employees on the practices and standards of your workplace. They're a great way to communicate your expectations for your employees and their jobs.

Training videos can teach employees how to do their job, like customer service training videos. They can also inform your employees of your policies and how to honor them, like with a diversity training video.

Simply put, a training video is a video used to educate your employees on important information that pertains to their employment with your business.

Why create training videos for employees?

There are a few benefits to creating training videos for your current and future employees.

Consistency

Video can ensure all employees are trained the same way with the same information. And consistency allows your employees to be on the same page, reducing mistakes and issues between employees.

Easy onboarding

Streamline the onboarding process for new employees by creating your employment training videos ahead of time.

Avoid discrepancies

Depending on your workplace, your training may include employees' important health and safety information. By preparing videos to train employees, you won't forget important details during their training.

Cost-effective

Put your money into automating your training with a one-time production. Instead of spending long hours training employees in person on new business practices or software updates, send them an informative and engaging video.

Increased information retention

Visuals have been proven to help people retain information. By putting your training into a visual format, there's a greater chance your employees will remember the information.

Boost productivity

Avoid interrupting your employees by calling them to the conference room every time there's a new safety policy. Send them a video instead and let them watch it when it's convenient for them.

Types of employee training videos

There are many different types of employee training videos, and that's because there are so many things you need to train your employees on!

Here are a few different frequently used formats of employee training videos that could benefit your business.

Corporate videos

Train your employees on corporate policies and standards with customer service training videos, workplace violence training videos, harassment training videos, diversity training videos, communication training videos, and management training videos.

Educational videos

Use employee training videos to educate your employees in any meaningful manner. Maybe they need to learn how to clean the lunchroom or operate a cash machine. You can teach anything with a video.

Screen recordings

If you're attempting to train employees on software or programs your business uses, try creating a screen and webcam recording. This way, you can walk through all the steps necessary and give your employees a visual of what you're teaching them. With one video, you can show and tell your audience everything they need to know.

Tutorials

Use training videos to show employees how to use machinery and tools around your business. You can also use tutorial videos to increase your employees' product knowledge to educate your customers better and make sales.

Health and safety videos

Workplaces can avoid lawsuits, injuries, and dangerous situations with proper employee training. Use safety training videos to ensure the health and protection of your employees.

Presentation captures

Suppose there are presentations within your business or industry that contain information that will benefit your employees. Capture the presentation and send everyone a video of it. Send a video instead of written content, and employees are 75% more likely to watch it.

How to make an effective training video in 8 easy steps

When making your video, you want it to be effective. Make it worth your time and your employee's time. You hope that they walk away from your training video with a solid understanding of your shared information.

Here are 8 easy steps for how to make an effective training video.

1. Use the right equipment

There are a few pieces of equipment that you'll need to get started. We recommend a camera, a tripod and/or lighting set, a microphone, and a great video editor like Animoto. You can use screen and webcam recordings to show and tell everything your audience needs to know. Use these four tools, and you have a recipe for success.

2. Choose a topic

Figure out the objective of your video beforehand. What are you trying to teach your employees? Is this a safety video or an onboarding training video? Having a clear goal will help your production in every step you take.

3. Choose a format

Are you going to upload your video on YouTube and then send it to your employees? Will they be watching it on their smartphones? Choose your format ahead of time to optimize the recording and editing of your video.

4. Plan ahead

Write a script, design a storyboard, and set up a background. Plan ahead to make sure you have every detail covered for your employee training video before you start. Being organized will help the process move along efficiently.

5. Record your video

Set up your equipment and film your videos. Record your visuals with your camera and your audio with your microphone. If you make a mistake, keep going. You can trim and arrange your clips in the next step. Here are some tips for recording screen and webcam recordings for your training videos.

6. Edit your video

Get creative as you pull all your elements together. Add text, transitions, music, and more personal touches to make your training video memorable and entertaining for your employees.

Using a great video editor like Animoto is key to keeping this project easy and fun.

7. Distribute your video

You can email your video to employees, post it in your communication channels, upload it to your project management program, or save it for your employee onboarding dashboard.

8. Follow up with your employees

Get feedback from your employees to see how well your video resonated with your audience.

With the Professional Plus plan, you can use Commenting to collect and respond to feedback all within Animoto. First, you can invite multiple people to leave time-stamped comments on your video via a private feedback link. Once they create a free Animoto account, they can pause your video and leave specific feedback down the second.

This eliminates the need for constant email and slack tag or yet another Zoom meeting. When you hear the perspective of multiple employees from different teams and backgrounds, it will make it better for all future hires to come! Learn more about how you can use Commenting by reading this blog.

That's it. 8 simple steps are all it takes to create a compelling training video for your employees. You'll wonder why you didn't start creating training videos sooner.

How to edit training videos with Animoto

If you're new to video editing, don't worry. Animoto is user-friendly and makes the video editing process enjoyable for all.

And if it's your first time using Animoto, we've created this guide to help you get started. You'll be editing amazing videos in no time.

Pick a template

Create your account with Animoto and get instant access to our template library. Our templates are completely customizable, so find one you like and add your own video clips and photos. Or, start from scratch if you're feeling creative.

Our template library already has great options for corporate videos, like this "welcome to the company" template:

UPLOAD YOUR CONTENT

Take the video you recorded and upload it into Animoto's online video editor. If you want to include additional media, you can access our massive stock library from within the editor. Our stock library has various types of media, including photos, illustrations, and videos.

Record your screen and webcam

Training your team on a new digital product or software? Show it off with a screen recording! This shows your team exactly what they need to do to succeed.

If you aren’t presenting in person, you can still make a personal connection with webcam recordings! Create a webcam record of yourself ahead of time to add a face to your training video. It will make your video more engaging and memorable, thus helping to boost retention and completion rates.

Learn how to start your recordings and add them to your Animoto videos on this blog.

UPLOAD YOUR AUDIO

If you didn’t record yourself speaking in your video, you can also add a voice-over within Animoto. Check out our complete guide to using voice-over and learn different ways you can record, upload, and add your voice-over to your video.

Customize everything

This is the fun part. Apply text and video styles as a way to add animation and excitement to your training video. Our video maker has a huge selection of licensed music tracks, so you don't have to worry about finding copyright-free music. Sort by mood, genre, or add your own music to your video.

Export and share

Export and download your video. Then distribute it to your employees and get them trained! And don't forget to get feedback so each time you edit a training video, they get better and better.

Your employees will thank you for making entertaining and informative training videos.

7 tips for making effective training videos for employees

1. Connect with your audience

Make your video engaging. You can do this by posing questions for your viewers to answer or by being relatable and addressing them throughout your video. You can even use webcam recordings to build personal connections with your audience along the way.

2. Don't overshare

Create your video to include only the core information. Be concise and don't overload your employees with information. They'll appreciate it, and it will also make your production process easier.

3. Keep the focus on information

Don't distract your viewers from what's important, which is the information you're trying to teach them. Keep the visuals clean and appealing, so viewers stay focused on their training.

4. Add text

Using text within your video will help you be clear and relay information effectively. Adding subtitles is an excellent idea if your employees want to watch instead of listening. Check out our 8 tips for adding text to your videos.

5. Add educational elements

Add other educational elements to keep your employees engaged. For example, you can have your employees complete a worksheet upon finishing the training videos.

6. Make it fun

If you want your employees to retain information from your training videos, you'll need to keep them entertained. Add jokes, music, graphics, and other creative elements to keep your employees entertained.

7. Be consistent

If you're creating multiple training videos for your employees, keep them consistent. With Animoto, you can duplicate and edit existing videos to ensure consistency.

How long should a training video be?

Training videos can be as short or as long as you need, depending on the subject at hand. We recommend keeping them short so that you don't lose your audience's interest. But you also want to include all the necessary information.

If you find your training videos are too lengthy, try splitting them up into a series of training videos. This gives your employees a chance to retain information as they break between videos.

And remember, if your training content is entertaining, you can get away with a longer video. If you are just trying to relay information, keep it as quick as possible.

Time to create a training video

Ready to try training your employees with videos? Videos are a great way to provide your employees with important information that relates to your business.

Create a training video for your employees with Animoto today.