Transforming internal communication through the power of video

While many businesses and human resource managers have acknowledged how important communicating with video has become, many have been slow to implement a conclusive internal communication strategy, centered around video. With all the revelations video has brought the digital workspace, why haven’t more organizations adopted the tool as part of their internal communication strategy?

Organizations and human resource managers may all cite a different reason for their inability to embrace a change in communication structure within their workspace. Some will say it’s not needed. Others will say internal communication videos are too expensive. But the truth is, most organizations out there are just too content with what they currently have. Who can blame them? They have implemented an internal communication strategy that works. But for Millennials, that simply isn’t enough.

Attracting the best talent undoubtedly remains critical for the future of many companies. In other words, your ability to attract, develop and keep millennial leaders will make or break your business.

Which begs the all important question; how do we attract and keep the younger generation? Well, Millennials thrive on innovation and change. They want to be at a company that is dynamic and not afraid to position themselves accordingly. Unlike Gen X, digital communication is second nature to Millennials. Of course, their use of technology is far more advanced than the older generations, after all, technology has helped shape the younger generations.

Here is why internal communications are vital to businesses and must incorporate a form of video communication to improve office communication and adhere to Millennials and successive generations.

If you had to choose between a short interactive employee training video or a 25-page handbook, what would you opt for? It’s a no-brainer. Outside of work, we consume information through the use of video and interactive content. So why should employees expect to consume information differently within the workspace?

Microsoft recently partnered up with SurveyMonkey to find out what exactly helps millennials thrive in the workplace. 93% cited modern and up-to-date technology as one of the most important aspects. It’s no secret that video is the most consumed medium in today’s environment.

• 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or Youtube videos a week.
• More than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day.
• People aged between 25-35 (millennials) watch the most online videos.

Nowadays, it’s almost expected to work at a company that conveys information through up-to-date forms of technology, one almost certainly being video. They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” which isn’t at all that powerful when compared to a one minute video which is, in fact, worth 1.8 million words. Using video can take seconds or minutes to visually communicate an idea or process that could take multiple paragraphs to explain in writing.

Many organizations still struggle to measure the effectiveness and impact of their internal communications. World-renowned management consultant and educator, Peter Drucker, once said, “What gets measured, gets improved.” Of course, metrics within internal corporate communications is nothing new, but the introduction of video communications has opened up a brand new window for further measurement and thus further improvements within the workspace.

Let’s say your company has created a series of integral employee training videos. Having an internal video platform will allow managers to view bounce rates, open rates, how long a video was watched and which video messages are most popular, something that simply isn’t possible with a written manual. Taking the insights from the compliance of the employee training video and combining them with day to day performance data, you can refine your content and adhere to your employees more precisely.

One of the infamous stereotypes of the Millennial generation is that they want what they want when they want it. We have all taken part in an employee training day, that in some way or form did not fully grasp our attention or engage us. From being scheduled on a non-preferred date, to simply because you felt the training itself was conducted at a slow pace, organizing internal employee training nearly always comes with complications.

That’s where a centralized internal video platform comes in. All your content in one location, which can be accessed by any member of your workforce at any time of the day. We aren’t just talking about employee training videos. No, we mean all internal communication videos organized in a structured manner that is easily accessible and navigable, meaning employees can catch up on their own time.

Internal communication videos can be distributed throughout an organization in a matter of seconds. Then again, the same can be said about email right? But unlike email, video has the power to cut through the noise and actually communicate your message without getting unnoticed.

While employee training videos may be the first thing that comes to mind, video has the power to communicate a range of messages from top level management right across to the lower levels.

• Video message from the CEO. The younger generation appreciates a more direct and truthful approach over more diplomatic and evasive communication styles. Receivng direct video messages from the CEO and upper management can help build the trust and transparency that younger workers are after.
• Employee training videos. Flexibility can help improve productivity. Give your team the option to learn on their own time through the use of easily accessible employee training videos.
• Monthly reports. As an employee, you learn to value the feedback and reports of your superiors. That is particularly the case for Millennials who thrive on feedback and constructive criticism. Use video to help showcase your company’s success rather than through a write-up or boring slide show.
• Company announcements. If employees aren’t kept in the loop, they may feel a loss of connection with an organization. Regular updates can keep employees motivated and informed. For managers and higher management, communicating with video can help explain and humanize more complicated concepts and objectives.
• Opportunities. Saying that only Millennials are looking for upward movement would be a serious oversight. It’s in our nature to challenge ourselves and want more. Use video communications as a mean to highlight new opportunities that arise within the company.
• Milestones. Using video to celebrate milestones is something more and more brands are adopting. Video not only acts as a powerful tool to get a message across, but it can turn employees into brand ambassadors by sharing any created videos through their social profiles.

Millennials may just be the most high-performing generation that we have ever seen in the workplace. Their ability to embrace change and technology has seen them excel at a far greater pace than other generations. As a shift in generation unfolds, companies must begin to adapt their internal communication strategy to accommodate their workforce. In keeping up with modern patterns, employees already balance e-mail, text, online chats and phone calls, so why would a company want to add another form of internal communications? It’s simple. Video can offer a compelling visual connection, that other communication tools simply cannot provide. While we may see the younger generations need as extraneous or rather unnecessary, it will soon become the benchmark of how a modern company operates. Organizations will need to adapt or face being left behind.

Throughout this blog, we have illustrated just how integral video has become to your internal communication strategy. It can increase productivity engage your team, make information readily available and easily retained, improve metrics… the list goes on. That said, we haven’t covered the actual cost of incorporating internal communication videos within your organization.

It’s fair to say that hiring a team of specially trained video editors to design, animate and edit a steady flow of internal communication videos is not going to be cheap. But for many companies out there, that won’t be an issue. You see, as technology advances, our dependence on others declines. Take a supermarket chain for example. More and more supermarkets are replacing cashiers and checkers with self-checkout stands, which have improved queues and waiting times. Technology is outperforming our human compatriots. And this isn’t just in the food sector, think phone operators, bank tellers, and assembly line workers. So how exactly does the change in technology affect human resource managers looking to incorporate video into their internal communication strategy? Well, video technology too has advanced, and the days of hiring a full suite of industry professionals are in the past. All that is now needed is a license and a dedicated professional.

Of course, not every video software license can increase your employee engagement and improve office communication. But let us tell you of one that can: OnlineVideoEditor.

OnlineVideoEditor is a flexible video content creation platform that is fully tailored for business environments. With OnlineVideoEditor you can create the most engaging and effective internal communication videos without any particular set of design skills. The content creation platform is an easy-to-use video editor which makes use of a drag and drop interface.

Of course, investing in an internal video platform is a big step for human resource managers and organizations alike. At OnlineVideoEditor, you have the option of selecting from different available subscriptions licenses. OnlineVideoEditor Pro, designed for video animators and freelancers, OnlineVideoEditor Max, which is fully customizable to accommodate the needs and requirements of small businesses right through to OnlineVideoEditor Enterprise, made for large organizations. The OnlineVideoEditor Enterprise bundle contains all the features of the OnlineVideoEditor Max subscription, but also provides group features for teams.

Whether you are the director of a small start-up or the human resource manager for a large corporation, video will help you get your message across and appeal to a generation that expects nothing less. Create your free account on OnlineVideoEditor today and give it a try.