Keeping up with new trends is vital in our digital era. The real challenge is ensuring workers continuously learn new skills and capabilities. Sadly, old-fashioned teaching techniques, like long lectures and presentations, often fail to grab modern learners’ attention.

Enter micro-video training: a dynamic and effective approach that can empower on-the-job learning. Corporate training videos, especially micro-videos, can appear as lively and accessible resources, unlike many traditional teaching methods.

These brief, conceptual videos are similar to information snippets; they are easy to digest and remember. Enhancing learning with visuals, narratives and participation, micro-videos in learning can revamp how employees learn and grow at work. This article reviews best practices for developing and deploying micro-videos as a resource for on-the-job support.

Examples of Corporate Training Videos

Corporate training videos can come in various form, each designed to address specific learning objectives and cater to diverse training needs within an organization. Here are some examples.

1.    Product demonstrations.

Micro-learning videos are short, easy tutorials that demonstrate how to navigate a new tool and app. They provide a visual walkthrough or demonstration to give employees the knowledge and skills they need to perform tasks and navigate these new technologies.

2.    Health and safety tips.

Health and safety training serves as reminders of company safety protocols and precautions to prevent accidents from happening. Micro-videos for health and safety compliance training can make the content more memorable, thus improving working conditions.

3.    Soft skill boosters.

Micro-videos can also help employees develop and improve soft skills, like communication, leadership or active skills with short bursts of visual examples relevant to their role and function. These videos can provide tips for improving specific soft skills and encouraging continuous self-development. This can be particularly critical when working to build a psychologically safe company culture, or for training sales reps to build rapport with customers.

4.    Troubleshooting resources.

Troubleshooting videos are walkthroughs on how to fix technical issues, giving employees the autonomy to problem solve and tackle challenges, instead of soliciting outside help, interfering with their productivity. When employees are equipped with effective solutions, the workplace can function better.

Challenges Solved With Micro-Video Training

Micro-video training presents a dynamic strategy for effectively tackling prevalent learning hurdles. Below are the challenges it effectively addresses:

1.    Learner engagement.

Micro-video training can address the challenge of short attention spans by breaking down learning material into manageable chunks while utilizing strategies like captivating visuals, clear narration and interactive elements. This can increase the likelihood of higher engagement.

2.    Time and location constraints.

Corporate videos can be accessed anywhere and at any time, giving learners the flexibility to consume bite-sized learning content whenever and wherever they need it. For example, with the convenience of mobile-friendly micro-videos, individuals can learn on the move.

3.    Training budget.

Short video courses can be an inexpensive way to train people. Since a lot can be made internally, this initiative can lower training costs. Also, fast-paced learning can get learners back on the floor, lessening their time off work.

4.    Learning retention.

Because these videos break complex topics into smaller chunks they can help increase learning retention. Learners can have a better chance at absorbing training content when it’s broken into digestible bits and relevant to their present learning need. Compelling visuals can also aid in retaining new information.

Exceptional Corporate Training Videos: A 4-Step Process

Crafting outstanding corporate training videos requires meticulous attention to detail and strategic planning. Focusing on clarity, engagement and accessibility can help organizations develop impactful training materials for training support.

Step No. 1: Define clear learning objectives.

When creating micro-videos for training support, it’s essential to start by clearly defining what you want your employees to learn. This means setting specific goals for each video, so everyone knows what to expect. This can help ensure the videos align with the organization’s overall objectives and are as effective as possible. Research by Deloitte found that organizations with clearly defined learning objectives, along with proper training support, are more likely to see high employee engagement.

Step No. 2: Strategize pre-production.

Before diving into filming, it’s crucial to spend time planning and preparing the content for your corporate micro-videos.  This involves creating a storyboard and writing a script to outline the content and structure of each video. Taking the time to plan can ensure that your videos are well-organized, brief and relevant to your audience.

Step No. 3: Visual engagement.

Graphics, animation and simulations, among other visual elements, can significantly improve the effectiveness of micro-videos. These types of visuals can capture the attention of viewers, improving engagement and learning retention.

For example, if you’re creating a video about sales techniques, you might include animated graphics to illustrate different selling strategies. These graphics might showcase effective communication skills, persuasive techniques and strategies for handling objections.

Step No. 4: Ensure accessibility.

Finally, training videos need to be accessible for all employees to satisfy learning preferences and accessibility needs. Ensure to add closed captions and transcripts to all micro-videos. Create videos that are compatible with assistive technologies and cater to people of all abilities. The World Health Organization stated that there are roughly 1.3 billion people worldwide with some form of disability. Stressing inclusivity to this extent can ensure that everyone has equitable access to training videos.

Conclusion

Corporate micro-videos for training can impact employee engagement metrics and training success. They can promote a culture of continuous learning, giving everyone access to professional development.

Creating these short videos can take time, so it may be a good idea to partner with a third-party vendor to take some of the heavy lifting off your shoulders. Learning leaders should leverage micro-videos to give their employees ongoing training support — and a competitive edge in today’s market.