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Tagged with: New-Hire Onboarding
So, you're an HR manager and your company is growing fast. You expect five, perhaps 10 new recruits over the next six months. No, make that 50! Now what? As Donald Miller of StoryBrand states, "All (employee) engagement rises and falls on the employee value proposition." Part of that value is in how new employees are treated from day one. Inspire new hires with a great orientation video!
An orientation video can also raise that value proposition by ensuring that every employee is provided with a consistent welcome message that emphasizes the importance of every role at the company. Think of your video as the foundation for the company's "tribal knowledge." It should include the top things you want every employee to be able to talk about confidently - both inside and outside the company. Here, step-by-step, is how to inspire new hires and create a killer employee orientation video.
Start by with a "napkin sketch" outline, just the nuts and bolts of your message. Detail the basic narrative and your brand message. Is your company history vital to the corporate culture? Has the company won awards that have directed its later success? What about points of pride in the local community?
Remember that new employees want to feel that they're a part of something great. What do your clients come to you to achieve? Talk about their successes as much as you do your own and new hires will go home bragging about the company right from the start.
As you refine your outline and add detail, remember that any new employee can easily become overwhelmed. Make a point to focus on the most important takeaways that will inspire and motivate your new hires.
Once you have a solid outline, fill in the blanks. Write a robust script, and decide who will deliver each aspect of your message. You may want one narrator, or two.Use upper management if they have a good on-camera presence. You may even want parts of your message delivered by current employees.
The structure of your video is worth thinking through. Take tech brand Cisco. Their employee introduction video has an easy-to-follow format. It starts with a member of the company's HR talent management team addressing the camera — "We'd like to give you a view into our new employee orientation experience," which is then followed by testimonials from the sales, engineering and operations departments.
If your teams aren't so keen about being on camera, professional talent is definitely the way to go. Keep in mind that if you hire those whose first language isn't English, you may want to consider producing in alternate languages at the same time, a definite cost savings. Connecting with a Spanish-speaking employee in their preferred language from day one is a sign that you care about and respect their needs.
The first element of your production includes capturing your script. This might involve recording a company executive on camera, or recording a voice-over by professional talent. Whatever your script calls for, be sure you are prepared. If you're using company executives, do your best to make them feel comfortable. Recording in a professional studio with a teleprompter can make them feel much more at-ease. If you're using employees, a question-and-answer approach will help you get the best sound-bites with the most candid approach.
Lights, Camera, Action! Create a shot list from your script to make sure you get enough footage to cover all your narration. If you have multiple locations, plot out how you'll accomplish everything. You may have interior and exterior shoot days. Be sure to get establishing shots of the company, as well as production, current employees, even your products being used by the customer.
When in doubt, over-shoot! It's better to have 3 different angles of the same thing than have to re-shoot a close-up later on (particularly if you're inconveniencing employees to get just the right shot!) You can always trim down your video during the editing process. Oh, and remember, stay true to your script.
Next, you'll want to create your graphics, animation and any titles for your video. You may want to hire a professional animator or graphic artist to help with this part of the production. Plus, you'll need to decide whether you want to use any music, and purchase the tracks you'll need.
Editing is just as important (and just as much fun!) as recording your orientation video. During this process, you'll select the shots you want to use and add transitions and music. This orientation video from hotel chain Ayres Hotels (and here it is in Spanish) is a good example of professional post-production.
"Visual elements such as transitions, slow motion, split screen and other effects will add flare to your video — and who doesn't want more flare, right?" says the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. "Just don't overdo it with flashy transitions or animations."
Finally, you need to distribute your video so employees can watch it. You can do this online — direct new hires to your website, for example — or in a small group meeting during onboarding week. Alternatively, upload your orientation video to YouTube, just like Talmer Bank and Trust and Omni Hotels & Resorts.
Sixty-nine percent of staffers are more likely to stay with an organization for three years if they experience a great introduction to their new company. Inspire new hires and create a stellar orientation video! Ito definitely improves your on-boarding processes but can be time-consuming to make. That's where a professional production company can be a definite asset. Choose one with decades of experience who can help you create an orientation video that really works. Projections, Inc. can help! Click here to find out more.
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