3 Ways to use Video to Create Greater Employee Engagement
Over the last few years there has been a significant uptake in companies embracing video as an integral part of their internal communications strategy. In many cases the traditional methods of communication such as newsletters and email broadcasts have been replaced with video simply because they no longer work and video has been proven to do so.
Today’s progressive companies understand that people tend to avoid reading large amounts of text and are far more likely to consume information via video.[1] So how can companies use video to build employee engagement, to inspire and unify the diverse range of their people?
Plus we aren’t just looking to get people “engaged”, we want them to be married .” That is, fully committed.”
Firstly, what exactly is employee engagement and why is it important?
People go to work to be fulfilled: financially, socially and emotionally. We like to feel valued and that we are contributing to the overall good of a company. A disengaged person is someone who is simply “going through the motions”. Disengagement means someone who really isn’t invested in their role and is counting the days to the weekend or their next payday
So what does an employee engagement look like? Well, in essence, the opposite! Someone who feels connected to their peers, leadership and the company as a whole. Someone who feels their work is valued and important in the big scheme of things. Someone who values their job and is not going to work “just for the money”. It means they feel like they have a purpose and are committed to their role and the company. They seek ways to improve the company with new ideas and are not afraid of change.
Kevin Kruse, Forbes leadership columnists and author, defines employee engagement as [2]
“the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals. This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company. They don’t work just for a pay check, or just for the next promotion, but work on behalf of the organization’s goals.”
Kruse also warns that employee engagement must not be confused with employee “happiness” or “satisfaction”. It is so much more than this.
Josh Bersin, founder and Principal at Bersin by Deloitte explains [3] that,
“if your people love their work and the environment you have created, they will treat customers better, innovate, and continuously improve your business. I would suggest that using the word “engagement” often limits our thinking. It’s assumes that our job is to reach out and “engage” people, rather than to build an organization that is exciting, fulfilling, meaningful, and fun. Plus we aren’t just looking to get people “engaged”, we want them to be “married.” That is, fully committed.”
So, how can video be used to build employee engagement?
1. Paint a Big Picture.
Let everyone know how he or she fit into the overall scheme of things. Videos that demonstrate that everybody’s role is important to the health and growth of a company will mean that employees feel valued and that their role is fulfilling and has purpose.
An example would be a regular update video that outlines the company status that includes key changes and developments. It would explain how a relevant department fits in with the overall changes the company is experiencing.
Employees gain a better understanding of the organization and feel more connect as a result. The featured department can nurture more meaningful internal relationships and at the same time develop a sense of place within the company.
2. Make the Leadership Group more Accessible.
Videos that explain new products, events, direction, results and changes that are delivered by the C-Suite will help to dissolve the barriers between management and staff.
Rather than share important information in an (often unread) email, that does little to add openness and transparency to an organisation, instead opt for a video message.
Engagement starts with feeling connected to the leaders of an organisation. Video is the next best thing to a face-to-face meeting and has a magnified effect – filmed once and viewed hundreds or thousands of times and without being limited by geography or time zones.
These videos will bring the company closer together with employees feeling like they better understand the leadership group and have more of affinity with them, even if they don’t directly interact with them as part of their role.
3. Effective Training.
Video is a valuable tool for Learning and Development Managers because it has the capacity to effectively train staff in a wide range of applications.
From induction to up skilling and everything in between, video training has been proven 4 to be a very efficient form
Video enables employees to learn and development in a way that goes beyond traditional learning environments.
In terms of employee engagement, it is important for staff to have access to ongoing training so as too feel valued and better equipped for their often ever-changing role and workplace. A company that recognises the importance of training will benefit from a better-engaged workforce.
In all cases, experience has shown that the effectiveness of video internal communication improves when staff are included in the videos rather than external actors. By being inclusive rather than exclusive the content is more real and relevant. Making staff the stars of the show empowers the employees who are featured in the videos.
It is more important than ever for companies to focus on employee engagement and it is critical for their overall success. Using video as the primary internal communication tool to this end is not only effective but can be a lot of fun along the way.
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References
[1] http://www.reelseo.com/2013-video-marketing-business-survey-trends-report/
[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/
[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/04/10/its-time-to-rethink-the-employee-engagement-issue/
4 http://www.uq.edu.au/teach/video-teach-learn/ped-benefits.html