Finding top talent today isn’t easy. When recruiting new employees it helps to have a strong training and development program. A strong training and development program will help in hiring the right people as well as retaining them. Your training and development program will also serve to set you apart in your niche.

Educational Video Production

Developing employees is at the top of the minds of many executives. Despite this, many professionals in learning and development report being challenged with small teams, limited budgets and various other gaps.

Why you should consider Educational video production

Training videos are one of the most effective tools to use for training and development. When you invest in educational video production you’re on the right track to:

Keeping your costs down

Software giants Microsoft switched from classroom training to using videos and saved $17 per person trained. Their cost savings amounted to about $13.9 million per year over the next three years, after adopting this model. If Microsoft can benefit from a simple switch, so can you. You will save a lot of money compared to hiring a trainer every time you need to train employees or other stakeholders.

Achieving better engagement

Do you want to ensure that your employees actually pay attention during the training? People enjoy visual content better than reading documents, web articles or emails. If you want to engage your employees, you need to present them with something interesting that will grab and retain their attention. Videos are more effective at this than classroom lectures or text documents.

Ensuring information is retained

When you invest in training your employees, you not only want them to be interested enough to pay attention throughout the training, but you also want to ensure that the information passed to them is retained and applied. In fact, video is proven to increase information retention.

A SAVO Group study found that employees forget 65% of the material that is covered during training within 7 days after the session. This figure increases to 95% 6 months after. However, when these sessions are paired with visuals such as an educational video, retention levels rise to 65%.

Better explaining what you do

This medium is not only engaging but also a great way to demonstrate ideas that may not be easily understood any other way. It is versatile and can be presented in various styles including stop motion, animation and live-action. You therefore have various options to get your message across. It is therefore effective for explaining or demonstrating abstract ideas.

Tips for Effective Educational Video Production

Adjust your mindset

Many companies assume that since it is a training video, they don’t have to put that much effort into its production. These companies forget the importance of ensuring that their employees retain the information, and be able to apply it.

You should therefore begin by kicking this negative attitude to the curb. Remember the importance of the outcome of the session. Be sure to create content that your employees will enjoy, and that will enhance their retention. It all starts with a well written script.

Write it down

Do you have education video ideas? Be sure to put them in writing. Script the information that you want to share. This will save you a lot of time and money. You will not only be able to get your ideas in order, but also be able to spot trouble areas in how you are sharing your message. Scripting ensures that the production company can accurately plan the visuals and messaging. This leads to a more efficient shoot schedule.

Keep it brief

It’s important to give learners small pieces of information at any given time to allow them to internalize and therefore retain the information. This is important, especially since many people today have short attention spans.

You may consider segmenting. This is accomplished by providing your audience with shorter videos with pauses. This gives them the opportunity to ask questions and move forward when they are satisfied, or ready to move to the next section.

Be careful in your selection of camera talent

You will have the option of hiring professional actors or using current employees for the video. Current employees are better able to demonstrate ideas about the company and will most likely know the material better. However, they may not be able to convey the right mood or confidence on camera. Discuss your needs with the production company and determine which path would best deliver results for your situation.

Show rather than tell

Don’t create a classroom-like atmosphere by delivering a lecture. The most effective way to train employees is by showing them. Use examples, graphics, anecdotes, handouts and other materials to convey your message. If you’re trying to explain an abstract idea, consider using animations.

It’s important to take educational video production seriously. Take time to find a reliable company to assist in the production. Rely on the experience of creative professionals for an effective production and quality.