Whether with YouTube or an internal platform, the adoption of video learning continues to grow, especially since members of the newest generation to enter the workforce have had a screen in their hand since they were about five years old. Your employees, customers and partners are ready for more of it, so why not seize the opportunity to inform, engage and even inspire with video?
Some organizations are still watching from the sidelines as they are buying into the myths that prevent the adoption of video learning, stagnating growth and losing knowledge. Video isn’t just for the millennial and Gen Z crowd, though. Video training makes it easier to share knowledge consistently across your company. It saves time and money, because it’s efficient (and a powerful teaching tool). Plus, if you have workers in different locations, there’s no better way to ensure each of them experiences the best training possible.
Let’s take a look at the top five myths about video training and how companies can benefit from video in each situation.
Myth 1: Video Won’t Help You Stay Competitive
In a recent survey of human resources and business decision-makers by Industry Dive Brand Studio and Sonic Foundry, just 2.4% who are using video and 4.7% “with plans to use it within a year” said that they made the decision to do so because of a desire to stay competitive.
Video learning helps companies stay competitive in ways you might not think of immediately. There’s a YouTube effect taking place in learning: When employees need to learn a new skill, they are comfortable learning through video and can likely find one to help. Having a video training strategy can help you attract and retain the best talent in a competitive job market.
Using short video snippets (microlearning) for training is an effective method to teach new skills to people. According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, it’s 17% more efficient than traditional classroom training. By using video for microlearning, your learners do not have to take a lot of time off from work. Eight-hour classes are replaced with 15 or 20 shorter sessions, and those sessions are better for retention and accessible to the learner anytime, anywhere.
Medical Center Leeuwarden (MCL), a large teaching hospital in the Netherlands, is a prime example of how video can pay multiple dividends for a company. MCL has a geographically dispersed workforce and uses online instructional videos on its learning management system (LMS) to train employees. When MCL passed its important certification, the Accreditation Commission of Top Clinical Teaching Hospitals, auditors specifically mentioned how the e-learning program was an excellent innovation.
Myth 2: Video Initiatives Have to Come From the Top to Be Successful
Only 1.6% of the survey respondents using video said the decision to adopt came from a leadership directive. For those planning to use it in the next year, 1.7% said the same. However, you don’t need buy-in from your company’s leadership to have a successful program. However, like most initiatives, a cultural shift that promotes learning and starts with leadership has a better chance of adoption and success.
When tech giant Dell started training North American and South American sales and marketing employees, the training program lead asked CEO Michael Dell for support. He backed the program, and it led to the creation of the successful My Dell TV, Dell’s internal training video platform.
Myth 3: Video Won’t Save Money
Cost is a significant reason companies don’t invest in video. It makes sense; motion pictures can cost millions of dollars, and promotional corporate videos can cost in the tens of thousands. Video training is an investment, but not on that level. You can record videos with mobile devices and find open source or other affordable options to record, edit manage and share content.
If you have a small training team, video can deliver essential training at a fraction of the price. You can also reach more employees in more quickly and efficiently with video, especially if you are a geographically dispersed or large company. The cost to create one video course is far lower than the cost to set up multiple trainings in different cities.
Three months into its video training program, Dell employees had recorded and viewed more content than they had in the previous 18 months, and the company saw a 100% return on investment in 30 days.
Myth 4: Trainers Don’t Want to Be on Camera
Everyone is used to communicating using video, thanks to Snapchat, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, YouTube and other platforms. Don’t underestimate trainers – they’re more at ease in front of the camera than you think. Sure, there’s a difference between what happens in front of the camera and what happens in front of a live group. But by recording sessions and receiving feedback, a good trainer can close the gap quickly.
Myth 5: Video Instruction Is Less Effective Than In-person Training
There are many reasons why video learning is as effective, if not more effective, than other training methods. Video training allows learners to have one-to-one interaction with content and gain knowledge through group discussions and interactive assignments. They can even record themselves performing a task and receive feedback. Video learning also allows trainers to present three- to five-minute videos and enable their learners to absorb and retain smaller bits of information.
Video, especially live (and recorded) streaming, presents more opportunities for learning and growth. For example, the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) streamed its OLC Innovate 2019 event, where more than 80 conference sessions were broadcast live to over 500 online attendees. The 1,200 people who attended the conference in person can re-watch sessions on demand to retain the content and gain a deeper perspective on the material.
Buy Into Video’s Benefits, not Its Myths
Video offers companies a prime opportunity to deliver skill- and knowledge-building experiences for employees. You can inform, engage and inspire your staff to learn new skills while moving your company forward. If you face resistance to video adoption, have your decision-makers take a second look at its benefits – and don’t buy into myths that create barriers for adopting video training.
