Over the years, many business leaders and L&D specialists have realized one thing; traditional ways of training employees can be very expensive as well as inflexible to disrupt the workflow. To solve these issues of traditional learning, L&D professionals started investing in alternative methods of corporate learning. One such method was video-based learning for their employees.
If you still find yourself asking the same old question, ‘why should I invest in pre-recorded videos when I can just find a good instructor and bring him in for real?’, here are 8 compelling reasons that will convince you to get started with your investment in video-based training and development strategies.
Lower L&D costs
Generally, instructor-led training is pretty expensive. In a traditional setting, the company has to bear the costs of the instructors, their traveling, accommodation, food and refreshments, the venue, and many more big and small things that may arise during and after the training sessions.
In fact, most of the money is actually spent on arranging the whole session that it is spent on actually delivering the training to the employees. Even after minimizing the costs by eradicating the venue and the accommodation charge from the scenario, you will still find yourself spending a huge amount of money on the traveling part and on miscellaneous expenses like supplies, etc.
But in a video-based learning scenario, these problems are eradicated. There are no travel expenses and most of the money is spent on just producing high-quality videos that are used to train employees. Pre-recorded video sessions and onboarding videos can also be reused each time there is a batch of newly hired employees which lowers the cost of L&D significantly, in the long term.
More flexibility
The audio-visual or video format of delivering training to employees makes the training very flexible. Videos are pre-recorded, which is why there is no time limitation on when to watch the video. The video can also be watched multiple times if there is a need for the employees to revisit the information.
Videos can be tailored according to the company’s requirements as well as work processes. Since videos can be for everyone, you can use videos to train employees on a specific thing as well as use them as an onboarding tool for employees that are newly hired. Videos also accommodate both those people who learn by hearing things and those who learn by seeing things.
Increased engagement
People are more engaged with content when it is in the video format. Psychologically, moving images or videos are more comprehensible and focusable for more people than simple text-based information. The ‘entertainment’ roots of videos also subconsciously make people feel a sense of entertainment when they watch something.
In simple words, most people enjoy watching videos and thus their brains do not feel very tired after watching a video. Thus, for L&D professionals that are looking for increasing learners’ engagement in their employee training programs, incorporating video-based learning might be one of the biggest tools.
Knowledge retention
Since the growth of the employees, in both skills and knowledge, is essential for the growth of a business, L&D professionals and administrators invest a lot of money in employee training programs. But are those programs truly successful?
Usually, most people forget more than half of what they have learned in just a week of span while in a time frame of 6 to 7 months, they might completely forget everything that they learned in their training program. This severe lack of knowledge retention leads to the wastage of a lot of resources. People with lower retention rates also aren’t usually able to remember and apply the knowledge they gave gained in the right place.
As videos are easy to comprehend and are very accommodating, people retain more knowledge when undergoing video-based learning. When they ‘see’ something, they tend to remember it for longer periods of time.
Anytime, anywhere
When it comes to traditional training sessions taken by an instructor, both the instructor and the employees may feel a conflict in their schedule to a certain extent. The employees are also disrupted from their workflow which can translate directly to less productivity and a loss for the company.
Video-based learning however consists of videos that are either produced or pre-recorded. The material in these particular formats can be watched by the employees at any time and anywhere. Videos can also be assessed and used during traveling to work. This makes things easier for children.
Better accessibility
Videos are the most accessible format for delivering training content to employees. Especially, if you have included an offline download option with your video’s content, your employees get the most benefits out of it.
No matter where they are if they have a strong internet connection or not, if they are mentally prepared to focus on the content, videos content can be accessible to anyone. The accessibility of the video content also enables the employees to have a more flexible learning experience.
Shareable
Videos can be shared easily. Thus, for companies that have a distributed workforce and cannot arrange for traditional training sessions because of geographical limitations, video-based learning can be one of the best ways to deliver training.
Video-based training can be given to remote employees as well. The video content you produce about a specific topic or about your company’s values and policies can also be shared on the internet so that it reaches people outside your company. This can help others in the long term and can be a tool of branding for your company as well.
Improved productivity
Traditional training sessions are time-consuming and thus, can hinder your employees’ workflow as they have to sit and attend the session rather than work when it goes on.
But with video-based learning sessions that are recorded and distributed among the employees, things become more convenient. Your employees can actually just sit at their own desks and watch the training session and still be able to manage their workflow. They can also accommodate the training sessions in their daily life in ways that their productivity is maximized.
Conclusion
Video-based learning for corporate employees is becoming popular for all the right reasons. This L&D strategy is not just cheaper and more flexible but it is also a non-disruptive way of training your employees that can boost their productivity and their engagement with the training material. In short, by opting for video-based employee training, you can make sure that your business doesn’t lose too many resources and time for absolutely nothing while you and your employees make the most out of the employee training programs.
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