The way of working has shifted in recent years; more people require flexible working patterns and companies are trying to meet these needs to keep the best talent. Over 40% of people say they would choose flexible working over a pay rise.
However flexible working presents employers with another set of challenges – how to communicate with remote workers, ensure valuable information is passed on and make sure non-office based employees still feel connected and a part of the organisation.
To help, company owners are turning to video.
Communicating with flexible workers
Research suggests a one minute video can deliver the same information and impact as writing 1.8 million words, 3 pages of text or 3,600 webpages. Video transforms what could be a complicated and convoluted message into something bite-sized, digestible and memorable – which, when employees are far away and juggling work life and home life, is exactly how businesses should be communicating with them.
How does this benefit business owners?
One of the major reasons video is trumping traditional internal comms tools is because messages are more likely to be received correctly due to tone of voice and body language; the same message in email form could be taken completely a different way to what was intended.
Video internal communication improves productivity and sustain a profitable business because it:
- Limits time flexible workers are required to attend meetings
- Limits the amount of missed messages
- Limits the amount of time on phone calls
- Avoids mistakes
- Makes sure every member of staff is always up to date and included within the team
Building an inclusive culture
Internal communication videos can also be an effective way to make sure flexible workers are included within company activities and team working. Examples of this include filming company events, and company and personnel news updates.
Staff development and training
Sustaining and progressing staff development for remote and flexible workers can be a challenge for employers. Video is a great cost effective way to easily upskill and train staff, through demonstrations and knowledge sharing. The demand for e-learning video support in businesses is growing, both from employer and employee perspectives.
Employers are beginning to prefer using e-learning tools due to cost and time savings in comparison to traditional face-to-face training. Furthermore, employers are able to record which employees are actively engaging with training, such as time spent watching videos, who revisited, who is progressing quicker and so on.
With more employees demanding continued professional development, they are appreciating the convenience of e-learning videos and the ability to re-watch and refresh whenever they need. They no longer have to try and replicate in notes or memorise what happened during face-to-face training. They are also finding prospects to take control and progress quicker than they’d otherwise have the opportunity to, through accessing additional content on company e-learning portals when they require.
At Feature Media, we specialise in helping businesses of all sizes develop internal communications video strategies and content. To find out more about video for internal comms – don’t forget to download our ebook.