Employee onboarding processes strengthened by video learning?

BlueBottleBiz
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

When new employees — no matter how junior or senior — join a new team, implementing onboarding processes is the logical first step. Obviously, right?

Employers need to be sure new employees feel welcome and that they understand the processes, procedures and culture within the organization. The best way to ensure a warm welcome is to schedule in-person meetings with direct reports and managers so everyone gets acquainted. After all, nothing replaces interpersonal communication. But when it comes to bringing employees up to speed on industry happenings (if more junior), or leadership challenges that could accompany a new position (if more senior), video learning can be a great way to provide subsequent information and insight following in-person sit-downs.

Roping collaborative video learning into employee onboarding

Video learning is an excellent way for employees to take a deeper dive into concepts discussed during in-person meetings, as mentioned above. Throw collaborative learning into the mix, and concepts learned through video can be taken to the next level.

How? By giving employees a platform to discuss learnings with peers, exchange ideas and offer fresh perspectives. Not only is collaborative learning a powerful onboarding tool from a company and industry learning perspective, it’s also a powerful tool to further integrate new recruits into your company’s culture, and among teams.

Here’s how collaborative video learning works

In the first week, employees are bombarded with information. There are likely office tours, team lunches, an employee handbook discussion and client download meetings. “Overwhelmed” is probably the best term to explain how your employees might feel after a few days like this. And, with all this information, how much can new employees truly retain?

Rather than packing schedules tight with back-to-back onboarding meetings, give your new employees time to digest what they’ve learned after each meeting, using collaborative learning. If you have a collaborative learning platform that allows you (as a manager) to upload your own content and pair it with native expert resources, then put together short modules for employees to consume following each meeting.

The modules can include:

  • A video recap from the CEO, briefly summarizing what was covered and why it’s important
  • A brief employee-based video that gives a glimpse into your company’s culture (something fun to give the brain a break!)
  • And, a brief chapter from an expert resource (pulled from your learning platform’s library of native content), covering a hot issue in your organization’s industry

In addition, housing modules like the example outlined above in an employee onboarding group within your organization’s collaborative learning platform also provides employees with a forum to ask questions, and read what other employees have observed during the onboarding process.

Video learning beyond onboarding

With collaborative learning platforms that integrate video and written content with collaborative tools and a network, a culture of continuous learning can be presented the minute a new employee walks through the door.

Throughout employees’ careers within your organization, collaborative learning platforms allow you to guide your teams down the right learning path based on individual goals and challenges. Simply recommend content to your employees, and set them free down the path of self-directed learning. With your guidance, employees will discover the content that best fits their needs, as well as exchange ideas and feedback with colleagues to develop new ideas.

The future of learning is looking much more collaborative and self-guided, so implementing a continuous and collaborative learning environment from the get go shows your employees that your organization is willing and ready to invest in personalized professional development — something today’s top talent is seeking from organizations.

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BlueBottleBiz

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BlueBottleBiz is a collaborative learning platform for professionals. http://bit.ly/2bDRsux

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