How to Revamp Your HR & People Operations Strategies with Video
As we step into the future of work, one essential tool is transforming the way we manage and engage with our teams: video. From onboarding and training to employee engagement, HR and people operations videos are helping to reshape strategies in a way that gets better results with less effort.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at the evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work and the challenges that come with it. Then, we’ll provide tips and templates to revamp your HR and people operations strategies with the power of video.
Jump ahead:
- People operations vs. HR: What’s the difference?
- The power of video in HR & people ops
- People operations video ideas and templates
- Revamping your strategy for 2023
- Tips for creating impactful HR videos
- The shortcut to effective HR & people ops videos
People operations vs. HR: What's the difference?
For some organizations, people operations and HR are two completely distinct departments with distinct goals. For others, the two teams are intertwined and work in tandem. The difference often lies in their day-to-day tasks and goals.
HR traditionally revolves around administrative tasks such as payroll, benefits administration, and legal compliance. People operations, on the other hand, has a broader and more strategic focus centered on workplace culture and overall well-being. They are responsible for developing and reinforcing a positive company culture, increasing employee value, and aligning employees’ needs with the overall mission of the company. They closely monitor well-being, engagement, and turnover rates to get a diagnostic of their workplace and propose new solutions.
People operations aim to align HR practices with the company's mission and values, fostering a more people-centric approach. They often work hand in hand with internal communications teams to disperse information and connect teams throughout the organization.
Regardless of the role’s title, success in these roles lies in solid communication and implementation. And in today’s notification-flooded work environment, emails aren’t enough. Forward-thinking teams are communicating through video.
The power of video in HR & people ops
Video, both “live” and asynchronous, can revitalize your workplace. In many cases, video is employees’ preferred method of communication.
In a remote or hybrid world, your team has to discern between the hundreds of emails and Slacks they receive every day and pick out the most important information. It’s easy for them to tune out another lengthy email, complicated doc, or stale presentation.
All of the features of video that make it such a compelling selling tool and form of entertainment can work in your favor to strengthen your people operations strategy. Unlike other mediums, video can break down complicated topics into easy-to-understand pieces and eliminate the room for misinterpretation.
With music, animations, colors, and photos, a video can easily catch the eyes of your audience and appeal to different learning styles. Webcam recordings and video clips can help you and even your executive team to communicate more directly and effectively. This added personalization helps your message hit home, and can boost employee engagement by building trust and integration throughout the entire organization.
People operations video ideas and templates
Creating a professional video doesn’t have to take much longer than writing an email! In fact, you might even save time in the long run by enabling your team to create on-brand videos with your own custom branded templates.
In the sections below, we break down how you can implement video throughout the daily tasks and touch points of your role. Below each example video is a video template so you can make a similar video in just a few clicks.
Let’s dive in!
Building company culture through employee engagement
There are so many ways to build company culture through video! From event recaps and promos to celebrations, videos stand out and are much more personalized than any old email.
To make your message more engaging, try sharing pictures from events or online meetings, fun photos of your WFH crew, videos of the executive team, and more. This personalization makes your team more likely to pay attention, engage with, and appreciate your content.
Here’s a template you can use to celebrate employee birthdays across the entire company. Just share it during an all-hands meeting or on Slack to get the engagement going.
Get your teams excited for in-person and virtual events with a video! This simple and engaging video has all the details your teams need to attend and builds excitement for all the fun to come.
Recruiting
Recruiting isn’t getting any easier. According to a global report by Monster, 9 out of 10 employers are struggling to fill open roles. Getting your job posting in front of candidates is only half of the battle–the other half is enticing them to apply.
With video, you can make your posting stand apart and increase applications by up to 34%. And even if the role isn’t a good fit for all applicants, a professional recruiting video can build brand awareness and make your company more desirable for future candidates. It's two in one!
In this example, a regular job listing was transformed into an on-brand, animated video. By including details of the role, your benefits, and photos of your team, you can give applicants a better look at your company culture.
Company values and culture videos can also add a little something special to your recruiting videos. These videos showcase your unique culture and emphasize why applicants should work for you. They can be added to job listings or on your hiring page to entice applicants to apply.
Onboarding
Onboarding is new hires’ first real impression of your workspace. Why not start off on the right foot and communicate in the way that resonates with them?
Onboarding videos can save you and your team time and ensure a consistent and smooth experience for everyone. In between your in-person or video conferences, equip new hires with helpful videos that they can watch and learn from in their own time.
Not only should new hires get to know their teams and your unique culture, but they should know what their next steps are. The example below is a quick and digestible video that guides them through their first steps. If you want to take it even further, try out the Guide to Your First 30 Days template.
Don’t leave new hires guessing! Use video to tell your company’s story. Bring your company’s mission to life with music, pictures of your team and products, and your unique brand. Here’s a great example.
Training
Conducting training, mandatory and otherwise, can put a huge strain on your HR team’s time and budget. Reserving time to conduct training across teams and potentially time zones is difficult and time-consuming for everyone.
With on-demand training videos, your employees can watch and learn at their own pace. They also help ensure that everyone gets the same quality of training with the same information.
Here’s an example of a safety training video that can be shared and re-watched any time.
Meeting compliance goals is much more difficult if you can’t tap on someone’s shoulder or visit their desk for a friendly reminder. Use video to outline your training courses and explain more complex topics. If you do have an in-person or live training, you can record it and share it in a video afterwards to catch everyone up.
Employee development and growth
Continuing on the path of trainings, there are plenty of ways to invest in your employees’ development and growth! Regular explainers can help break down aspects of your workplace and encourage future learning.
This DEI Event Invite template promotes special education sessions in a way that grabs attention and keeps it.
And don’t forget to celebrate their accomplishments! Anniversaries, promotions, graduations, and more are all worth celebrating with a customized video, not just a pizza party.
Improving executive communications
Getting a message all the way from the c-suite to the entire organization can be difficult. Nonetheless, company alignment and transparency are still key to a strong company culture, trust, and employee retention. Rather than leaving an important message to another email, put it in the spotlight by creating a video.
If your executive team isn’t too camera shy, getting them to speak directly to your company via video can make a huge impact. With this template, you can drop in a webcam recording so everyone feels more connected to your c-suite.
And if you and your team aren’t sure where to start with filming a talking head video, we’ve got you covered. Just check out this guide.
But that’s not all! For even more internal communication video ideas, click here.
Revamping your strategy for 2023
It can feel harder than ever to connect with your teams, especially when they are working remotely, in the office, or a combination of the two. The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! The principles of any successful people ops or HR strategy can (and should) remain the same no matter where your employees are located. The difference lies in how you share it.
With a few more video tools and these principles, you can get your strategy caught up to speed with today’s workforce and align your teams.
1. Prioritize employee engagement
Employee engagement is the cornerstone of a thriving, productive, and happy workforce. When employees are engaged, they feel a deeper connection to their work, their colleagues, and the organization as a whole.
Engaged employees tend to have higher job satisfaction, increased motivation, and a willingness to go above and beyond in their roles. With higher day-to-day satisfaction, employees are also more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover and recruitment needs.
Whether you’re conducting a meeting, sharing an announcement, or getting a temperature check of your employees, keep positive engagement at the forefront.
2. Understand and use your unique company culture
Creating and nurturing a vibrant company culture is crucial for attracting top talent, boosting morale, and driving your organization forward. It underlies how your employees engage with one another and how safe and supported they feel in your organization.
A strong and positive company culture fosters an environment where employees feel respected, valued, engaged, and aligned with the organization's values and mission. It promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, and ensures that all employees have equal opportunities and feel a sense of belonging.
Lean into your culture and pave the way for your employees to do the same! Use your branding, language, and humor to reinforce a culture and workplace your employees can be proud of.
3. Provide career development opportunities
Learning and development is as important for your organization as it is for individuals. According to Linkedin Learning, 94% of employees said that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.
The demand is ready and waiting, and you have the opportunity to create space and invest the time in educating them. Regular, even monthly, collective learning sessions, financial benefits for continued education, and a library of learning materials can all be valuable learning opportunities for your teams.
4. Take a data-driven approach
Regular check-ins don’t have to happen in person for honest feedback. You can use anonymous surveys to understand how your employees are feeling and responding to your workplace.
Pulse surveys can help you track and measure how new initiatives are changing the dynamics of your organization. They can also reveal blind spots that might not have been caught otherwise.
With certain tools like videos and training quizzes, you can also measure how long your employees are staying engaged and if they understand the materials. Remain curious, open, and analytical to measure and build the success of your people operations strategy.
5. Don’t be afraid to innovate
Our workplace has changed in so many ways, not just the location. Respond by bringing new technologies and methods to your teams! We know that emails and Slacks aren’t enough to engage your employees. Today, modern businesses communicate via video and you can too!
Tips for creating impactful people ops videos
We’re glad you’re excited to dive in and revamp your people ops strategy! As you explore our video templates and start creating, here are some brief pointers to keep in mind.
- Use storytelling principles to shape all your videos
- Keep your videos concise and engaging
- Make your content accessible and inclusive for the entire team with closed captions, clear legibility, and inclusive language and photos
- Apply your brand colors to create a cohesive video library
- Use a script to stay on track when you’re speaking
The shortcut to effective HR & people ops videos
You don’t need to hire a video editor to bring the power of video to your organization. With Animoto’s beginner-friendly online video editor, anyone can create an on-brand video in a matter of minutes.
From one central location, your team can create, collaborate, and review videos together. Easily record your screen and webcam to create personalized, in-depth videos for trainings, how-tos, and more. Then, just drag and drop it into one of our templates or your saved templates so you have your brand, message, and media ready from the get-go.
Get started with one of the templates above or explore our entire template library to bring your team up to speed today.
People operations video FAQs
What is a people operations role?
A People Operations (People Ops) role focuses on managing and enhancing the human resources function within an organization. It encompasses tasks such as recruitment, employee engagement, performance management, benefits administration, and fostering a positive workplace culture. People Ops professionals work to create a supportive and productive environment for employees while aligning HR strategies with the company's overall goals.
What is the difference between HR and people operations?
HR (Human Resources) and People Operations (People Ops) share similar goals, but People Ops typically represents a modernized and employee-centric approach to HR. People Ops emphasizes creating a positive workplace culture, fostering employee engagement, and aligning HR practices with the company's mission and values. Traditional HR often focuses on administrative tasks and compliance, while People Ops takes a more holistic and strategic approach to human resource management.
What is a people ops strategy?
A People Ops strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how an organization intends to manage its workforce effectively. It encompasses various aspects, including recruitment, onboarding, employee development, retention, and culture-building. The primary goal of a People Ops strategy is to create a positive and productive work environment that aligns with the company's goals and values, ultimately driving employee engagement and organizational success.