4 tips for training your team remotely via video

for small-sized companies, adjusting to the virtual world of work is essential. But it doesn't come without challenges: thinking about how to integrate and train employees.

What is the best way to welcome someone to the company without walking the halls? Can you communicate a culture of autonomy and trust without actually doing trust falls? What can employees learn how to do great work without getting to shadow the best employees?

Here's how you can use video to break down the barriers to remote training and help company comms stick the landing, all while saving time and energy.

1. Make it personal and be honest

Can't meet in person? That's okay, as long as you make it private. Do not go through another manual from the school library or a one-size-fits all instruction manual. They want honest and authentic stories of the humble beginnings of their careers and an idea of what you'll build with them. For new hires to feel the company's culture in person, a video-first approach is key. (Not to mention that it's a lot better than long hours of reading alone.)

But here's the catch Don't write yourself out of script during the course of training. If you were training in person, you probably didn't script your own lines, so why should be doing it now? Video best works when it is real. It's because it's real!

2. Step-by-step, explain it.

The main reason you should use videos for your training is because it helps make you (and your knowledge!) scalable. Instead of having to repeat the same thing over and over to every team member they can simply present or show something once. And once it's on video the video can be reused infinitely.

3. Organize and systemize

In the end, you're trying to make sure everyone on your team knows what to accomplish and how to go about it, regardless of whether you're present to help or not. It might sound odd however the aim is to make yourself replaceable by the most efficient way that is by educating others.

But you can't just assume your staff is reviewing each piece of content that hits their inbox. That's why it's so important to plan and organize your video training content. How can you be sure the content was consumed and retained? And if someone needs to be able to refer back again, where can they find it quickly?

4. Don't get too caught up in production

Repeat after me: don't overthink your video. It's the charm of video! Just speak to the camera as if you're talking to a person, and explain to them the information they need to be aware of.