Creating an authentic, purpose-led new employee welcome video script will help you deliver the best onboarding experience. But with so many factors contributing to a successful induction video, how can you be sure your script will hit the mark with your new starters?
According to Gallup, only 12% of employees think their company has a good onboarding process. Just 12%! Yet failing to provide a positive onboarding experience puts retention, employee experience and performance at risk just as recruitment costs increase. Now more than ever, organisations need to make a good impression from Day One.
What is a video script and how does it impact the onboarding experience?
Get the onboarding process right, and your organisation could improve new hire retention by over 80%. From increased engagement and communication to performance improvements and enhanced connectivity, the business benefits are far reaching. So how can you use your onboarding or welcome video scripts to set you and your new employees on the right path to a successful employee journey?
A video script is often seen as key in the creation of effective and engaging onboarding videos. It’s essentially a document outlining any dialogue, actions, and visual elements needed for your onboarding video. By using a script to create employee induction videos, you improve your chances of keeping video content and messaging on track and in turn, make sure the onboarding process for new employees is smooth and efficient:
- Make sure you cover all the necessary information.
- Allow for easy review and revision of induction video content.
- Provide a clear roadmap for video production.
- Maintain a consistent message and tone.
- Give you the ability to control the video length.
- Provide clear instruction on what to say.
Whilst a video script is a great way to keep content and messaging on track, there is an argument that using a video script results in content that’s rigid and over-prescriptive, making it harder to portray your true company culture. One solution is to use employee-generated video.
Rather than using a video script, employee–generated onboarding videos focus on an overarching narrative but with questions and prompts that allow employees to tell your company story in their own words. The resulting video is still inline with your organisational objectives and messaging but you get to show your company culture through your own advocates. Much more powerful!
With employees now expecting to learn from their peers and the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer stating trust in coworkers is at an all time high, taking this approach provides employees with what they need as well as a cost-effective, scalable option to creating onboarding videos.
How to write a new employee orientation video script
Writing scripts for new employee orientation videos can be daunting. There’s lots to think about and starting from scratch is never easy. Here, we’ve broken down the process into several key stages to make it easier for you to use video to enhance your onboarding programmes:
- What are your main objectives for the video? Outline them here and include what each video should contain: a company introduction, what to expect as a new employee, important company policies, introducing the team or bringing in company values and expected behaviours – anything that makes them feel part of the team. Structure these in a logical way.
- Create a rough script: Write down key elements to include: company culture, resources for new employees, and training programs etc.
- Visual elements: What do you want your new employees to see: the building? Office space? Employees working together? Visuals can make it more engaging for the viewer.
- Plan what to say: Use a clear and conversational tone. Employee induction video scripts should be professional, but relatable.
- Review and refine the script: Review it carefully and make revisions.
- Production and editing: Film and edit the video using a professional video crew or your in-house production team.
An additional element to consider is what resources you’re going to use to record your video. Do you have the budget for a professional film crew? If not, does your in-house team have the time and resources to create your video? If you don’t have access to either, one resource that is often overlooked in the onboarding video process is your existing employees.
At least 70% of all training in your company comes from your own people anyway so using your SMEs as onboarding video creators has the potential to be engaging, personalised and low cost. It can deliver the resources you need while also supporting complex culture and behaviour change. It’s a great way to empower your subject experts to share their expertise and experience, creating value for themselves and their organisation.
See our guide on how to transform your experts into inspiring content creators for tips to get your people sharing video.
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Video scripts to consider for a killer onboarding experience
Employee onboarding video scripts come in all shapes and sizes. And what you use depends on what your organisation needs.
Employee Onboarding video script example #1- Meet the team
This traditional video script will show your video creator exactly what you need them to say:
My day-to-day tasks include [INSERT JOB RESPONSIBILITIES] but I also do a little bit of [INSERT MORE TASKS].
When I’m not in the office, I love to [INSERT HOBBY] and one fun fact you might like to know about me is [INSERT FUN FACT].
If you see me around the office, feel free to ask me about [XYZ].
Using ‘introduce yourself’ videos is a great way to build connections, improve understanding and break down barriers. Take a look at our guide ‘50 questions to get to know your colleagues’ for ideas and best practice to improve employee onboarding and development.
Employee onboarding video script example #2 – Leader welcome for new starters
Using storytelling as a narrative will inject more authenticity and show your true company culture. You can see how this ‘leader welcome for new starters’ script guides the creator in the right direction to bring their own warmth and inspiration to a simple welcome message:
PART 1
- Introduce yourself and why you’re so excited to welcome them to [COMPANY NAME].
- Congratulate and thank them for choosing [COMPANY NAME] to take their next career step.
- Share why now is such an exciting time to join the team.
PART 2
- What onboarding and support will they have access to?
- Reinforce career and development opportunities available to help them reach potential.
- Share how you’ll empower them e.g. to experiment, share new ideas and make a difference.
- Back this up by referencing your company purpose and values.
- End with an inspiring call-to-action – “we can’t wait to see what you’ll make happen!”
Tools like StoryTagger guide your creators into sharing the videos you need, creating a storytelling narrative but breaking the onboarding ‘script’ down into manageable parts.
Employee onboarding video script example #3 – What our values and behaviours mean to me
Why not crowdsource diverse and inclusive stories from across the organisation to help new starters connect with your company culture, purpose and way of doing things? Opting for an overarching narrative will strengthen how people connect to your company values and behaviours by capturing how different team members live them.
About me and our values
- Introduce yourself and your role.
- Tell us what [INSERT VALUE] means to you.
- How do you live or reflect this value in the work you do?
- Share the impact this has on you, your team and the organisation.
An alternative would be to provide a traditional script, as below:
Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I am [YOUR ROLE] here at [COMPANY].
Today, I want to talk to you about the value of [INSERT VALUE]. To me, this value means [YOUR EXPLANATION OF THE VALUE].
In my work, I strive to live this value by [EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU LIVE THE VALUE]. For example, [SPECIFIC EXAMPLES].
By living this value, it not only has a positive impact on me personally, but it also helps to create a strong and productive environment. My team is able to work together more effectively, and we are able to achieve our goals more efficiently.
An easier way to create employee onboarding video templates
Faced with an overwhelming workload, L&D, HR and Talent teams are now looking to do more with less and whilst there are some great benefits to outsourcing your onboarding videos, it’s often not feasible or budget friendly. Employee-generated video is a cost-effective and engaging way for teams to capture the content they need.
With StoryTagger, teams can easily develop repeatable workflows to curate an array of onboarding videos for new employees: welcome videos, leader messages, ‘day in the life’, and more. The platform includes ready-made and customisable templates with story narratives baked in, making it simple for both teams to curate employee induction videos and for those recording. This, unlike traditional scripting, helps capture the context and build connections with employees in different parts of the business, delivering the biggest impact and best onboarding experience.
By empowering employees to share their experiences and knowledge through video you can engage, teach and inspire new employees, taking your employee onboarding to the next level. Check out these top employee onboarding video examples for inspiration on how to use templates effectively.
Final thoughts on employee onboarding scripts
Creating an authentic, relatable new employee welcome video script will elevate your onboarding experience. By using a script you provide a clear roadmap for video production, making sure all necessary information is covered and a consistent message and tone is maintained. Get this right and it will lead to a smooth and efficient onboarding process for new employees, which in turn increases engagement, retention, performance and more.
But whilst the benefits of a video script are numerous, traditional video scripting often results in an onboarding video that doesn’t embrace your true company culture. Along with the associated resource, budget and time pitfalls, using a strict script might not be the option for you.
Employee-generated video offers a more engaging way to onboard new employees, fostering trust among coworkers and allowing new employees to learn from their peers. This makes the onboarding process more relatable and hearing employees tell their story is much more powerful than a scripted top-down version.
With the right tools, employee-generated videos are a cost-effective and scalable option for creating onboarding videos.
If you’d like to see how StoryTagger helps you capture the videos you need for onboarding, early careers, development programmes, DE&I and more, speak to one of our team.
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Onboarding stories
Through sharing stories, Adidas helped 250 new starters feel emotionally attached to their mission and values. Want to know how they did this?
