“You received the user guide by email.” Every new hire has heard that sentence. And all of them ended up asking a colleague, because nobody opens a 40-page PDF.
Internal video solves exactly that problem: it explains once, properly, and then serves everyone. Here is how to make it useful rather than burdensome.
Myths and reality
- Myth: “An internal video doesn’t need to look polished.” Reality: it is seen by your teams, your future colleagues and sometimes your clients. Inaudible sound or a messy image says something about your company.
- Myth: “The longer it is, the more complete it is.” Reality: an employee watches to the end what answers their question. A one-to-three-minute tutorial on a single subject sticks better than an hour of back-to-back training.
- Myth: “It’s expensive for a small audience.” Reality: a welcome or safety video serves every new arrival, for months, without tying up someone each time.
Four uses that really pay off
Onboarding
A word from the CEO, a tour of the premises, an introduction to the teams, the first steps of the first week. On the day they arrive, the newcomer already knows who’s who. It is also an employer brand moment: you show the real atmosphere, not the one from the brochure. To go further, see our article on employer branding on video.
Training and tutorials
Using the invoicing tool, setting up a machine, filling in a leave request: we film the screen or the gestures, with a clear voice. Every recurring question becomes a video you can find in two clicks.
Safety
Safety instructions are easier to remember when you see the right gesture in the real workshop or the real warehouse. Film on site, with your own equipment and volunteer colleagues: it is recognised immediately, and works better than generic footage.
Leadership communication
A short video after a quarter, an announcement about the organisation, a New Year message: the voice and the face carry a tone that an email can’t convey. Three minutes, one message, no corporate waffle.
Which format for which need?
| Need | Recommended format | Pitfall to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Welcoming newcomers | A series of short chapters | A single endless video |
| Software tutorial | Screen capture with commentary, one task per video | Talking too fast |
| Safety instruction | Demonstration filmed on site | Generic footage unrelated to your premises |
| Message from the CEO | Interview or to-camera, 2 to 3 minutes | Reading a text without breathing |
Subtitles: not a bonus
In an open-plan office, a noisy workshop or a train, people often watch without sound. Subtitles make the video usable anywhere, and essential for your deaf or hard-of-hearing colleagues. They also help those who work in a language other than that of the video. Worth noting: the RGAA accessibility framework in France, which applies to certain websites, requires synchronised subtitles for pre-recorded videos. It is a good quality benchmark, even when you are not bound by it.
Where do you host videos that aren’t public?
Be careful not to post an internal video publicly. On YouTube, an “unlisted” video remains visible to anyone who has the link: it is not a safe. A “private” video is only shared with chosen people. Vimeo offers several levels: private for your team, password-protected, or limited to authenticated members of an organisation on business plans. Depending on how sensitive the content is (organisation chart, processes, client information), your IT department may also prefer your intranet.
Tip Shoot several videos in a single day, with the same set and the same lighting. You get a consistent library for the price of one shoot, and you won’t have to redo everything as soon as a detail changes: one chapter to replace, not the whole series.
At that dog, we love these discreet projects that save time for an entire company. We can shoot all your internal videos in a few days, take care of the sound, the subtitles and the visual consistency, and plan them with our year-round support if you produce them regularly.
Videos that work inside your company
Tell us what your teams ask about most often: we’ll turn it into videos that everyone watches.