Onboarding is a significant process for any Housing Association as it can define the success of new hires in the organisation. Currently, there are various methods employed to onboard new employees.

In this blog, we will be discussing the effectiveness of induction videos compared to traditional onboarding methods in Housing Associations. We will explore the pros and cons of each method and help you understand which method is better to use for your organisation.

Consistent Induction Messaging

Induction videos, regardless of the number of times they are played, provide the same information with the same messaging. In contrast, traditional methods such as in-person training sessions would have slightly different messaging due to various trainers’ delivery styles. To ensure your new hires are receiving the same message, Induction videos are more effective.

Speed Up Your Onboarding

Induction videos are perfect for new hires to watch during their free time, taking no longer than 30 minutes to complete. This avoids lengthy presentations or documents.

With traditional training methods, there may be information overload, leading to new hires being overwhelmed or losing interest. Induction videos condense this information, ensuring the new employees’ full attention without distractions.

Induction Videos Enhance Retention

Induction videos can be engaging and memorable, helping new employees to absorb and retain information about the Housing Association — and can always be watched again if the new employee feels that they need to recap a particular topic.

Traditional methods, like presentations and workshops, can be fun and interactive, which are also good strategies to make inductions memorable, but they can’t easily be referred back to as easily as an induction video.

Tailored For Different Roles

Although traditional training methods work well for an overview of the business, they’re more limited in their ability to cover role-specific details.

Induction videos, however, can be tailored to suit different roles. This means new hires can receive specifically what is necessary for them to perform effectively. Highly tailored induction information can help to make the induction feel more personalised and simplify new hire training.

Save Resources

Induction videos can be viewed by multiple new employees at different times and places. This reduces the need for repetitive in-person training sessions, ultimately saving resources in cost, time and effort.

In contrast, with traditional methods, trainers would incur costs for materials and time each time they run an in-person session.

Visual Showcase

Induction videos can visually showcase the organisation’s culture and values in an engaging way, leaving a vivid impression on new employees.

Traditional methods may struggle to convey culture and values in the same way, which may make it harder for new employees to connect how the culture and values apply in the day-to-day, leading to less memorable experiences.

Induction Videos are Available Anywhere, Anytime

Another benefit of induction videos is that they can be accessed anytime on any device, making them convenient for new hires.

By contrast, traditional methods tend not to be as accessible as they are subject to scheduling conflicts, room and resource availability (e.g. room with a projector and enough seating) and require your employees to be physically present.

Breaks Down Information

Traditional methods may come with an overwhelming amount of information, often delivered in a single day, which can be too much for a new employee to process at once.

Induction videos tend to break down information into digestible segments, promoting interest, ensuring retention and reducing the chances of new hires being overwhelmed.

Videos offer more flexibility in the delivery of the induction material, allowing it to be viewed over a longer period, helping to support people who need more time to process new information.

Personal Interaction

While induction videos offer many benefits, they lack the personal interaction that an in-person induction session can bring, like being able to ask for clarification and gather feedback in real-time. This creates personal relationships and increases engagement.

However, induction videos can be used to help build personal relationships with members of the team, like senior leaders, who cannot always be physically present at the induction session themselves.

Conclusion

In conclusion, induction videos vs traditional onboarding methods in Housing Associations have their advantages and disadvantages.

Induction videos are effective for consistent onboarding, condensing information, and improving retention rates. They allow for tailored inductions and offer resource savings, visual showcasing, and accessibility. New employees can access videos anytime, anywhere, and track their progress, fostering personal interaction and relationship-building in the organisation.

If you think induction videos could help improve the onboarding process at your Housing Association, why not book a strategy call or get in touch on 01225 970242?