A welcome video from the CEO or other senior leader is a great way to set the tone of your onboarding journey and help new hires feel at home.
Great welcome videos strike a balance between formal and casual, offering up important information in a way that feels intimate and easy.
The problem is, HR often doesn’t have the tools and/or skillset at their disposal to be able to create an effective welcome video.
Or at least, they don’t THINK they do.
Today we’re laying out a super-simple, step-by-step guide to creating the PERFECT onboarding welcome video - with no previous videography experience.
Let's dive in!
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Step 1: Selecting and prepping your interview subject |
The key to a successful interview is choosing the right interview subject. Who you choose will depend on the tone of your welcome video - it may be from a supervisor, a branch manager, or even the CEO or other senior leader.
Some tips for selecting your interview subject
→ Try and choose someone who is at ease communicating in a social setting.
→ If your preferred candidate doesn’t feel comfortable, don’t force them into it.
Once you’ve found the right candidate, give them a clear timeline for the project with assigned tasks for both parties.
Be sure to include:
→ What the video is for and where it will be used
→ How long the shoot will take
→ What they need to wear
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Step 2: Getting the story right |
We suggest breaking your story into 3 to 5 individual components. This way, your subject doesn’t have to memorize a big long script. They can tackle each component separately with space to zoom in on each section.
A standard welcome video from a CEO could include the following compartments:
Part 1: Intro
"Welcome to the team, I’m Jane, CEO here at Company X…”
Part 2: Short History
“Over the last 15 years, CompanyX has grown from a small team of two…” Part 3: Values & Vision
“Here at CompanyX, we value trust, collaboration, and going the extra mile…” Part 4: Good luck and see you soon!
“I wish you the best of luck in your new role and can’t wait to…”
Build each component out as a draft script and share them with your interview subject, so they can make it their own.
In addition to your story components, you’ll need an intro and an outro. This can be as simple as a logo on a cored background, or as complex as a custom logo animation if you have one on hand.
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Step 3: Equipment |
If you don’t have professional video equipment at hand, you can still make a GREAT recording.
| The camera |
There’s a common misconception that you need fancy gear to make a professional-looking video. It’s simply not true! It’s likely your cell phone is more than capable of capturing reasonable-quality video, given the right set of circumstances. |
| Nice to have |
Sound can be a little more difficult. If you have a well-insulated room with very little echo, your phone microphone will probably give you what you need. If not, try picking up a cheap lapel mic that can plug directly into your mobile device. |
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Step 4: Choosing the location |
Choosing the right location can make a low-budget recording look expensive.
Follow these tips: Find good natural light
Be sure to choose a location that has a stable source of natural light that falls on your interview subject’s face (but avoid direct sunlight - cloudy, grey skies give the most consistent source of natural light).
Choose a dynamic backdrop
Introduce depth to your shoot but placing your interview subject in front of a plant or other decorative background element.
Work with neutral decor elements
Try and choose a ‘neutral’ space. Loud colors and patterns are harder to film and can distract from the message of the video.
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Step 5: Lights, camera, ACTION! |
When you’re filming, it’s important to do a few takes for everything, even when you think you ‘got the shot’. You never know when a shot might be unusable in the editing room, so it’s nice to have options.
Be sure to communicate with your interview subject. Give them feedback and guidance if they’re struggling and offer plenty of positive reinforcement.
Keep going back to your story. Have you got all the components? Going ‘off-book’ is fine when you’re filming, it’s all part of the process, but make sure you get the basics of what you need first.
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Step 6: Editing your masterpiece |
Editing your welcome video is probably the most challenging aspect of the process if you haven’t worked with videography before.
Luckily, there is a range of free, intuitive editing tools available that make the process a breeze.
We recommend Animoto or Canva. Both have easy-to-use features designed for a beginner skillset. You can make videos for free on both platforms however you will have to upgrade to one of their paid plans to remove their watermark and access the full range of features.
Here is a short video we made using an Animoto template. We filmed this on an iPhone8 with free stock music from the Animoto library.
For comparison, here is the Talmundo welcome video with our CEO, Sander Stevens. This video was shot using the same principles as laid out in this guide, we did however have access to a DSLR camera and a microphone.
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The takeaway_ |
Don’t let video intimidate you. It’s not as hard as it looks and there are heaps of easy-to-use, low-cost tools to help you find your way.
Just remember these three things and you’ll be a video vixen in no time.
→ Get the story right before you start.
→ Natural, consistent light is your friend.
→ Editing is easy - just use a free tool!
What are you waiting for? Get to it!
Want more onboarding content tips? Check out our on-demand webinar and learn how to create engaging new hire content like a pro_
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