Are organisations utilising video effectively to communicate internally?

With employee engagement at only 48% in the UK, according to recent research by ORC International, organisations have an issue to address. Engaged employees are by definition more motivated, will produce better work, and more of it, and they are more likely to stay with an organisation for longer. However this research shows that half of the UK workforce is not engaged in their current roles.

A challenge often facing organisations seeking to increase the level of employee engagement is how to effectively communicate internally, when they may have employees in multiple countries and locations, employees working away from the traditional office centres and people in a variety of roles that may or may not involve connection via a laptop or PC.

Communications by video is a channel that a number of organisations are turning to, both in terms of live video events and the provision of on-demand video content, to achieve employee engagement and facilitate internal communication.

There are a variety of reasons for this…

Employee Voice: video empowers employees to share their skills, ideas and experience. They can create their own videos and make these available to colleagues, management and the wider company around them.

Demand for video: there is a natural demand for the technologies and tools employees use in their daily lives. The majority of employees now engage with video every day, through services such as YouTube, Skype or online news media. Organisations that provide these tools are more likely to engage with their employees as a result. Video is also a social form of media, working well in tandem with the internal social media tools deployed.

Senior management: in large companies, the CEO and senior directors may be known by name only, however video empowers these executives to communicate with the wider workforce easily on a regular basis, relaying key messages, company vision and culture. Through video, senior management can engage with individual employees and demonstrate their leadership.

Flexibility: video is incredibly flexible in a number of ways. For example video can be accessed at any time with a number of devices, whether through a laptop in an office or via a mobile device while an employee is travelling or working remotely. This allows employees to engage with their organisation at times that suit them, during periods that might otherwise be wasted or lost.

Creators empowered: with the vast majority of employees using a smartphone, either personally or company provided, they have the capability to create video content easily. Providing the ability to share and distribute this content allows employees to communicate easily with others in the organisation.

Timely: during times of crisis or uncertainty, communications by video is effective in reaching the majority of the workforce, and at delivering clear messages when they are needed the most.

Measureable: a key element of any internal communications or employee engagement programme is the ability to message impact and involvement by employees. Enterprise video solutions offer useful data, right through from basics such as number of views, shares and comments, but also detailed information such as which workstations or devices have accessed a particular video.

An organisation that opens such powerful channels of communication and is successful at engagement will benefit hugely from the ideas and passion of their most important resource – their employees.

Martin Nurser, Vice President, EMEA, Qumu