Training videos for employees: how to make one that gets watched

Training videos for employees work best when they save time on the floor, not just in a meeting. If a cashier needs to learn how to void a sale, or a new hire needs to log into the till, a short film can beat a long handbook.

The trick is simple. Teach one job. Show the steps in order. Keep the words plain. Then put the video where staff already look.

What should a training video for employees teach first?

Teach one job and one outcome first. Do not try to explain the whole company in one film. Pick the task people need today, then make that task clear from start to finish.

Good first topics are opening a shift, logging a return, handling a refund, or sending a report. If the task has five steps, teach five steps. If it has twenty, split it up into several short films. One film per job is easier to watch and easier to fix later.

If you are making a safety or procedure video, use a more detailed structure here: Training and safety videos: how to make a procedure people follow.

How long should employee training videos be?

As a rough working range, most training videos work best at 45 to 120 seconds each. That is long enough to explain a task, but short enough to replay during a shift.

If the job takes longer, split it into parts. Use one video for setup, one for the main action, and one for the handoff. That way, a manager can send the right clip at the right time instead of saying, “Watch the long one again.”

Short videos are also easier to update. If one button changes, you do not need to remake the whole thing.

What should you say in the script?

Start with the goal, then list the steps in order. The first line should tell people what they will learn. After that, use short sentences and plain work words.

Here is a tiny sample for a refund video:

• Today you will learn how to start a refund.
• Open the order on the screen.
• Check the receipt and choose the refund option.
• Confirm the amount.
• Tell the customer the refund is done.

Read the script out loud before you use it. If you stumble, the final voice will stumble too. Cut any sentence that says the same thing twice. Also cut polite fluff. Staff want the useful part.

If you already have notes, a policy, or a doc, you can turn that into a film from a script or a document: A film from a script or a document.

What should you show on screen?

Show the real thing whenever you can. That might be the screen, the tool, the shelf, the form, or the machine. People trust what they can match to their own work.

Use this simple rule. If the task is on a computer, show screen captures. If the task is hands-on, show live shots or clear animation of the movement. If the task is a mix of both, use a mix. A screen capture helps with clicks. A live shot helps with grip, placement, and timing. Animation helps when the steps are hard to film cleanly or the process is easier to explain with shapes and labels.

Use close-ups for buttons, labels, and hand movements. Use on-screen text for names, codes, and warning lines. If the viewer must remember one number, put that number on screen. Do not make them hunt for it in the voice.

If the task happens on a website, you can turn that page into a short brand film: Turn your website into a short brand film.

Do you need live video, animation, or both?

Use live video when the person, place, or tool matters. Use animation when the idea is hard to film cleanly, changes often, or would look messy in the real space.

A mix often works best. Film the real handoff, animate the tricky part, then return to the real world. That keeps the video grounded and still lets you explain the hard bit.

Nine makes short animated films with a voice, music and sound effects, so it can handle the parts that are awkward to shoot.

How do you make the video easy to review and update?

Give reviewers a private link so they can watch without an account and leave notes on exact moments. That saves time when someone says, “Change the second step,” instead of writing a long email.

Use a simple review loop. First, send the draft to the person who knows the task. Next, fix only what matters. Last, save the final version and store the script with it, so the next update starts in the right place. If a label changes or a step moves, you can adjust colours, pace, framing, word size, music, and the start and end point by hand. Every saved version is kept.

How should employees watch it on the job?

Put the video where people already work. For onboarding, a page on the company site or intranet is usually best. For floor staff, a QR code near the tool or register is often faster. For repeated reference, a shared internal page can work well, since people can find the clip again without asking twice.

Make the format fit the place. A phone screen needs different framing than a website banner. Nine films come in wide, tall, and square shapes, so one film can fit a website, a phone, and a feed.

If you want the film to sit over your own footage or page, a transparent version can help.

What makes people actually finish a training video?

Name the task right away. In the first five seconds, say what job the video covers. That helps people know they are in the right place.

Keep the pace steady. Cut extra scenes. Do not pile three jobs into one clip. If the lesson has a natural pause, use it. A short pause after a key step helps the viewer catch up before the next one.

Director’s joke: A training video should not need a training video to survive lunch break.

How do you start without a big production team?

Start with one common task and one rough script. That is enough for a useful first draft. You do not need a studio day to get moving.

You can begin from a sentence, a template, a voice recording, a document, or a website address. For example, a manager can write, “Show how to clock in, start the till, and open the shift.” That one line can become the first draft of a film.

If you want a plain intro to the studio first, start here: What is Nine (nine.film)? The film studio, not the 2009 film. If you want to try the format before a full project, start with a free film to try.

What is a good first workflow?

Use this order:

1. Step 1

   Pick one task. Choose the job people need first, like a refund, a login, or a shift handoff.

2. Step 2

   Write the script. Keep it short and store the draft in the same place as the notes.

3. Step 3

   Gather the source material. Collect screenshots, photos, screen recordings, or a document before you build.

4. Step 4

   Make a draft. Check the order, the pace, and the on-screen words.

5. Step 5

   Review it once. Ask one person who knows the task to flag only the real problems.

6. Step 6

   Post it where staff can find it fast. Use the same place every time, so people do not have to hunt.

That order keeps the work practical. You are not making a cinema piece. You are making a small tool that helps someone finish a job correctly.

If you need a short film from a work doc, a script, or a URL, Nine can start from any of those. A film of your own comes with a plan, and plans are listed on the prices page.