A great induction isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s one of the most commercially valuable things a business can do.
Studies consistently show that when new employees have a positive onboarding experience, they become more productive, feel more connected to the business, and stay longer.
- Gallup found that effective onboarding makes employees 2.6 times more likely to feel extremely satisfied with their workplace.
- StrongDM reported that employees who have a positive first 90 days are 10 times more likely to stay.
In other words: good induction doesn’t just feel good – it generates ROI.
Yet many businesses still treat induction as a quick tour, a stack of PowerPoints, and a half-hearted introduction before sending someone on their way. Let’s look at how to fix that — and why video has become one of the most powerful tools for transforming the onboarding experience.
The Problem with Traditional Induction
In far too many organisations, induction looks like this:
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A quick walk around the office or site
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A few ad-hoc meetings
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A rushed PowerPoint
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A login or two (hopefully)
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And then… “off you go!”
This approach makes new starters feel like an inconvenience rather than a priority. Worse, it sets the tone that the business is disorganised, reactive and inconsistent.
And induction isn’t just about telling someone what the company does. It’s about giving them a meaningful first experience:
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Feeling welcomed
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Understanding the culture and values
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Knowing where things are
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Meeting key people
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Understanding how departments fit together
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And learning the practical stuff that lets them hit the ground running
When these things are missing, productivity slows, engagement drops — and you risk losing people before they’ve even settled.
Think of it like a first date. If your date forgets to book the restaurant, turns up late and expects you to pay, you’re probably not booking date number two. Same with a new job.
The Challenge: Consistency
Induction also suffers from one major operational problem: lack of consistency.
In multi-site organisations, inductions are often delivered by:
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Whoever is available
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Whoever shouts loudest
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Whoever has “done it before”
One site might give a brilliant induction; another might give a rushed 10-minute version. Some companies try to solve this by bringing everyone to HQ for a formal induction, but if that only happens once a week, your new starter might sit around for days with no structure. This isn’t good for them, and it certainly isn’t good for the business.
Where Video Inductions Make a Massive Difference
Video doesn’t replace in-person induction. Video supports it, and delivers the parts that are difficult, repetitive or inconsistent.
Here’s why video induction is so powerful:
1. Consistent Quality Every Time
A video delivers the exact same message – clearly, accurately, and in the right tone – to every new starter, on any site, at any time.
2. Available 24/7
Shift workers, night teams and remote staff don’t have to wait for an HR manager to be free. They can start learning straight away on their first shift.
3. Access to Senior Leadership
Not every new starter can meet the CEO or MD. But with video, every employee can hear directly from the people who shape the business.
4. Mix Real Footage and Animation to Enhance Understanding
Some things are best shown, not explained:
- Site walkthroughs
- Processes
- Safety instructions
- Culture and values
- Video lets you combine footage + animation to make things clearer and more engaging.
5. Cost-Effective vs. 100% In-Person Delivery
Running repeated inductions takes time, and time is money. Video reduces the load, allowing HR or managers to focus on what genuinely needs a human touch.
6. Environmentally Friendly
Less travel to central sites means a lower carbon footprint.
Mandatory Training Videos: More Than a Box-Ticking Exercise
Mandatory training, especially Health & Safety, fire awareness, manual handling, etc. is another area where video excels.
Video gives you:
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Guaranteed consistency
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Proof of instruction (important legally)
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The ability to provide multilingual alternatives for colleagues who don’t have English as a first language
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Higher levels of compliance
Of course, some training (e.g., fire extinguisher use) must include practical, in-person elements, but video can deliver the core instruction beforehand, saving time and improving understanding.
Treat Induction Videos Like a Sales Video — They Must Generate ROI
Every business investment should either:
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Make money, or
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Save money
Induction videos fall into the second category — and the ROI is often huge.
Let’s run a simple, realistic example.
ROI Calculation Example (Based on a £10,000 Induction Video Package)
So here are some very conservative assumptions but they help to illustrate how you might calculate a pay-back period for your organisation:
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Average employee salary: £30,000 per annum
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Cost of replacing an employee: 20% of salary ? £6,000
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You hire 20 people per year
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Without a strong induction, early attrition in year one is 20% (4 leavers)
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With a strong induction, that drops to 10% (2 leavers)
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Video saves 2 hours of manager/HR time per new starter
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Better induction adds just £200 of extra value per starter in month one
1. Savings from reduced attrition
2 fewer early leavers × £6,000 replacement cost = £12,000 saved per year
2. Savings from reduced induction time
20 starters × 2 hours saved × £25/hr = £1,000 saved per year
3. Extra value from higher productivity
20 starters × £200 extra value = £4,000 per year
Total annual benefit:
£12,000 (attrition) + £1,000 (time) + £4,000 (productivity) = £17,000
Against a £10,000 investment, you’ve effectively paid it back in well under a year. After that, the induction and training videos keep working for you — every new starter, every site, every year.
Summary
Induction and mandatory training shouldn’t be vague, inconsistent or rushed. They should be:
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Welcoming
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Clear
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Consistent
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Accessible
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Efficient
Video helps organisations deliver an induction that actually works – supporting new starters, saving time, enhancing compliance and ultimately delivering a real commercial return.
- You still need human connection.
- You still need site-specific guidance.
- But video fills the gaps, raises the standard, and keeps every new starter on the same page from day one.
If you want to improve productivity, retention and culture, investing in induction and training videos is one of the smartest and most cost-effective steps you can take.
