Many dairy producers ask where they can find good training videos for dairy employees, as YouTube and other video platforms are lacking good dairy training content. Finding the right video for your operation is not easy, as the content of external videos can be very different to what you are looking for, such as your specific milking routine. A large percentage of dairy employees working in dairies of different sizes believe that training videos are an effective way to ensure their retention and acquire new knowledge. More and more, we see the integration of workers that have more difficulties understanding written protocols, so the creation of customized videos for your operation could be a tool to attract, retain, train and engage dairy workers.
Visual training in this era is very important, and it is an easy way to explain protocols, ideas and content to your workers about a specific topic. In this article, we’ll share our ideas on how to create training videos on your own and provide you with tips on how to make them effective.
What is a training video?
A training video provides applicable knowledge so your employees can learn necessary information before they are assigned to their new or existing roles. These videos will have the information they need to understand the “why” and “how” about any specific area of the dairy and is presented by you, another co-worker or using a voiceover. Watching a video is a simple way to gain new knowledge and then they can go into more detail through one-on-one training in the field.
Why create training videos?
Using videos for employee training is more compelling and engaging than just using written protocols. It combines sound and picture and involves more of our senses. A short, customized training video for your dairy can make a process more vivid and consequently more engaging. For example, videos allow you to explain in a very easy way why we have to stimulate cows in the parlor using a good video of a cow with good milk letdown.
Training videos improve knowledge retention and can be accessed anytime and anywhere, especially during the onboarding process. You can present these videos to new employees to explain standard operating procedures (SOPs), and you can also present these videos to correct and address protocol drifting to existing employees. Videos can also reduce training costs, and you have the option to create your own training style, such as demonstrations, presenter videos, narration and more.
Step 1: Connect with your audience by creating a video script
If you want to achieve good training results, the first thing you need to do is connect with your audience by having your ideas in order. Write a script with all the ideas you want to communicate and think about your audience. It is very important to start your script with a title and explain the reason behind the training video. As you are writing the script, think about the locations where you want to record the video and make sure the content is aligned with what you want the audience to learn. Think about if you want to be in the video or if one of your workers wants to present the information in the video or if you want to only use a narration style. If you can, include animations in the video. For example, if your video content is related to your milking routine, include a video animation that explains how oxytocin helps the cow during the milking process.
If you or one of your workers will be in the video, it is important to be aware of your appearance, including clothing, uniforms, hats with your logo, etc., as they should match the expectations your learners have of a person in your position. It's also essential that the locations you pick to record your training video are a fair representation of your message. You don’t want to be wearing a dirty uniform in a dirty parlor when you are explaining milk quality to your employees.
Step 2: Equipment needed to record a customized employee training video
There is an abundance of equipment that can be used to create a training video, from professional video cameras, microphones, lighting, audio devices, camera stabilizers, drones, GoPro cameras, etc. But you can easily create a training video yourself with a cellphone or video camera. You want to ensure that you have a clear picture and sound when recording your own videos.
Step 3: Video editing software
Preparation for recording is essential to make post-production smoother; proper editing tools will do the rest. There are many options in the market to help you edit your video. It is important that you become familiar with the program you will be using before starting the video production. Make sure to understand how to add titles, subtitles, transitions, sound and other basic video applications to make your video engaging and easy to understand. I like to add background music to our videos to create a better learning experience.
Step 4: Start recording your training video
You should do a run-through of your script, talking points, locations, camera, people involved in the production, timing, etc. When you are ready, start recording the scenes one by one and follow the content of your script to make sure that you are capturing every video you will need to use to explain the information presented in your script.
Step 5: Edit your training video
Start editing the video by first erasing unwanted material and selecting the images you want to use for your project. Label each of the selections you made to make the editing process smoother. During the editing process it is very important to add annotations to help to grab the attention of viewers and keep them engaged.
Every training video should start with a title that tells the audience what you are going to talk about. The use of subtitles can help to find specific places in a video without watching it from the very beginning and inform the audience about transitions within the main presentation. You can use bullet points to list rules, techniques or other important points. It also will help to focus the viewer’s attention on important information, such as the order of steps of a milking routine.
Keep your videos short
People have short attention spans, so keep this in mind when creating training videos. We try to make our customized training videos no longer than 10 minutes, but if you have a lot of information to share with your dairy workers, you can break down to a series of shorter video lessons.
Some dairies like to perform a knowledge check after their workers have watched a video with the help of an easy quiz.
I hope this article has given you some ideas on how to record a training video with no video production experience. They require time and effort but investing in this kind of resource will improve the learning experience, engagement and employee retention.
