11 Employee Onboarding Video Examples That (Actually) Work [+ How to Make One]

The goal of onboarding is to acquaint your new hires with the company culture and policies and get them up to speed with the process. An easy way to do that is by leveraging an employee onboarding video.

An employee onboarding video (or orientation video) is a tool employers use to communicate their core values, provide a glimpse of what to expect, and introduce them to fellow staff members.

Companies have been using these corporate videos to deliver memorable onboarding experiences forever. Round up the recruits for an employee orientation session in a boardroom, play the clip on a projector screen, and you're done – that's how the onboarding process usually starts.

However, employers have also started to use these videos as critical tools for remote employee onboarding. Especially now, with the rise of working from home, others will have to do the same.

What does a perfect new hire video look like? In this post, we've compiled a list of 11 outstanding examples of new hire videos to inspire you and get those wheels turning.

11 Awesome Employee Onboarding Videos

Creating the perfect onboarding video – whether for remote workers, office employees, or both – is challenging. The most difficult parts are getting the message right and using an appropriate idea to execute everything.

Thankfully, there are a lot of great onboarding videos that you can look at to get a little inspiration. These are a few of our favorites:

Google - An Intern’s First Week

When you think of great company cultures, Google is probably one of the first names that pop into your mind. They did a fantastic job at delivering that message in this video:

The clip features five summer interns from different backgrounds, sharing their unique experiences – from their first days to the specific projects they worked on. Naturally, joining such a demanding program is nerve-wracking. That's why the overall theme of the video is warm and welcoming.

If you offer an internship or trainee program, crafting a similar video goes a long way in creating a pleasant onboarding experience for your new hires.

Grubhub - A Day in the Life of a Driver

Grubhub has a massive workforce of drivers who deliver food to your doorstep. While the job may seem pretty straightforward, it entails frequent challenges few could anticipate.

To help recruits, Grubhub made this training video of a fellow driver walking them through one of his deliveries and sharing his tips and tricks:

The video takes us through a list of standard operating procedures (SOPs), i.e., what to do to ensure a smooth delivery.

A few things we like about this video are that it's simple, short, and conversationally discusses insider tips. If you deal with clients daily and are about to hire new employees, you should consider taking a page out of Grubhub's book.

Zendesk - This is Zendesk

While the voice and tone you want to demonstrate depend on your culture and the message you want to send, you don't have to use fancy vocabulary to impress your new employees. Usually, simple is better.

That's the approach Zendesk took while writing the script for their onboarding video. The simple "This is Zendesk" video takes us through different photos showing what to expect at the Zendesk headquarters, introducing the teams, and building up to discussing the company's core values.

The result? A simple and effective video that can not only set you up for successful onboarding but also help attract competent profiles for new roles.

Remember – If you're onboarding remote employees, you don't have to skip showing the actual work environment in action. Instead, use this opportunity to establish an emotional connection and make them feel like a part of the team.

Zappos - Company Culture at a Glance

To communicate the message of your core values through the onboarding video, you don't necessarily have to use high production values. Sometimes, gathering the whole gang and letting them speak their heart is better.

Zappos used the same approach for this clip:

The video starts with shots of their HQ, followed by the team members introducing themselves. They then list the core values at Zappos and share their typical routines. In less than 6 minutes, the video paints a complete picture of what to expect when you work at Zappos.

HubSpot - Storytelling at its Best

Storytelling is the key to creating an engaging new hire onboarding video. The two essential ingredients of successful storytelling are:

• An exciting narrative – whether factual or fictional – that's relevant and worth listening to

• An entertaining & captivating voice

HubSpot used both while creating this video about their company culture:

In just three and a half minutes, the clip takes you through the company's complete history and introduces the team, the benefits they enjoy, and the values they try to uphold – all told entertainingly.

Intuit - A Welcome Message From the CEO

Many employees in large companies – especially those in different regions – don't get to establish personal connections with the founders/CEOs. However, the folks at Intuit found a loophole and made this welcome video for new employees featuring former CEO Brad Smith:

On their first day (or before that), new Intuit employees watch one of their leaders share his journey. He adds that every individual at Intuit gets to choose their career path as long as they add value to the company.

Zynga - What Work is Like

Zynga's onboarding video starts with a developer sharing a personal (and somewhat embarrassing) aspect of his job to relieve the nervous new team member on day one.

Then they provide an overview of the company and share the best things about working at Zynga.

Canva - Work Smarter, Not Harder

Canva's video provides a fun look at modern corporate offices and their energetic approach to all their work. It opens with a staff member rolling around the office on a skateboard to show you how fun it is to work at Canva, followed by the Co-founder, Melanie Perkins, who introduces the company's vision through an inspirational story.

In less than three minutes, the video features staff members at all levels, focusing on the millennial-driven values to establish a friendly environment, and still introduces the Canva product features. The colorful video features terrific music and appeals to any creative genius looking to join a software company.

Atlassian - The Strength of Teamwork

Since COVID, people have had to adjust to the changes, and Atlassian went with the flow. The Atlassian team video is unique and effective mainly because it features the firm in a warm, family-like atmosphere. They also allow employees to work from home: they're very flexible with this rule.

Their unique culture is displayed with strong team images, directly reflecting the Atlassian mission of bringing out people's best version and potential through teamwork. The best thing about Atlassian is their teamwork and their open-plan office design.

If your company also offers excellent communal or social areas that bring everyone together in a physical space, you can create an onboarding video similar to Atlassian's.

Annie's - Feel Free at Work

Annie's onboarding video takes us through their company's culture and values. The clip features the staff members talking about their roles and what they love most about their work: from being allowed to work out at their company's gym to bringing their pets to work and making a difference worldwide with their products.

Annie's is an excellent example of an employee onboarding video that focuses on the combined value of a team. Anyone watching the video is convinced of how fun it is working at their company.

Starbucks - A Second Home

Starbucks did a great job using its onboarding video to encourage growth in new employees. They featured short clips of some members mentioning their trajectory and work experience at Starbucks. New employees get the opportunity to hear comments from team members about their growth and what inspires them.

This shows that any employee has room to grow at Starbucks and many opportunities to make a difference, whether you want to work at their coffee shops or the office.

The Secret Sauce for Nailing Your Employee Onboarding Video

A new hire video is a critical component of an onboarding checklist.

As highlighted earlier, creating an employee onboarding video from scratch takes a lot of work. Before we jump onto the specific advice, here is a quick checklist of essential things that your video should cover:

• A brief overview of the company

• The core values of your company culture

• An intro of the team

• An overview of the job

• What the day-to-day routine is like

• The benefits of working at your company

Here are some expert tips on creating the perfect new hire video:

Come Up with an Idea

First, you need to develop a unique idea. Do you want to turn it into a story like HubSpot? Take a minimalist approach like Zendesk? Or do you want to emphasize something you care about as a company?

Get those creative juices flowing and work with your team or agency to develop an original concept for your employee onboarding video.

Express Your Core Values

Company culture and onboarding are often discussed together and with good reason. Getting your employees up-to-speed with the culture is essential to the process. An easy way to do that is by communicating your core values (the foundation of your company culture).

One thing that was common in almost all of the videos we examined – they communicated their values in one way or the other, and you should strive to do the same.

Communicate a Purpose

Depending on your requirements and what you hope to achieve with your employee onboarding video, include any other messages you want (as long as they're relevant to the new employee).

This could be something about the job description, day-to-day life, or what you expect from your new recruits.

End On an Optimistic Note

It's essential to end your video on a positive note. The goal is to make a great first impression and to make the new hire's first week as awesome as possible.

Tools to Create Onboarding Videos On Any Budget

We've all heard that a picture's worth a thousand words, but videos are 2x effective. Videos are compelling when attracting new employees and advertising your business. It's much easier to express feelings and emotions through videos than text.

But videos need to be authentic and good quality. So, it's crucial to equip yourself or your team with tools to shoot a real video clip and edit it to reflect all the amazing things about your organization and employees. 

It may seem like a challenging and expensive process, but there are tools specifically designed to make things easier. That's why we took the liberty to highlight a few of the best tools to make your employee onboarding video a success:

Your Smartphone

Most of us already have everything we need to create a professional video. Even video content creators utilize smartphone cameras to shoot videos, plus it's a lot easier. After all, newer smartphones have some of the best cameras available. With plenty of apps designed to allow you to improve and expand your camera's full potential, you can easily create incredible and top-notch videos on your mobile device.

Biteable

Biteable is one of the world's simplest video makers, and for a good reason. The tool features a simple drag-and-drop timeline function with a fast preview and publishing setting. It's straightforward to edit and create engaging videos. With tons of stock animations, image scenes, and ready-made templates, you have many styles to choose from. You can also upload your own videos, images, or music to your projects.

PowerPoint

Maybe you have a few slideshows for your business that you can reprocess or some images from your last company function that best describes your company's social side. You can leverage PowerPoint, convert it into a video, add a voiceover and engaging music for the background, and add it to your onboarding workflow. You'll have exciting content with no hassle whatsoever.

Final Thoughts

The new hire video is just one of the many pieces of the employee onboarding puzzle. These videos can be a great way to improve your recruitment process. Fortunately, you have all the tools and knowledge to create a compelling onboarding video with the help of our guide. But remember to include all the necessary parts about your company because it plays a massive role in the onboarding experience.

In addition, please pay attention to other critical factors, such as sorting out the new hire paperwork, providing access to training material, and making them feel like a part of the family. To make things easier, you can use a modern human resource platform with new hire onboarding capabilities, such as GoCo.