Though corporate video production usually centers around specific marketing goals or sometimes training videos for internal use, another type of video production is focused on creating a better employee culture and honoring top employees through a video. Though on the surface an employee award video may seem a questionable use of scarce marketing resources, the benefits can be much more substantial than initially envisioned. Not only can an employee award video instill loyalty in top employees, increasing retention of talent, but it can instill a company-wide feeling that top management notices and cares about the contributions of its employees. The video can also be crafted as a pseudo-training video for what types of strategies and behavior lead to great results, then shown throughout the company to improve performance.
A typical employee award video need not be expensive or complicated, but rather a simple way to honor the hard work and dedication of your best employees. Ideally, the shoot should be scheduled on a day where the employee can be shown performing regular tasks to capture some solid B-roll, then be available for an interview afterwards. Other employees who work regularly with the award-winning employee can provide additional commentary, speaking about the person’s disposition, hard work, and winning personality. An additional bonus is obtaining interview commentary from people who the employee serves, whether its regular customers, vendors, or residents of a care facility.
For several years, we have had the opportunity of working with Senior Lifestyle, a senior living company, to produce their annual Heart of Caring award videos. Each year, Senior Lifestyle chooses several employees company-wide who embody the company’s values and philosophy. Each winner is featured at the annual meeting and honored appropriately, part of which is the creation of a video for each award winner to be shown during the conference. The videos not only serve as a more tangible way for everyone to see the contributions of the award-winning employees, but also provide a lasting memory for them and for all of the people they have touched over the years.
Aside from showcasing employee award videos at an annual conference or sending them through internal networks, they can also be placed prominently on the company’s Website, promoted through newsletters and blogs, and otherwise leveraged to create a win-win situation for the company and the employee. Used properly, employee award videos have many benefits from employee retention and loyalty to customer loyalty and brand recognition to marketing and company messaging. Business legend Richard Branson once said, “If the person who works at your company is not appreciated, they are not going to do things with a smile.” In other words, happy employees mean better customer interactions, which is great for the business and for its employees.
