It’s finally here — the much-anticipated day one of your new job. You’re a mix of nerves and caffeine, ready to make a killer first impression.
But instead of diving into the company culture or meeting your new team members, you’re handed a 50-page PDF of company policy and a stack of login instructions.
First impressions mean everything, and one way to make a lasting one is by creating a memorable employee welcome video. While many companies opt for a simple office tour, others go for a more creative approach to ensure their video content is engaging and informative. Whether your team is in-office or remote, the first week is a critical window for new hires to build a sense of belonging.
The secret is showing, not just telling. By looking at real-world employee onboarding video examples, you can see how different industries use video to turn new employees into high-performing teammates. While traditional video production used to be a long marathon, new technologies like Lucas, our AI video creator, can help speed the employee onboarding process by turning existing docs like an employee FAQ into a professional video in minutes.
You don’t need a Hollywood budget to create high-quality professional videos. Some of the most effective video examples come from brands that prioritize authenticity over polish. By using a simple web interface, you can create cinematic quality videos — no video animation or editing skills needed.
1. The Culture Montage: Intuit
Intuit uses a “We Are Intuit” montage to introduce new employees to the brand through the eyes of their peers. This video features actual footage from employee meetings and the employee onboarding process to give an authentic look at the work environment.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- The power of the group. A montage of new employees and veterans giving positive one-word answers is a powerful tool to draw the viewer in.
- Authentic B-roll. Using actual footage from internal meetings makes the company culture look welcoming and real.
2. Personalized Onboarding: UPS
We helped UPS create an employee onboarding video that’s uniquely personalized to welcome new hires by name and guide them through their onboarding experience. Instead of a generic greeting, it’s a 1:1 interaction that makes the new employee feel valued from the moment they start.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- Instant relevance. By leveraging employee data, the video is hyper-tailored to the individual’s new role and requirements.
- Scalable human touch. This video is personalized for each individual and can be easily scaled to any number of employees using automation rather than manual effort.
3. The Presidential Welcome: MSU Denver
The Metropolitan State University of Denver uses a traditional welcome message from their top leader (in this case, the university president, but you’ll often see a CEO in a similar role). Overlaid on that is B-roll that shows the campus, giving new employees a taste of the vibrant community they’re joining. It’s a simple orientation video that makes a great first impression.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- Cultural highlights. Using B-roll of the actual campus environment allows new hires to visualize their future and help them get a sense of what MSU Denver is all about.
- Leadership connection. Hearing directly from the top person makes the organization feel transparent and welcoming, critical for your first day.
4. The Campus Tour: Riot Games
Speaking of showcasing your campus, this team video helps employees get used to their space by walking them through their first day. The narrator introduces not just the various places but what you might do there, while throwing in a dash of humor throughout. Laugh along with the various pronunciations of LaCroix and clever wordplay like the “comfortable couches of Demacia” and a detailed account of a theoretical pour-over with a 3D-printed foamy French bulldog.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- Campus pride. Aerial shots and high-quality video production showcase the unique and fun aspects of the office campus.
- Easter eggs. Using beloved works from the brand itself creates an immediate bond with new hires who are fans of the games.
5. High-Impact Professionalism: Adobe
Adobe’s welcome video begins with a montage of employees followed by executive leaders introducing the company’s history and mission. It is a bright, well-shot and simple presentation of what the brand stands for.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- CEO spotlight. Having leadership personally welcome new employees helps them feel connected to the company’s vision.
- Diversity. Showing a variety of employees shows how diverse Adobe’s team is, helping each new team member feel welcome.
6. History Snapshot: Dunkin’
Dunkin’ uses a simple animated orientation video to help new employees learn how the brand got started back in 1950 and how it’s grown since. Of course, the brand has changed from Dunkin’ Donuts to Dunkin’ with its rebrand in 2019, so this isn’t the current employee onboarding video, but it’s still a great example of how to cover your brand history in an engaging, fun-to-watch way.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- Engaging storytelling. The fun animation turns a long brand timeline into a quick, digestible history lesson.
- Cultural foundation. Learning about the products, customer appreciation and flavors around the world (apricot doughnuts in Lebanon, anyone?) helps new hires understand the brand’s growth and scope.
7. The First Week Roadmap: Google
Google’s intern video feels like a short documentary. It features interviews with interns and “Googlers” from across the company talking about what the first week is like so viewers get a real sense of what the day-to-day is like. The video clips are high-production value (as suits Google), providing a top-notch onboarding experience.
A few reasons this succeeds:
- Guided journey. It walks learners through the specific roadmap of their first week on the job.
- Emotional finish. Ending with a powerful line leaves new team members with a strong, positive feeling.
Personalized Video for the Right First Impression
If a generic training video is good, a Personalized Video is better — 4x better, according to the latest data, if you want to make the viewer feel valued by the company. Imagine a new employee receiving a video on their first day that greets them by name and walks them through a playlist of training modules curated just for them. This isn’t just about dropping a name into a scene; it is about creating a unique story for each individual.
By leveraging your data, this video creation process is fully automated and scalable. You can send a highly engaging onboarding video campaign to millions of new employees, and each one will feel like it was made just for them. This builds immediate brand trust and loyalty, which is critical during that first week.
The results of this 1:1 attention are staggering. Brands using Personalized Video see up to 10x higher engagement. When new hires get a video that is theirs, they are far more likely to pay attention and retain information.
Scaling Your Onboarding Videos With AI
The biggest barrier to video has always been the video production cycle. It is often perceived as expensive and time-consuming. But with Lucas, our AI video creator, those barriers are gone. Now, anyone on your HR or L&D team can use video templates or a simple prompt to create great onboarding videos in minutes.
Lucas is a breeze to work with. You don’t need any technical expertise — just type your vision in a few words and voila! Lucas transforms your input into a ready-to-use video in seconds. You can even turn existing materials like a PDF or webpage into an effective video, a great way to repurpose content you already have. And of course, you can easily make edits, no special tech skills needed. You’re in charge here.
Part of what makes Lucas enterprise-grade is his ability to stay on brand. He learns from your approved content, voice and visual styles to ensure every orientation video is accurate and on message.
Plus, he’s the only AI tool that can personalize videos at scale, instantly generating any number of employee videos (we could literally do millions — as we have time and again for consumer campaigns). Each one is high quality, accurate and perfectly reflects your brand.
Best Practices for Your Video Onboarding Strategy
Ready to start your video creation journey? Here are some pro tips to ensure your onboarding videos deliver results.
- Keep it short. Aim for 2-5 minutes per topic to keep attention high and use small paragraphs to keep text-based info digestible.
- Be conversational. Talk like a human, use contractions, and don’t be afraid to throw in a dash of humor to build a connection.
- Use voiceover effectively. Enhance the viewing experience with a clear voiceover and subtitles for accessibility. Paired with text-to-speech, AI avatars can work well for this.
- Use data to personalize. A first name is a great place to start, and that’s fine if it’s all you have. But you can also personalize with the name of the role, their supervisor, start date and much more.
- Make it actionable. Add interactive CTAs, quizzes or even a quick poll so employees can complete their next steps right from the video.
- Think omnichannel. Distribution should be flexible. Share your videos via email, social media or your internal app or knowledge base.
- Iterate with AI. Don’t spend months on one video. Use AI to launch campaigns in days and make updates as your strategy evolves.
The Future of Employee Onboarding Videos
As we look toward the future, employee orientations are — thankfully — moving away from mega PDFs. Video is the focus, and Next Gen Video elevates it that much further.
Video that is hyper-personalized, interactive and powered by AI is more than an onslaught of information for employees. It really is part of an experience, welcoming them to the company and making them feel at home.
And isn’t that what you want for your new hires?
