Employees not only want to hear from leadership at the top, they expect to. A November 2020 survey by the Zeno Group revealed that 54% of employees believe their CEO is an important and credible voice on the day’s top issues. In the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer report, 51% of survey respondents said they placed trust in their CEO. This statistic puts the corporate CEO ahead of journalists, religious leaders, and government leaders on the trust spectrum. And 74% of respondents indicated that CEOs of large enterprises should take the lead on instituting significant societal changes regarding climate change, income inequality, and racial injustice without waiting for the government to act.
Over the last year, CEOs felt increased pressure to be more visible with their employees, especially companies with many frontline workers. It’s no longer enough for leaders to share an occasional message recognizing a job well done by employees or to make a brief appearance at an employee town hall. Employees want to know where the CEO stands on various issues that impact their jobs and their lives outside of work. Executives who prioritize engaging regularly with their employees can increase trust, improve productivity, and retain valued employees.
The Power of Video
Video messages are one of the best ways for leaders to impart information to their employees because they’re the closest to an in-person conversation. When created properly, videos provide a vehicle for leaders to quickly communicate key messages to workers. For example, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon uses video each quarter to broadcast the company’s earnings report. He often breaks down Walmart’s financial performance, so employees understand how it impacts them. He also shares videos and photos of his interactions with employees at Walmart stores all over the country. Just recently, McMillon shared a video of his experience receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a Walmart pharmacy and encouraged workers to get theirs.
Video is also a way to engage with employees in an informal and personal way. Polyconcept North America created a series of coffee conversations in which the CEO, Neil Ringel, connected with small groups of employees via Zoom to discuss topics that were most important to them during the pandemic. He not only achieved a greater connection with these employees, but he gained trust across the entire organization because he brought their feedback to the leadership team and took action on it.
Not every company has outsided budget for internal communications, but HR leaders and internal comms professionals can still achieve strong results if they follow these best practices. Here are seven tips to ensure that your company’s executive videos get the results you want with your workforce.
- Establish a consistent cadence. Executives who rarely issue video messages could create a situation in which employees associate their videos with bad news about the company—more specifically, their jobs. It’s important to get out in front of this assumption by making video messages a regular part of your internal communications. Use video for a variety of messages, both positive and serious. The situation will dictate the tone your executive will take.
- Focus on “What’s in it for me?” Regardless of the message the executive wants to deliver, employees will want to know how this news impacts them. This is when empathy from the leader is essential, especially if the news is serious. If the message is about a change in policy, the video should add some context that explains why this is happening, so employees can understand and get on board with the change.
- Present a clear call to action. Any employee message should include an objective or goal for employees to achieve.. Coach your leaders to think through what they want employees to do, say, think, and or feel as a result of watching the video. And adding captions to a video helps ensure the video is accessible and can keep your audience focused and help retain the message.
- Bring authenticity to the message. Employees want to get to know the person behind the C-suite title and be able to relate to them at some level. This is an opportunity to share some humanity and vulnerability with your workforce. For example, Hamilton Health Sciences CEO Rob MacIsaac filmed a series of employee videos called “Teach Rob Your Job,” in which he learned from employees the basics of several different roles in the company.
- Consider the channels your video will live on. How will you share the finished video segment with employees? While the video is still in the conceptual phase, think about how it will be pushed out. You may want to shoot multiple versions of the video and segment its dissemination according to your audience. It will be important to optimize the video for mobile viewing since employees will watch it on their smartphones. And you’ll need a mobile-friendly way to share the video that is secure, to ensure that the content stays internal.
- Choose the right executive to deliver the message. Depending on the topic and goals of the message, it may not always make sense for the CEO to deliver it. There will be times when another member of the C-suite is a better choice. For example, the CFO may be a better spokesperson to explain how the company’s financial performance can impact things like pay raises, bonuses, etc.
- Follow up to reinforce the message. Let your leaders share the high-level, strategic message and use your traditional comms channels for follow-up. If the executive video communicates some kind of change for workers, keep leadership focused on sharing the what and the why. It will then be the HR and/or internal communication team’s responsibility to share the how and ensure a tactical follow-up activity to reinforce any new action or expectations is communicated.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and try different formats for your video, especially if your executives are new to the medium. The beauty of the video format is that CEOs have a number of options to reach their audiences, whether it’s quick, informal shoots on an iPhone or highly professional, scripted live-casts.
Video uniquely allows executives to build credibility and be a source of trust. A great example is a video featuring Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson. The video was created early in the pandemic and outlines the serious impact COVID-19 had on the company. The CEO is completely transparent in the video, which is crucial when communicating with employees during a crisis of this magnitude.
But if recording a full video is intimidating for your executives, consider a quick recorded thought based on a specific reason or event. An example of this is a short, “behind the scenes” style of video of an executive getting ready to speak at a conference or traveling to a satellite office. An example of this is the T-Mobile CEO John Legere broadcasting a live video from the company’s new Times Square retail store. A short video interview in which an employee or manager asks the CEO questions can help the executive feel more relaxed and avoid the “talking head” video format that can make them uncomfortable.
Strong leadership requires visibility, and video messages from the CEO or other members of the C-suite can help HR keep morale high and employees motivated. Remember, they’re waiting to hear from your leadership team. Executive videos offer an opportunity to reveal the human being behind the leader. It showcases your leadership’s commitment to employees.
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- Seven Tips for Creating Executive Videos Employees Want to Watch - June 17, 2021
