Some videos capture learners' attention better than others.

Learning videos provide a cost-effective and scalable way for companies to train employees. Plus, employees are more accustomed to video content than ever before because of easy access through smartphones and streaming services like Netflix.

In its sixth annual State of Video in the Enterprise study, Kaltura found that 91 percent of the 1,200 surveyed employees underwent video-based training in 2019. Similarly, 90 percent said they had used videos to learn a specific skill.

However, video's ubiquity also means learners have higher standards for the learning videos they consume. According to the study, 72 percent of employees admit that they do not give learning videos their full attention, which can limit how much information they absorb and how well they retain it.

So, how can talent development professionals ensure their videos captivate their audiences? Kaltura suggests interactivity and virtual classrooms as two popular approaches.

Include interactive elements such as quizzes and hotspots, which link to additional materials or videos, to increase completion rates and retention. Recording virtual classroom sessions—live instructor-led online training—can leverage live interactions and become rewatchable for employees to refer to later.

Another strategy is to use microlearning videos when creating content for skills training. These brief, always accessible videos can help employees learn skills at the exact moment of need.

Many organizations, however, may need additional resources to implement those strategies. The study found that only 50 percent of employees had access to basic video creation tools, let alone advanced ones for making high-quality training videos, and only 36 percent had a way to securely share videos.