Why Use Photos to Enhance Employee Training Programs

Did you know that pictures are more effective than words in capturing employees’ attention with training programs?  As a society, we’re bombarded every day with the latest in creative media. Text now is boring. Here’s how to use photos to enhance your employee training program.

1. What do you want employees to know? – The first step toward producing great employee training programs is to design the content that provides the knowledge and skills workers need and want. It also should be relevant to employees’ jobs. So take some time to create a training strategy of content for employee training. List out specific details for each topic. Obviously, you can’t overload employees with too much training information at once. Prioritize the topics and schedule them over several months or a year.

2. Match images to content – Interesting pictures can capture employees’ attention. The Social Science Research Network reports that 65% of people are visual learners. That means images or photos are the best way to capture employees’ attention and help them engage with your training messages.

But not just any photo will work. As you prepare the training modules, think about the images that best match or support the ideas.

If you’re challenging employees to think creatively about how to meet customers’ needs, choose a photo that expresses that idea. Or if you’re asking them to brainstorm for ideas that can impact customer sales, a divergent path photo might work well.

Write a few keywords to help employees connect the photo to the content. Prepare an audio story or explanation to play in the background to explain the photo and content.  

3. Choose clear photos – The photo selected should fit any screen format. Make sure the image is clear, so it looks good at any size. Choose simple images to help employees quickly grasp the action in the photo and connect them to the training topic.

4. Don’t go to extremes – It’s tempting to choose dramatic photos that surprise employees and capture their imaginations. But don’t go overboard.

Make sure photos are relevant and enhance the training ideas. For example, if you want to talkabout the importance of following safety practices and compliance requirements, a picture showing the idea would better reinforce the concept.

5. Make ‘em smile – Help employees connect the photo to the material you want them to understand by choosing images that show emotion. When employees smile or laugh at a photo, they become more engaged with the training information.

6. Be consistent – Before selecting photos for your training modules, decide on a theme or style, such as outdoor scenery, animals, or people in different work situations. Sticking with the same design theme will make the training materials look consistent. Employees will recognize that the materials work together and are part of a strategic training plan.

Learn more tips on capturing employees’ attention with graphs, charts, and stories.