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An interview with Magesh Sarma, CIO of AmeriSave 

As the mortgage industry shifts with market cycles, AmeriSave Mortgage needs to move fast—especially when it comes to onboarding and training. We sat down with Magesh Sarma, Chief Information Officer at AmeriSave, to learn how his team uses Colossyan to keep training up-to-date, efficient, and ready for scale.

About AmeriSave

Magesh: I’m the CIO and Chief Strategy Officer at AmeriSave, a nationwide mortgage lender operating in all U.S. states except New York.  I oversee IT systems, software development, information security, and strategy — especially around how we use technology to improve internal efficiency and the client experience.

A big part of that is staying ahead with innovation — finding tools that make our workforce more effective without increasing cost or complexity.

The challenge: Onboarding employees in a fast-changing industry

Magesh: The mortgage industry is cyclical. When interest rates drop, demand skyrockets and we hire rapidly. That means our training needs also fluctuate — and they need to be fast and flexible.

Complicating things further, our system is homegrown, and it changes constantly. Unlike off-the-shelf platforms, we don’t get vendor-provided training or documentation. Every new hire needs to learn not only how to use our proprietary tools, but also how we work — our policies, procedures, and company culture.

Historically, that meant our trainers spent a week walking new hires through PowerPoint presentations, repeating the same content every time.  There would be a  lot of training for team members to absorb, and they may not retain all the training from the sessions. 

We knew we needed a better, more scalable and engaging way to deliver training — something flexible enough to keep up with our fast-changing systems.

Why we chose Colossyan

Magesh: We didn’t want training videos to go stale every time something small changed. With Colossyan, we can easily edit a specific section of a video — say, a changed screen or updated procedure — and regenerate that part without starting from scratch. That alone has been a game changer.

Instead of trainers spending hours re-recording or stitching together videos, they just update the script or visuals, and Colossyan regenerates the video in minutes.

We also loved that we could use our own trainers as avatars or pick from engaging virtual presenters. That makes the content feel more relatable — and avoids the fatigue of traditional slide decks.

The impact of AI video

Magesh: We were looking for a solution where we could enhance the training process and reduce the need for our trainers to be repeating the same thing multiple times. We also wanted to develop a platform where our team members could go to and retrain themselves.   

‍Since implementing Colossyan, here is what we’ve achieved: 

• We have a lot more training content, and it’s now always current.
• Team members can retrain or refresh anytime using our video library.
• Support requests have dropped, while knowledge absorption went up. 

The value of our training team has doubled. Instead of repeating the same sessions, they’re now building a scalable library of high-quality, reusable content.

The biggest benefit is what this sets us up for: growth. We’ve been in a slow market recently, but when demand returns, we’ll need to onboard hundreds of people quickly. Now we’re ready — with a training system that can scale without bottlenecks.

AI video as a needs-based investment, not a “nice-to-have” 

Magesh: From day one, the Colossyan team was hands-on and responsive. They helped our trainers ramp up quickly and made sure we were using the platform effectively — and the adoption process was smooth, as this wasn’t a top-down initiative.

Our trainers were the ones asking for a solution like this, as they knew just how inefficient it was for them to keep repeating themselves. When we were able to reach an agreement with Colossyan and make the platform available to them, our trainers were thrilled to have this tool.  This was a needs-based service, and not something that was sold to us as something we should try; it was more like — “I have this need, and I know that Colossyan can do it. How do we make it happen?”.  

And even post-sale, the support has continued. Dominik, Colossyan’s CEO, has personally kept me updated on new features and roadmap items, so it never felt like we were just another account.

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The world before Colossyan

Magesh: I think when I look at the world before Colossyan and what we have now, we have more training in a lot more areas. We have up-to-date training on all our systems and procedures. We have more efficient trainers who are not repeating themselves over and over again in multiple training sessions.

We have more absorption of the training material and retention, as well as a knowledge base of training material that our team members are able to go back to and strengthen some of the areas that they are weak in.The biggest benefit, really, is being able to have an updated deck of training material that never goes obsolete.

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Final thoughts from the Colossyan team

Our team is grateful to Magesh for sharing his story of successfully implementing AI video across AmeriSave, and look forward to more of their insights as this partnership continues. Want to achieve the same results as AmeriSave? Contact our team today.

This blog post is a summary of the very first episode of The Business AI Playbook podcast.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify or YouTube — or check it out below.
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We opened the first episode of The Business AI Playbook with a simple question:

Why is knowledge sharing still so broken inside companies?

To dig into it, I spoke with Donald H. Taylor, Chair of the Learning Technologies Conference. The conversation covered AI, organizational memory, and why so much of a company’s value still lives in people’s heads.

“People aren’t machines. They leave. And when they do, you risk losing the secret sauce.”

It’s a real problem — but also one AI might actually help solve.

Most of your company’s value lives in people’s heads

In the 1970s, company value was mostly tangible — buildings, equipment, stock.

Today, that’s flipped.

“Now, 85% of a company’s value is intangible — and most of it lives in people’s heads.”

But people don’t stay like they used to. Job tenure is down. Loyalty is transactional. And when someone moves on, what disappears isn’t always obvious.

It’s not the documentation.

It’s not the LMS.

It’s the stuff that’s hard to write down — context, judgment, real-world experience.

AI is exposing the problem — and helping us solve it

AI has made people more mobile. Skills are easier to monetize, and switching jobs is frictionless.

But it’s also giving us tools to finally capture and share knowledge at scale.

Some examples include:

• Enterprise AI systems that connect to Slack, docs, and CRMs to surface hidden insights.
• Organizational network analysis to uncover the real flow of knowledge inside companies.
• AI meeting companions that record, summarize, and structure team discussions.
• Creating digital replicas of experts to coach others or answer questions — even when they’re not around.

But Donald was clear: none of it matters without culture.

“The biggest blockers? People. Always the people.”

Some hoard knowledge. Some don’t realize what they know is useful. And some don’t trust where it’ll end up. This is where leadership, incentives, and systems come in.

You can’t codify everything

There was a great story Don shared:

In the 1970s, teams tried to replicate a laser based on flawless documentation — but failed.

Only those who’d seen it done could make it work.

“Sometimes knowledge can’t be written down. You have to be there.”

That’s still true today.

Yes, AI can help — but some knowledge will always need to be passed on through people, trust, and lived experience.

Where to begin

If you’re leading a company trying to prepare for this shift, here’s where Donald suggests you start:

• Go where the pain is obvious — Sales, support, and ops teams often feel knowledge loss first.
• Measure the right things — Not who writes the most docs — but who helps others learn.
• Make it urgent — Show leadership what’s at stake. This isn’t just about training — it’s about performance, retention, and strategy.
• Enable people to share — That means permission, trust, and structure. Don’t rely on “someone will document it eventually.”

“If your best people leave, and you haven’t captured what they know, you’re not just short-staffed — you’re behind.”

Final thoughts

This isn’t just a learning and development challenge — it’s a strategic one.

Organizations are at risk of losing their edge not because they lack content, but because they haven’t captured what people actually know — and they’re not set up to do it at scale.

“If we don’t solve this, someone else will — and we’ll fall behind.”

Donald’s message to executives, L&D leaders, and transformation teams was clear:

This isn’t something to park in a knowledge base or delegate to HR — it’s a business continuity issue. It’s a leadership issue. And yes, AI has a role to play — but only if we know where to point it.

He also challenged L&D teams to raise their game:

“You have to ask yourself: am I in the business of creating courses, or am I in the business of creating a strategic outlook for my company to assist it in the future?”

The companies that get this right won’t just preserve their knowledge.

They’ll be faster, more resilient, and better prepared for whatever comes next.

About the podcast

The Business AI Playbook explores how Generative AI is reshaping business operations, knowledge-sharing, and customer engagement. We invite industry leaders to talk about the real-world applications of AI, giving executives practical AI strategies and insights.

You can watch or listen to the full episode on YouTube and Spotify.

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New York, NY - May 22, 2025 - Ninety-one percent of U.S. workers believe artificial intelligence (AI) avatars can enhance productivity and efficiency at work and 88% see the potential for AI avatars to create more knowledgeable workers by providing instant access to information. This is according to the Colossyan State of AI Avatars Report, which explores the impact and future potential of AI avatars in work and life.

American workers are overwhelmed with administrative, redundant tasks, limiting their potential and productivity. On average, U.S. workers spend 791 hours annually - equivalent to 99 workdays - on administrative tasks. These include managing emails (208 hours), data entry (175 hours), document preparation (167 hours), meeting preparation (124 hours) and schedule management (117 hours). In fact, three-fourths of workers (76%) believe that using AI avatars for tasks like writing emails and managing schedules would enhance their performance. If given the opportunity, workers would use AI avatars to create customizable Excel spreadsheets (84%) or PowerPoint presentations (81%), summarize meetings (80%), produce learning and training videos for customers/employees (78%) and reply to emails that do not require human attention (62%).

AI avatars will also play an increasing role in workplace learning as employees have shown a strong interest in participating more actively in training sessions led by AI avatars. Currently, only 19% of companies utilize this technology for internal communications or training; however, if personalized AI avatars were used for workplace learning or training sessions, employees would be likely to:

• Ask more questions to explore how the AI avatar responds (77%)
• Encourage colleagues to participate in these innovative trainings (70%)
• Attend additional sessions due to the personalized nature of the content (64%)
• Feel more comfortable giving feedback or input during sessions (57%)
• Pay closer attention and retain information better during these trainings (54%)

Furthermore, a significant 89% of U.S. workers anticipate that AI-generated videos and avatars will play a key role in future workplace communication and business interactions. Workers believe businesses could benefit from using AI avatars to announce new product features or business updates (85%), report business performance to the public (65%), provide crisis updates or negative news to the public (50%), attend work meetings on behalf of employees (39%) – and even deliver sensitive news, such as layoffs or office closures (35%) and address legal or governmental issues affecting the business (28%).

The report also uncovered there’s a growing acceptance and enthusiasm for AI avatars across all facets of life, including:

Education and Learning:

• A significant 63% of Americans desire personalized learning experiences guided by AI avatars.
• Nearly half (47%) would prefer an AI avatar as an academic tutor over a human counterpart.

Retail and Customer Support:

• Over half (53%) of consumers are eager to interact with AI avatars for online shopping assistance, including product recommendations.
• A notable 61% favor engaging with avatar customer service agents for real-time support.
• One-third (31%) express a preference for an AI fashion stylist instead of a human stylist.

Workplace Integration:

• Almost half (45%) wish to collaborate with AI avatars in remote meetings.
• Two out of five employees (37%) would choose an avatar as a career coach or workplace mentor over human advisors.

Health and Wellness:

• More than one-third (35%) want to use avatars for scheduling healthcare appointments and managing administrative tasks.
• Over half would opt for an AI avatar fitness trainer (54%) or health/wellness coach (51%).

Personal Relationships and Finance:

• Nearly one-fifth (16%) are open to dating an AI avatar in virtual settings, with 23% of Gen Zers sharing this sentiment.
• Additionally, 16% prefer guidance from an AI avatar relationship coach over that from humans.
• Two-fifths (40%) express interest in choosing an AI avatar financial advisor rather than relying on traditional human advisors.

As AI avatars increasingly become a part of work and life, there must be an emphasis on safe and secure development. Approximately 25% of Americans report that either they or someone they know has had their likeness used in an AI-generated image or video. Ten percent admit to having created a deepfake involving a public figure or politician; this percentage increases to 18% for Gen Zers, while half of all Americans (50%) have encountered videos they initially believed were real but later discovered were fake; a statistic that climbs to 61% for Gen Zers.

AI avatars continue to exponentially grow in use, discover how Colossyan is democratizing knowledge by making AI avatar development accessible and affordable for everyone here. To get all the data from the Colossyan State of AI Avatars Report, please click here.

About Colossyan 

‍Colossyan is the leading AI video platform that helps teams create engaging and interactive content from text. By automating the video production process with AI avatars, text-to-speech voiceovers, and automatic translations, Colossyan allows teams to create high-quality videos at a fraction of the cost and time required of traditional video creation. Nearly 1 million videos have been created using Colossyan, and the platform is used by industry leaders across the globe, including Novartis, Paramount, Continental, and more.

We're excited to share that Colossyan has been ranked #11 in this year's Sifted 100: DACH & CEE, a list spotlighting the most promising startups in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the DACH region.

What is the Sifted 100?

Each year, Sifted — a leading voice in European startup news backed by the Financial Times—unveils the Sifted 100, a data-driven ranking of fast-growing, high-potential startups across Europe.

The DACH & CEE edition highlights innovation powerhouses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Central and Eastern Europe. The selection is based on funding, traction, team strength, and market opportunity.

Being placed at #11 out of hundreds of contenders is a powerful endorsement of Colossyan’s momentum in the enterprise video space.

Why Colossyan was selected

We believe this recognition reflects three key things:

1. Strong product-led growth
   
   • Our platform empowers anyone — L&D professionals, HR teams, sales enablement leads, and more — to create studio-quality videos with AI avatars and voiceovers.
2. Enterprise-ready innovation
   
   • From scenario avatars and quizzes to branching scenarios and video analytics, our latest product updates help teams go beyond one-way video and create engaging, measurable learning experiences.
3. A loyal customer base around the globe
   
   • Today, Colossyan powers video creation for thousands of companies—including industry leaders in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and technology.

In 2025, we’re doubling down on our mission to build the most intuitive AI video platform on the market. Expect major leaps in avatar realism, interactivity, and new ways to create dynamic, personalized videos — faster than ever.

Final thoughts

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supports Colossyan — and proud to be recognized among the top startups in the region. As more businesses embrace AI video, knowledge sharing is becoming faster, easier, and more accessible than ever before. At Colossyan, we’re ready to lead that transformation.

“Being named one of the top startups in the region by Sifted is a reflection of our product, our people, and the global shift toward AI-powered content creation.”

— Dominik Mate Kovacs, CEO & Founder of Colossyan

Explore why leading organizations trust Colossyan — and see what’s possible when you power your content with AI.

👉 Book a demo with our team now

The Evolution of AI Video for Business Communication

AI-driven video creation has transformed Learning & Development, allowing businesses to produce high-quality training content at scale. However, the impact of AI video goes far beyond training alone. Video is becoming the primary mode of communication for businesses, and static, passive video consumption is no longer enough to engage modern audiences.

That is why we are evolving Colossyan’s positioning to better reflect how AI video is transforming communication across Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, and IT teams.

We’ve evolved beyond an AI video platform solely for workplace learning – now, teams across every department use Colossyan to turn text into interactive, engaging AI videos.

This evolution is driven by the increasing need for more engaging, scalable, and cost-effective video content across all areas of business. Companies are no longer looking for simple text-to-video solutions; they need interactive, high-quality, and user-friendly experiences that drive action and improve communication outcomes.

Why the Change?

Over the years, Learning & Development professionals have leveraged Colossyan to create dynamic, scalable training materials. But businesses require more than just training videos. They need interactive and engaging video content to communicate with employees, customers, and prospects in a more effective way.

With this shift, Colossyan now extends its AI video capabilities beyond L&D to serve a wider range of business functions, including:

• Sales Enablement – Personalized sales outreach, product walkthroughs, and onboarding content that captures attention and accelerates deal cycles.
• Marketing – AI-powered video campaigns that explain complex products, increase brand awareness, and drive engagement.
• Customer Support & IT – Scalable video-based knowledge bases, interactive troubleshooting guides, and multilingual customer support videos.
• Internal Communications – AI-generated video updates, executive messaging, and compliance communications that are engaging and easy to consume.

This shift is not just about expanding our audience. It is about ensuring that every Colossyan video drives action, improves engagement, and enhances communication outcomes.

A Customer-Driven Evolution

This change has been largely driven by how our customers are already using Colossyan beyond traditional training.

Companies like Paramount have embraced AI video for internal communications, meeting replacements, and product explainers, showing how AI-generated videos can improve engagement while reducing the time and cost of traditional content creation.

Other customers like JRE have even used Colossyan avatars in their event marketing – showcasing how AI avatars have wide applications outside training content.

The use cases for Colossyan continue to expand, including multilingual customer support to sales enablement videos that adapt to user input.

These use cases demonstrate that AI-powered video is not just an alternative to traditional video production – it is a more scalable, interactive, and cost-effective solution for modern business communication.

See more examples of how our customers are using Colossyan in our case studies.

The Future of AI Video: Interactivity, User Experience, and Quality

Video is no longer just about presenting information. It needs to engage viewers, drive interaction, and deliver measurable results. That is why our platform is designed around three critical pillars:

Interactivity

Traditional videos are passive, often contributing to poor viewer engagement and lacking knowledge retention. Instead, Colossyan makes videos interactive and engaging.

Our platform includes quizzes, branching scenarios, and clickable elements that transform passive video watching into active participation.

Whether it is a personalized onboarding video that adapts to viewer responses or a product demo that allows customers to explore features, interactivity makes your content more effective, ensuring it resonates with viewers even after they're done watching.

User Experience

Creating high-quality video content should be effortless. Our AI-powered platform eliminates the complexities of traditional video production by allowing businesses to generate, edit, and localize content instantly.

Users can turn a script into a video in minutes, translate videos into over 70 languages, and integrate their videos into existing workflows without requiring professional editing skills or expensive production teams. Creating a professional-quality video is now as easy as creating a PowerPoint.

Video Quality

AI-generated videos have advanced significantly, and Colossyan is leading the way in realistic AI avatars, natural-sounding voiceovers, and high-definition rendering.

Our AI presenters are diverse and adaptable, ensuring that videos feel authentic and professional. Whether used for external marketing or sales enablement, every video produced with Colossyan meets the highest quality standards without the need for extensive production resources.

Our goal is to make AI video the standard for business communication – scalable, interactive, and results-driven.

What’s Next?

Colossyan is on a mission to make knowledge transfer easy.

We believe the easiest way for businesses to train employees, communicate internally, and sell to customers is with AI-powered video. With our new positioning, we aim to make AI video more versatile, interactive, and outcome-oriented than ever before to ensure it meets a variety of business needs.

As businesses move away from static content and toward more dynamic, interactive experiences, Colossyan is positioned as the go-to solution for scalable, engaging video communication. Whether you are in L&D, Sales, Marketing, Support, or IT, one thing is clear – video is the future of business communication.

Now is the time to rethink how video can work for your business. See the power of interactive AI video in action. Book a demo today.

Video is king for content creation. Whether it's for social media marketing, customer service training, or a product demo, video is the most engaging form of content. 

In fact, 99% of marketers say videos have helped increase customer understanding of their product, and 87% of people report purchasing a product after watching a product demo. 

Long story short – videos are a powerful medium, and certainly one that can drive business outcomes. 

Translated video content is also a great way for teams to share marketing and training content with audiences across the globe. An AI video translator like Colossyan will automatically transcribe and translate your video into your desired language in just minutes.

In this blog, we're sharing the benefits of AI-powered video translation and a step-by-step guide for translating a video yourself. 

What is video translation?

Video translation is when a video is translated into a different language, either with translated subtitles or a new audio file. The purpose of video translation is to make a video more accessible to audiences and improve knowledge retention and understanding. 

Traditional translated video vs. AI-powered translation 

Traditionally, creating video content in multiple languages has been time-consuming and expensive. 

You would typically need to hire multilingual actors and re-film your content multiple times to create videos in each of your desired languages and go through the process of manually editing each version of your content. 

The problem with this approach? Creating one video manually can be super expensive and time consuming – not to mention the time and cost requirements involved in creating separate videos for Spanish, French, or German, for instance.

All in all, manual translation poses significant barriers to making content widely accessible, and it will often involve manually typing your captions, reshooting footage, or rerecording your audio. 

Instead, imagine having the ability to automatically translate your videos by simply clicking a button – and even having the ability to translate the same video into 85+ different languages, while also ensuring your subtitles, on-screen text, and audio files are also translated automatically. 

Fortunately, this is now possible with AI-powered translation – and it doesn’t require extensive time or costs. 

Instead, AI video translation tools like Colossyan are significantly faster and more user friendly than traditional translation methods. It's more accessible for start-ups and small businesses as it removes the additional expense of hiring actors, renting equipment, or paying for your video to be translated into other languages. 

You can even use AI avatars as your on-screen talent to make your translated videos feel more personal. Your avatar's lip sync, audio files, and subtitles are translated automatically into your target language with just one click. No need for reshooting or adding translated subtitles manually. 

Also read: What Is an AI Avatar?

AI-generated subtitles can achieve up to 99% accuracy in translations, making it the easiest way to add subtitles. You can transcribe videos into 85+ languages with synced subtitles in less time than it would take to open Google Translate. 

3 reasons to translate your videos 

A translated video is a great resource for your company, allowing you to connect with your audience in new ways. 

You can drive traffic to your website from a global audience or engage employees internationally by ensuring that all the videos in your campaign or training program are translated into each relevant language. 

1. Reach a global audience by going beyond language barriers

Using a video translator makes it easy to connect with viewers who speak other languages without prolonging the video creation process. 

Let’s say you wanted to send a company-wide announcement video to your entire company, but language barriers pose an obstacle. 

With an AI video translator, you can simply create one video and translate it to as many language variants as you need in just seconds – allowing you to distribute your message quickly and efficiently. 

Plus, this way, the entire company receives the exact same content, just delivered in their native language. 

Also read: A Complete Guide to Using Videos in Corporate Communications

2. Improve comprehension and engagement 

Video is the most impactful form of content, but only provides the full benefits when it's delivered in the audience's native language. 

Just think about the last training module you completed. How much information do you think you would’ve retained had it been in a language you only somewhat understood? 

Likely not much. That’s why easy translation capabilities are a must for anyone creating content that requires information retention. 

Pro tip: Colossyan’s video analytics feature helps you track viewer performance on educational quizzes and more. 

But training videos are hardly the only application for video translation. 

When you translate YouTube videos, for example, you'll get higher engagement from viewers who speak multiple languages, converting to better outcomes and improved ROI.

Related: How to Make AI YouTube Videos in Under an Hour

3. Boost accessibility and inclusivity in just a few clicks

You might be surprised to learn that 40% of the global population doesn't have access to educational content in a language they speak or understand, according to a UNESCO study. 

When creating learning content in the workplace, an AI video translator helps improve accessibility and create an inclusive work environment for all. 

This is particularly important for companies with deskless workers, especially those with robust safety training requirements. Safety training is pointless if every worker doesn’t understand the content clearly – something an AI video translator can help with. 

For example, Xylem Tree Experts uses Colossyan to educate its multilingual workforce on its policies and procedures to ensure training videos are delivered in a language each employee understands. 

How to translate a video in 4 easy steps with an AI video translator

Reaching a global audience has never been easier than with an AI video translator. 

Whether you want to translate YouTube videos or create a more inclusive training process, it's easy to generate AI videos in just minutes. 

Below, we're sharing the 4-step process of translating a video into different languages using Colossyan.

Step 1: Choose an AI avatar

When creating a new video in Colossyan, you’ll first need to decide whether you want your video to feature a realistic AI avatar as your main video presenter, or if you prefer to stick to narration only. 

Colossyan’s diverse AI avatar library offers 200+ options for avatars of all different ages, ethnicities, and professions to ensure your content accurately reflects your message, brand, and audience. 

Keep in mind that once your video is generated, your avatar’s lip sync will accurately reflect the script – even when translated into different languages. 

Step 2: Write your script and design your video

Next, you’ll want to add text to your script box on the left side of your screen. You’ll have the option to choose whether you want this script read as avatar dialogue or voiceover narration. The text you add to your script box will ultimately match your video subtitles, so it’s important to give it some thought. 

Read next: How to Write a Standout Video Script in 7 Simple Steps

After you’ve chosen an avatar and added your script, it’s time to work on your video’s visuals. Do you want to add on-screen text, animations, or perhaps background music? All of that – and much more – can all be done directly in Colossyan. 

Step 3: Automatically translate your video

Once your video is ready, it’s time to translate it! To do so, select the flag icon in the top right corner of the video editor. 

Colossyan supports 87 different languages – select as many languages as you'd like to generate an AI video for. 

From there, your video translation will happen automatically with just one click, giving you a different video variant for each language. Note that the language you built your original language in is called your default language variant.

The script and text for your video will be automatically translated, but any uploaded audio, images, or files will remain the same. 

Here’s how it works: 

You’re able to edit each language variant independently, in case any additional video localization is needed. 

Step 4: Generate your multilingual videos 

Once all of your language variants look good, it’s time to generate. Click the “Generate” button on your default language variant. All of your selected language variants will generate as separate videos. 

After the generation is complete, you can download your video, share it via a link, or embed it. You’re free to upload your new video to your YouTube channel, website, training platform, or advertising campaign. 

How AI video translation can boost business outcomes 

AI video translation is a win-win for businesses. 

Global companies are positioned to benefit most from AI video translation, as accessible content improves communication and information sharing among team members. 

Not to mention, an AI video translator can cut your video production costs by 80% – leading to significant cost savings over manual translation. 

And when creating customer-facing content, such as marketing videos or product demos, having the ability to create content in languages you don’t even understand can have a groundbreaking impact on your business reach, and positively impact your bottom line in the process. 

Start translating your videos for free with Colossyan

Video translation makes your content accessible to non-native speakers, both within your company and globally. However, hiring a video translator can be expensive and reshooting individual videos can quickly eat away at your budget. 

Fortunately, using an AI video translator allows you to say goodbye to adding subtitles manually and paying for expensive reshoots. 

With Colossyan, it's never been easier to create an AI video and translate that video into over 85 languages to meet the needs of your unique audience.

The best part? You can simply regenerate your video if your material changes – no need to reshoot anything. 

Save time, cut down on costs, and unlock greater flexibility when creating videos. Try Colossyan for free today or schedule a time with one of our experts to learn more.

If you’re exploring AI video creation tools in 2025, two names you’ve likely come across are HeyGen and Synthesia. Both platforms use AI avatars to help users create videos from text, but they serve slightly different needs – and come with different strengths and limitations.

Whether you’re in corporate training, marketing, or internal communications, it’s important to pick the tool that best fits your workflow, team size, and content goals. 

In this guide, we’ll offer a complete comparison of HeyGen vs. Synthesia, explore where they shine (and fall short), and introduce a better AI video generator alternative – Colossyan.

General overview of HeyGen vs. Synthesia

First thing’s first – here’s a brief overview of each tool. 

HeyGen overview 

HeyGen is an AI video creation platform that emphasizes fast content generation with talking avatars. It’s particularly popular among solo creators, influencers, and small teams who want to produce explainer videos, product showcases, or social media content quickly.

Originally launched in 2020 under the name Surreal, HeyGen’s main selling point is its realistic avatars, drag-and-drop editor, and voice cloning feature, which allows you to replicate your own voice for use in AI videos.

Synthesia overview

Synthesia has existed in the AI video creation space since 2017, with a focus on enterprise training, onboarding, and learning & development use cases. The platform allows users to generate videos with AI avatars by simply typing a script, supporting over 120 languages.

Synthesia stands out for its enterprise-grade security, template library, and multi-avatar scenes, which cater well to global organizations and structured learning programs.

Key differences between HeyGen and Synthesia 

HeyGen and Synthesia are both AI video generators that meet very similar customer needs, although their features satisfy slightly different use cases: 

HeyGen: 

• More avatar features: HeyGen offers custom video, photo, and generative avatars. Additionally, its motion controls, personalization features, and avatar interaction differ from that of Synthesia. 
• Focus on social media and advertising: Marketing videos and social media content stand out as more prominent use cases for HeyGen’s tool than Synthesia’s. 
• Unlimited video creation: All of HeyGen’s paid plans offer unlimited video generation – a stark contrast to Synthesia’s offerings. 

Synthesia: 

• More video templates: Synthesia offers more pre-built templates for training, sales, and marketing applications than HeyGen.
• Focus on enterprises: Synthesia has a much larger focus on enterprise features than HeyGen, including security and collaboration tools. 
• Video creation minutes vary by plan: Synthesia has strict video generation caps, only allowing for 10 minutes of video per month on its lowest paid plan. 

Why Colossyan is a better alternative 

Colossyan is a leading AI video generator that helps fill the feature and functionality gaps posed by HeyGen and Synthesia. With 200+ AI stock avatars, more than 600 multilingual voices, and an intuitive video editor that’s easy to use – Colossyan is a great alternative for creating videos. 

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Here’s how Colossyan stands apart: 

• Interactive video features: Unlike Synthesia and HeyGen, Colossyan offers interactive features like multiple-choice quizzes and branching scenarios – allowing you to create engaging content in minutes. 
• Custom instant avatars: Get creative with custom avatars for social media or other video projects. The best part? It takes less than 5 minutes to create your own avatar.
• Enterprise-level security and integration features: Colossyan is an enterprise-ready solution that’s SOC 2 and GDPR compliant. Plus, the tool offers SCORM export, allowing L&D teams to use Colossyan videos within their existing LMS. 
• API capabilities included in paid plans: Unlike HeyGen, which includes API access under a separate pricing model, Colossyan offers 360 API minutes per year under its Business plan. 

HeyGen: Features, use cases, pricing, pros and cons

HeyGen is a leading AI video platform that enables users to create videos using AI avatars – without the need for traditional filming equipment. Let’s take a closer look at its offerings.

Key features 

• Talking photo avatars
• Voice cloning & lip-syncing
• Custom avatar looks
• Translation to 100+ languages 

Main use cases 

• Social media content
• Influencer marketing
• Quick product explainers
• Personalized sales videos

HeyGen pricing 

• Creator plan ($29 per month): Unlimited videos up to 5 minutes, 1 custom avatar 
• Team plan ($39 per seat/month, 2-seat minimum): Unlimited videos up to 30 minutes
• Enterprise plan (Custom pricing): 4k video export, dedicated customer support 

Related: Colossyan vs. HeyGen

Pros 

Here’s a snapshot of the HeyGen pros, according to users on G2. 

Realistic photo avatars 

G2 users like the avatar creation options offered by HeyGen, which includes custom avatars created from a photo. 

“I like how fast I could upload a still photo and have it generate a custom avatar from just one still shot.” – IT user

Natural-looking AI actors

Online reviewers find HeyGen’s AI avatars to be realistic and natural looking. 

“I was impressed by the quality of the avatars and the lip-syncing, making the videos look very natural.” – Javier M. 

Cons

Now let’s take a look at the HeyGen cons reported on G2. 

Customer support challenges

Some online reviewers report a negative experience with HeyGen’s support team, often citing long response times and surface-level answers. 

“Awful experience with service if you have any issues. It's only by message and it can take them a day (or more) to get back to you with a superficial answer that does not help, then you have to send another message and hope you get an answer.” – Greta L.

Learning curve due to frequent updates

Although HeyGen boasts a clean interface, frequent feature releases can prevent users from mastering the platform and require ongoing upskilling. 

Additionally, HeyGen doesn’t offer collaboration features or the ability to add multiple avatars to a scene to simulate avatar conversations. 

“It's not easy to implement and to use: Frequent updates make it difficult to maintain automation processes. As an admin, I have to train others on how to use the platform, but the constant updates make this inefficient.” – Yuliya V. 

Synthesia: Features, use cases, pricing, pros and cons

Synthesia is an AI video generator that helps teams turn text into AI videos in minutes. The platform is aimed at training and business communication use cases. Let’s dive into its features and more.  

Key features 

• 140+ avatars
• Automatic translations
• Selfie avatars
• Pre-built templates

Main use cases 

• Employee onboarding
• Compliance training
• Corporate communications
• Multi-language training rollouts

Synthesia pricing 

• Starter plan ($29 per month): 10 minutes of video per month 
• Creator plan ($89 per month): 30 minutes of video per month 
• Enterprise plan (Custom pricing): Unlimited video minutes 

Related: Colossyan vs. Synthesia

Pros 

Here’s a recap of Synthesia’s pros, according to G2 reviews. 

User friendliness 

Online reviewers find Synthesia’s editing interface simple and easy to use for beginners. 

“I found the software platform intuitive to use, and the ability to go from absolute beginner to publishing my first video was relatively easy.” – Grant S. 

Good translation capabilities 

Synthesia’s translation feature is automatic, but users say the translations are accurate and reliable. 

“We've also found the language translation feature to be quite accurate when evaluated by native speakers.” – Food and beverage user

Cons

Now let’s examine what reviewers say Synthesia could improve upon. 

High cost 

Synthesia’s pricing structure imposes rigid video generation limits, which can be affordable for some teams. Those in need of unlimited video minutes will need to invest in a pricey enterprise license. 

“This lack of flexibility in pricing represents a significant issue, limiting scalability for companies like ours that need a moderate increase in resources without having to face such a disproportionate cost jump.” – Insurance user

Lengthy content review timelines 

While the editing process is easy with Synthesia, strict content moderation can flag a manual review process that takes longer than some users would like. 

“They say you can make videos in about 15 minutes but it also takes them 24 hours to manually review and approve each video you create.” – John G. 

Slow avatar creation

All leading AI video generators offer custom avatars, but reviewers say Synthesia’s feature can take awhile to spin up a final result. 

“The rendering of the personal avatar takes too long.” – Jeremy B. 

How Colossyan solves HeyGen vs. Synthesia limitations

HeyGen is great for teams looking to create a lot of video content at an affordable cost, while Synthesia is a good fit for larger enterprise organizations in need of robust security and support. 

But what if your team requires both? Enter Colossyan. 

Like Synthesia and HeyGen, Colossyan is an AI video generator that helps teams create professional-quality videos using AI avatars and text-to-speech voiceovers – no equipment needed. 

As we previously mentioned, Colossyan strikes the right balance between the HeyGen’s flexible approach for solo creators with Synthesia’s enterprise focus by offering unlimited video creation, as well as several features catered to large organizations –  like interactivity, video analytics, brand kits, and more. 

Colossyan also offers a free plan for those looking to experiment with AI video content. Check out how it works: 

Here’s a brief overview of what Colossyan has to offer: 

• Scenario avatars: Colossyan’s diverse library of 200+ avatars includes AI actors in industry-specific environments, like construction sites, offices, hospitals, and more – perfect for training videos. 
• Custom avatars and voice cloning: Create an AI avatar that both looks and sounds like you in less than five minutes with our instant avatar feature. 
• Interactivity: Add quizzes and branching scenarios to your videos for added engagement, and boost learning outcomes in the process. 
• Video analytics: Access insights into your viewer retention and quiz performance with our built-in analytics feature. 
• Document to video: Turn existing documents like PDFs or PPTs into an engaging video draft in less than a minute. 
• Auto translation to 100+ languages: Translate your videos for a global audience in just one click. 
• SCORM export: Add your Colossyan videos to your existing learning tech stack by exporting them with SCORM. 

Colossyan saves up to 80% of your budget and time 

Colossyan can be used for a range of use cases – whether that’s training, marketing, or sales enablement. 

By replacing manual video production with Colossyan, customers see a significant time and cost savings – while also improving the quality of their content in the process.

Don’t just take our word for it – here’s what Colossyan customers are saying about the tool: 

"Colossyan has transformed the way we approach training in the state. Our employees are happier, engagement is through the roof, and the cost savings are impressive. It's a game-changer."

– Derella Miller, Learning and Instructional Technology Manager at the State of New Mexico

"The AI technology they've built into their software is truly cutting-edge and has significantly improved our new hire training program productivity. The user interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making navigating through the various features easy."

– Franklina Tawiah, HR Project Manager at DSV

"Colossyan's AI technology and its translation capabilities have revolutionized our training processes, especially in a multi-lingual environment like ours." 

– Kristin Broadhead, Director of Learning and Development at Sonesta International Hotels

Takeaway

There you have it.

Both HeyGen and Synthesia are great tools with their own pros and cons. However, if you’re looking for a tool that combines the best aspects of each, you’ll want to consider Colossyan as a third option. 

Not only is Colossyan more affordable than Synthesia, but it also offers interactivity features that neither HeyGen nor Synthesia can match. 

Interested in trying Colossyan? Sign up for our free trial today or book a demo to learn more.

Modern buyers are more informed, more skeptical, and more independent than ever before. The days of relying solely on cold calls and generic sales scripts are gone. 

To stay competitive, sales professionals need access to the right sales enablement content – tailored assets that engage prospects, overcome objections, and close deals.

But sales enablement isn’t just about tools. It’s about strategy. It’s about creating relevant content that guides potential customers through the buyer’s journey while aligning your sales and marketing teams. 

From internal resources like training videos and battlecards to external assets like product demos and customer success stories, great sales enablement content can transform how your sales organization performs.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the most essential types of sales enablement content, offer best practices for building them, and show you how to create effective, high-impact videos at scale using Colossyan’s AI-powered video platform.

Let’s explore the types of sales enablement content that every team needs – and how to make them work for your business.

What is sales enablement content?

Sales enablement content is a strategic collection of resources designed to equip your sales team with the insights, messaging, and materials needed to move buyers through the sales process effectively. 

Whether it’s a product demo video, a competitive battlecard, or a case study, each piece of sales enablement content plays a role in supporting your sales reps as they engage with potential customers.

Effective sales enablement content bridges the gap between sales and marketing teams. It ensures your messaging is aligned, your sales reps are confident, and your buyer personas are being addressed with relevant content at each stage of the customer journey.

The best content strategies also take stock of existing content, identify gaps, and focus on developing new materials that meet both business goals and buyer expectations. From early awareness to final decision-making, the right sales enablement content can drive meaningful sales conversations and measurable revenue growth.

Internal sales enablement vs. external sales enablement content

There are two main categories of sales enablement content:

• Internal sales enablement content: Created to train, guide, and empower your sales reps. Examples include onboarding videos, sales scripts, sales playbooks, and objection handling resources.
• External sales enablement content: Designed for customer-facing use. These assets include product overviews, customer success stories, competitive comparisons, and tailored marketing content.

Why sales enablement content matters more than ever

With longer buying cycles, more stakeholders involved in decisions, and rising customer expectations, today’s sales environment is more complex than ever. That’s why great sales enablement content is not optional – it’s essential.

The right content empowers sales reps to:

• Navigate the sales process with confidence
• Personalize conversations based on buyer personas
• Deliver consistent messaging from pitch to close
• Leverage sales enablement tools that increase efficiency

At the same time, it ensures marketing teams are producing materials that support – not overwhelm – the sales organization. When marketing content is created with the sales team in mind, it becomes a powerful tool for relationship building, objection handling, and closing deals.

Sales enablement content also supports:

• Faster ramp-up times for new hires
• Stronger alignment between sales and marketing
• Improved customer satisfaction and retention
• Scalable sales effectiveness across global teams

And let’s not forget the role of data. A strong content strategy, powered by insights from your sales enablement platform, allows you to measure content performance and continuously refine your approach.

Bottom line: effective sales enablement content creates a better experience for both your sales professionals and your prospective customers – and it ultimately leads to better sales outcomes.

6 types of sales enablement content every team should use

When it comes to building an effective sales enablement strategy, it’s not just about creating content – it’s about creating the right content. To truly empower your sales team and drive results, you need to offer a mix of content formats that address different needs across the sales cycle.

Below are six essential types of sales enablement content, each with a unique purpose in supporting sales reps, engaging prospective customers, and improving sales productivity.

These content types can be created from scratch or repurposed from existing content with the right sales enablement tools. The key is to ensure each piece aligns with your overall sales strategy, speaks directly to buyer personas, and supports real-life sales conversations.

Let’s break them down.

1. Product demo videos

Product demo videos are often the first introduction prospective customers have to your product or service. These external sales enablement content assets show, rather than tell, what you offer – and they’re crucial to moving leads deeper into the buyer’s journey.

Why product demo videos work:

• Buyers want to explore solutions at their own pace. Product demos give them a clear, engaging way to visualize the value.
• They empower your customer facing teams to present a consistent, compelling message across every touchpoint.
• They reduce dependency on live walkthroughs, freeing up your sales reps for higher-value conversations.

Best practices:

• Keep videos short (ideally under 3 minutes) and highly focused on outcomes.
• Include visuals that address common pain points and key benefits.
• Tailor your demos to specific industries, buyer personas, or use cases for greater impact.

Product demos are a powerful example of effective sales enablement content. Not only do they spark interest, but they also set the tone for a more educated, engaged sales conversation.

Check out this interactive product demo of Colossyan that allows viewers to customize their video paths: 

Next up: how to help your team handle tough questions with confidence using objection-handling videos.

2. Objection handling videos

Objections are a natural part of the sales conversation – but how your sales reps respond can make or break the deal. 

Objection handling videos are internal sales enablement assets designed to prepare your team with smart, confident responses to the most common pushbacks.

Why they matter:

• They turn uncertainty into clarity during high-stakes sales calls.
• They reduce ramp-up time for new hires by providing real-world, scenario-based training.
• They support message consistency across your entire sales organization.

Use cases for objection handling videos:

• Price concerns: "Why is your product more expensive than Competitor X?"
• Timeline resistance: "We’re not ready to buy yet – maybe next quarter."
• Feature comparisons: "Your tool doesn’t offer [specific feature] like others do."

Best practices:

• Keep videos short and focused – 60 to 90 seconds per objection.
• Use real objections sourced from CRM notes, sales enablement reports, and call transcripts.
• Pair each objection with a compelling, empathetic response that positions your product or service as the solution.

These videos not only serve your internal sales enablement strategy but also double as content for effective sales enablement programs. When reps feel prepared, they lead with confidence – and confidence closes deals.

Check out this example created with Colossyan: 

3. Customer success stories

There’s nothing more powerful than proof. Customer success stories – especially in video form – bring authenticity to your sales enablement content strategy and help build trust with potential buyers.

Why they matter:

• They show how your product or service has helped real people achieve real results.
• They build credibility and demonstrate customer satisfaction.
• They create emotional connection by aligning with your target audience’s pain points.

What makes a great customer success story?

• A relatable challenge the customer faced
• A clear narrative of how your solution helped
• Quantifiable results (e.g., "increased sales by 40%," "cut support tickets in half")

These videos act as external sales enablement content that can be used across landing pages, nurture sequences, social media, and even sales presentations. They’re especially effective for later-stage leads comparing solutions.

Additionally, customer success stories empower customer support teams and sales professionals to share real-world proof during sales calls. They also help reinforce loyalty with existing customers who see their success reflected and celebrated.

Customer success stories are more than testimonials – they’re strategic sales enablement assets that influence decisions and deepen trust.

4. Onboarding & training videos

Getting new sales reps up to speed quickly – and keeping seasoned reps sharp – is a key part of any effective sales enablement strategy. That’s where onboarding and training videos come in.

Why they’re essential:

• They streamline the onboarding process, reducing the time it takes for new reps to become productive.
• They ensure consistent messaging, product knowledge, and process alignment across your entire sales enablement team.
• They support continuous improvement and reinforce core competencies throughout the sales cycle.

Also read: 10 Onboarding Tips for a Seamless New Hire Experience

Best practices for training and onboarding videos:

• Break up content into modules focused on key areas like product training, sales scripts, buyer personas, and objection handling.
• Make the videos engaging with real examples, animations, and visuals to aid retention.
• Pair with quizzes or interactive video elements to encourage active learning and measure comprehension.

Well-designed training videos don’t just help your sales team onboard – they improve long-term sales productivity and contribute to a more confident, aligned sales organization. And when updates are needed, video content is easy to revise and redistribute – especially when using a tool like Colossyan.

From onboarding new reps to reinforcing effective sales enablement practices, training content helps every team member show up prepared to win.

5. Competitive battlecard videos

In competitive markets, it’s not enough to simply highlight your product’s strengths – you also need to help your sales reps clearly articulate what sets your solution apart. That’s where competitive battlecard videos come in.

Why they matter:

• They prepare reps to confidently speak to differentiators in live sales calls.
• They provide consistent, easy-to-reference messaging about competitors.
• They reduce hesitation and empower reps to address head-to-head comparisons with clarity.

How to use them:

• Integrate battlecard videos into your internal sales enablement content library
• Create short segments for each major competitor, focusing on value-based positioning
• Align each video to a specific buyer persona or industry segment

Battlecard videos are a powerful example of effective sales enablement content. When combined with other sales enablement tools – like one-pagers, sales scripts, and product demos – they create a more complete and confident sales strategy.

6. Sales playbooks and scripts

Great sales enablement content is only as powerful as your team’s ability to use it. That’s where sales playbooks and scripts come in. 

These foundational documents are part of a well-rounded sales enablement process and serve as guides for your sales professionals to follow throughout the sales cycle, ensuring all reps have the tools to deliver consistent messaging at every stage of the sales process. 

Why they’re critical:

• They create alignment between marketing teams and sales professionals by codifying best practices and positioning.
• They ensure your sales reps stay consistent with brand voice and value messaging.
• They empower even new reps to speak confidently and professionally with prospective customers.

What your playbooks and scripts should include:

• Step-by-step messaging frameworks for each stage of the sales cycle
• Tailored talk tracks and templates based on buyer personas and pain points
• Embedded links to external and internal sales enablement content, including videos, case studies, and objection-handling scripts

Sales playbooks are a cornerstone of effective sales enablement content. When kept updated and integrated into your content strategy, they help boost sales productivity, reduce onboarding time, and ensure that every conversation moves the buyer forward with intention.

By investing in clear, practical playbooks, your sales organization will be better equipped to navigate objections, personalize pitches, and increase close rates – while keeping your messaging consistent across all sales and marketing teams.

Pro tip: When creating scripts for your sales enablement videos, simulating realistic customer interactions is the way to go. With Colossyan, you can add branching scenarios to your videos, AI avatar roleplays, and multiple-choice quizzes to help involve your audience in the material. 

How to create effective sales enablement content with Colossyan

Creating great sales enablement content doesn’t need to be time-consuming or expensive. With Colossyan’s AI video generator, your sales enablement team can produce professional, scalable videos in minutes – no filming, editing, or production crew required.

Whether you’re working on internal sales enablement content like onboarding and objection-handling videos, or external sales enablement content such as product demos and customer success stories, Colossyan makes it easy to bring your content strategy to life.

Colossyan enables sales and marketing teams to:

• Create sales enablement content at scale using AI avatars 
• Translate sales enablement content to 100+ languages to support global team needs
• Personalize videos for different buyer personas and sales stages in seconds
• Embed quizzes, branching, and interactivity to boost engagement and sales readiness
• Turn existing documents into compelling video assets without starting from scratch

As a flexible sales enablement video platform, Colossyan supports both internal training and external prospect engagement. It’s a must-have tool for marketing teams, sales leaders, and anyone responsible for delivering effective sales enablement content that drives results.

If your goal is to empower your sales team, boost sales productivity, and improve customer engagement, Colossyan can help you get there – faster and smarter.

Generate a free AI video today or book a demo to learn more. 

Final thoughts: Turning content into sales results

Sales enablement content isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a critical engine that powers sales outcomes. When done right, it becomes the connective tissue between marketing and sales teams, helping sales professionals guide potential customers through a seamless buyer’s journey.

By investing in effective sales enablement content – whether that’s internal sales training videos, external case studies, or personalized product demos – you’re not just creating materials; you’re shaping conversations, building trust, and driving revenue.

To recap, here’s what every sales enablement strategy should include:

• A content strategy mapped to buyer personas and the full customer journey
• A balance of internal and external sales enablement content
• Sales enablement tools that streamline content delivery and usage
• Regular updates to ensure relevance and alignment with the sales cycle

As your sales efforts evolve, so should your enablement materials. With the right platform – like Colossyan – you can future-proof your sales enablement process by quickly adapting, creating, and distributing high-quality content that speaks directly to your audience.

Empowering your team with great sales enablement content isn’t just a strategy – it’s a competitive advantage.

Ready to turn your existing content into engaging, scalable video that drives results? Start creating engaging and interactive videos with Colossyan today.

You might be surprised to learn that 52% of new hires feel undertrained even after undergoing their company’s onboarding process – with 66% of small company employees and 63% of remote workers reportedly feeling undertrained. 

This is because many organizations treat onboarding as an obligation, rather than as an  opportunity to lay the foundation for a longstanding positive employee experience. 

Simply put, your onboarding process is the first impression your company makes on a new hire, and it sets the tone for everything else that follows. 

So, whether you’re onboarding employees in person or onboarding remote employees across various time zones, one thing always remains the same: the quality of your employee onboarding process can either build excitement and loyalty or lead to confusion and disengagement. 

For HR professionals, creating a thoughtful, engaging onboarding process is a core driver of employee satisfaction, long-term productivity, and overall retention rates within your company. 

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what makes for an effective employee onboarding process. Then, we'll walk through 10 actionable tips that will help you create a seamless, memorable experience for each new person joining your team. 

What makes for a positive onboarding experience?

When it comes to onboarding a new employee ahead of their first day, there are a few things that will help your business prepare new hires for their job responsibilities and the organization’s culture. 

Clear communication of training schedule 

According to a recent survey, 32% of new hires found their onboarding program confusing. 

One of the easiest ways to cut out confusion is by creating a detailed, clearly outlined training schedule for the new hires to follow to help them feel organized, prepared, and confident from day one. 

When employees know what to expect – such as key training sessions, deadlines, and milestones – they can manage their time effectively while still maintaining a clear understanding of what lies ahead. 

A well-structured schedule eliminates uncertainty and prevents information overload, ensuring that training is delivered in manageable steps rather than a flood of disjointed materials. 

Engaging training materials 

Think back to the last time you onboarded with a new company – it was likely a process filled with dozens of documents for you to read through. 

But let’s face it, text-heavy documentation is no way to capture attention, improve knowledge retention, and make learning more enjoyable for new employees. In fact, traditional onboarding methods – like dense handbooks and lengthy presentations – can overwhelm new hires, leading to disengagement and slower adaptation. 

Video is a great tool to create training content that’s immersive, allowing employees to stay actively involved. Not to mention, visual and interactive content enhances comprehension, which is a great way to ensure employees have what they need to hit the ground running faster. 

Pro tip: Creating onboarding videos doesn’t have to be an expensive or long process. Check out Colossyan’s AI video platform for a way to create professional-quality videos without any cameras or equipment. 

Plus, you can create videos with branching scenarios, allowing you to create onboarding videos that are personalized to a specific department or team.  

Integration of company culture, values, and mission

In order to help new employees understand the bigger picture and align with the organization's purpose from day one, it’s important to keep your company culture, values, and mission at the center of your onboarding process. 

When it comes to company culture, having a clear understanding of how things work  – how teams communicate, what success looks like, and how decisions are made – new hires are better equipped to contribute meaningfully. 

This alignment fosters a stronger sense of belonging and ensures that new hires are not just learning their job responsibilities but also becoming active contributors to the company’s overall success.

Strong manager and peer support 

Humans thrive on connection – and so do new team members. 

Any great onboarding experience creates early moments of social interaction, whether that’s a buddy program, informal video calls with co-workers, or brief check-ins with a manager. When new employees feel seen, supported, and connected, everything else becomes more manageable.

10 tips for onboarding new employees

Now that we’ve explored how communication, the quality of your training materials, and peer support can contribute to an excellent onboarding experience, let’s dive into 10 onboarding tips for crafting a stellar onboarding process for new employees. 

1. Start onboarding before the first day

Onboarding shouldn’t start on an employee’s first day – it should begin the moment they accept the job offer. Send a warm welcome email, offer access to the employee handbook, or even ship some company swag as part of the pre-onboarding process. 

This approach helps new hires feel prepared, valued, and excited before they step into their new role. A seamless pre-boarding experience reduces first-day stress and allows employees to start contributing sooner.

2. Provide a clear job description

Unclear job expectations can lead to confusion, frustration, and disengagement. A well-defined job description ensures that new hires fully understand their responsibilities, priorities, and how their role fits into the bigger picture. 

By providing a clear job description during the onboarding process, you can ensure every new hire is approaching the onboarding process with a clear understanding of how they’ll need to apply what they’re learning to their new role. 

3. Craft a 30-60-90 day plan

Most onboarding processes are solely centered around learning the ins and outs of a new company. Providing new hires with a clear 30-60-90 day plan is a great way to convey expectations related to transitioning from learning to contributing. 

The first 30 days should focus on understanding the company, tools, and role expectations. By 60 days, employees should be working more independently, engaging in projects, and receiving regular feedback. By 90 days, they should feel fully integrated and ready to take ownership of their responsibilities. 

A solid 30-60-90 plan should be specific regarding which projects and tasks you expect your new employee to take on every step of the way to eliminate confusion and reduce overwhelm. 

4. Establish performance metrics and expectations 

New hires need to know how success will be measured in their role in order to successfully deliver. 

Clearly defining key performance indicators (KPIs), expected outcomes, and review timelines ensures transparency and alignment. This process works best when it’s collaborative – for example – asking for employee input on the KPIs and OKRs they’re going to be held to. 

5. Encourage collaboration across departments 

Onboarding shouldn’t happen in a silo – new hires benefit from interacting with teams beyond their immediate department. 

Cross-functional introductions, shadowing sessions, and collaborative projects can provide broader insights into how the company operates and how different teams contribute to shared goals. 

Encouraging interdepartmental communication early on fosters stronger relationships, breaks down silos, and helps new employees feel like an integrated part of the organization. The more connected a new hire feels, the more likely they are to stay engaged and invested.

Also read: Internal Communications Videos: Benefits, Tips, Best Uses

6. Leverage AI video for a memorable and engaging experience 

Traditional onboarding often involves lengthy, text-heavy materials that can be overwhelming and hard to retain. Video-based onboarding can present information in bite-sized, visually compelling formats that improve knowledge retention and allow employees to learn at their own pace.

But the reality is, creating a traditional welcome video requires too much of a manager’s time. That’s where an AI video tool comes in. 

Colossyan is an AI video platform that uses AI avatars and text-to-speech voiceovers to bring your videos to life in minutes – no cameras or microphones required. 

This allows you to create engaging videos to add to your employee onboarding, which your employees can refer back to at their convenience. Plus, with interactive video features like multiple-choice quizzes, you can check their understanding along the way. 

Here’s how Colossyan works: 

Curious to try it for yourself? Generate a free video today – completely risk free. 

7. Assign an onboarding buddy for support

Entering a new work environment can be overwhelming for new employees. One of the best ways to ease the transition is by assigning an onboarding buddy. 

An onboarding buddy serves as a go-to person for questions, guidance, and informal conversations that might not require a manager’s input. 

Regular check-ins with a buddy can improve an new employee’s onboarding experience by ensuring they feel supported in both their professional and social integration with the company – and potentially reducing turnover in the process. 

8. Don’t forget about teambuilding activities 

Beyond formal training, team-building activities help new hires feel more comfortable and connected. 

Host casual team lunches, welcome meetings, or virtual coffee chats. For remote employees, schedule informal video calls to meet other employees and learn about their work. 

Investing in early team bonding makes a significant difference in how quickly new hires settle into their roles. Plus, these early bonds often turn into the trust that fuels great teamwork.

9. Collect feedback along the way 

A strong onboarding process is a two-way street – it’s just as important to listen to new hires as it is to train them. 

Regularly checking in and collecting thoughtful feedback on their experience can make new employees feel heard, in addition to highlighting gaps in the process and revealing opportunities for improvement. 

Asking questions like: “What helped you most?” or “What felt unclear?” can provide insight into what needs more clarification and help you refine your employee onboarding programs in the future. 

10. Re-onboard if needed 

Many direct managers tend to think of employee onboarding as one and done. In reality, onboarding is an ongoing process that’s especially useful for those transitioning into new roles, returning from extended leave, or adapting to major company changes. 

A quarterly refresher on company updates, policies, and business pritoties can help employees stay engaged and aligned with business goals. Regular re-onboarding also ensures that long-term employees continue to grow within the company, rather than feeling disconnected or left behind.

Long-term investments in onboarding lead to happy employees – and better business outcomes.

Takeaway

At its core, successful onboarding is all about helping people feel confident, connected, and transparent about their roles. 

The tools you use may evolve, but the mission stays the same: to build trust, reduce friction, and make space for your hires to do their best work. 

One of the easiest ways to create an onboarding experience your new employees will actually enjoy? With an AI tool like Colossyan.  

With Colossyan, HR professionals can deliver high-quality, personalized employee onboarding at scale in minutes. Book a demo to learn how our platform can suit your needs, or try it for free.