Turning Mandatory Training into Must-Watch Content
A recent article by Adele on the power of short-form video in employee engagement reminded me of an initiative I launched at EMC over 15 years ago. It not only captured employees’ attention – it became a case study in innovative training, proving that even the driest corporate policies can become engaging with the right approach.
Like many companies, EMC faced a common problem: Mandatory training that no one wanted to read. Our legal team had created a 20-page social media policy, but despite its importance, it was being straight up ignored. And we needed every one of our 50,000 global employees to understand it, because they weren’t just employees; they were brand ambassadors.
The issue wasn’t the policy itself. It was how we delivered it.
The Problem: People Didn’t Want to Consume It
So, we flipped the script. Instead of creating content that employees HAD to consume, we created something they actually WANTED to consume.
Enter Grog the Caveman.
We turned the 20-page document into a four-minute animated video featuring Grog, a humorously relatable character who walked employees through the evolution of social media as well as our policy. In just a few minutes, employees learned why the policy was so important and the key takeaways – without feeling like they were being lectured.
The result? All 50,000 employees watched it. Not only that, but they loved it – SO much so that they SHARED it publicly (with company permission, of course). And through this process, the media picked up on it, lauding EMC for their forward-thinking approach to employee engagement and content efficacy.
The Lesson? Training Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
This wasn’t just a one-off success. Research consistently shows that engaging content drives better results in corporate training:
- Retention: 97% of Learning & Development professionals say video-based training improves retention compared to text-based documents.
- Engagement: Short-form videos are 2.5x more engaging than long-form content.
- Performance: Companies with high employee engagement see 21% higher profitability.
What worked for us back then is even more relevant today. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts dominating how people consume content, sticking to outdated training methods is a missed opportunity. When employees are entertained, they’re also educated, and that’s when real change happens.
Beyond Training: Driving Real Business Impact
Don’t get us wrong, though: this wasn’t just a fun internal project – it had real business results. Through our creative approach, we:
- Activated 5,000 social media champions within the company.
- Realized over 20 million unique visitors each year to our website through employee activation.
- Developed a first-of-its-kind social selling program, exceeding our stretch goals by 180%.
These numbers aren’t just stats. They’re proof that when you engage employees, you empower them to create measurable business outcomes.
Wrapping up: A Challenge to Today’s Leaders
Instead of asking, “How do we get employees to comply?” ask, “How do we make them care?”
Whether it’s through animation, short-form video, or another creative approach, the goal is the same: shift from obligation to enthusiasm. Shift from creating content that your audience MUST consume to creating content they WANT to consume.
At Cortico-X, we specialize in designing experiences that drive employee engagement and deliver real business impact. So, if you’re ready to rethink how you connect with your workforce, let’s talk.
Follow Cortico-X on LinkedIn for more information on employee engagement and workplace change.
Len Devanna
is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Cortico-X, offering over 25 years of expertise in digital strategy, customer experience, and transformative leadership across industries.
