How to Use Video for Asynchronous Communication

Corporate businesses are now likely to be operating remotely instead of in the office. While many are using Zoom to communicate in real-time conferences, it’s not the only way video can be used to assist remote work. 

Using video as a form of asynchronous communication is an excellent remote working as it doesn’t require an instant response. Remote work videos can cover a wide range of topics, like company-wide updates, weekly agendas or tips for working at home. With that in mind, this blog will discuss:

• What is Asynchronous Communication?

• Asynchronous vs Synchronous Communication

• Asynchronous Communication video ideas for your business

What is asynchronous communication?

Asynchronous communication is becoming a preferred method of communication in the workplace. Put simply, asynchronous communication is when you send communication to colleagues without expecting an instant response. It doesn’t happen in real-time, instead it lets coworkers reply in their own time and gives them the opportunity to think about their answers (e.g. pre-recorded videos, emails). 

If your coworker is preoccupied with another task and cannot comprehend the information you are providing in person or on the phone, asynchronous communication will prevent this situation from happening. Instead, your colleague can reply to you via email or online chat so they can receive the information, process it, then respond when they can. 

Using video is a great way to communicate asynchronously, sharing company-wide updates, weekly agendas or even tips and tricks for working at home. These videos do not need to have immediate interaction. Employees can view the videos at their leisure, comment and reply when it suits them. All in all, this leads to thoughtful, stress-free responses and better results. Developing a video chat app can also be a convenient way of communicating with your colleagues where you can exchange timely information.  

Asynchronous vs synchronous communication 

Synchronous communication is the opposite to asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication happens in real time, in the moment, with an immediate response needed – think Zoom conferences and phone calls. Beneficially, synchronous communication enables natural dialogue and allows colleagues to bounce ideas off one another.

Unfortunately, when working remotely, this form of communication can hinder some employees. Workers with families or different work hours can view this communication as an added stress. Synchronous communication requires planning ahead of time to ensure every team member can attend the virtual meeting so they don’t miss out on vital information. This of course, is not always possible when working from home.

Asynchronous communication on the other hand, offers choice to workers. It gives them the freedom to digest information in their own time and provide thoughtful responses. Asynchronous communication can take the form of an email or, more effectively, a pre-recorded video. This type of communication is ideal for the modern workplace which is often made up of employees with families and remote workers based in different time zones.

Asynchronous communication video ideas for your business

Among all available options of communicating effectively in remote teams, video is a great tool for asynchronous communication – it's captivating and communicates messages clearly, meaning you can avoid the awkwardness of a misinterpreted email or message. There's a wealth of tools available and here’s how your small business can successfully implement asynchronous videos into your remote work strategy. 

Weekly goal setting

Start the week off on the right note. Instead of sending your team a long list of to-dos or goals for the week, make an entertaining video online. It doesn't have to be fancy – a simple webcam or smartphone video will be sufficient.

Show visuals, humour and positive body language when motivating colleagues to make them feel as if they were really there. Some employees may not have the time to sit down and read a long email or message as they would do being in the office. Recording yourself lets recipients engage and this may lead to more productivity.

Company updates

These are uncertain times, so transparency will be much appreciated by your staff. A regular company update will reassure employees and make them feel involved in the company, despite working remotely.

This kind of video is best coming from the CEO or managers who can provide data and a broad view of how the business is performing as a whole. If you'd like to present visuals like graphs, try using our Picture in Picture video feature.

Q&A sessions

Working remotely means a lot of daily office discussion is no longer possible and general questions go unanswered. This gap can be filled by a regular Q&A video session with one of the managerial staff in your company.

All you need to do is ask employees to submit questions prior to your scheduled filming and then answer their questions in a pre-recorded video. You can use features like text and motion titles to display the questions on screen incase any of your staff are watching on silent. Share this video with your staff in a Slack channel or via email.

Recorded meetings 

Remote work results in some employees not being able to all join a conference call at a scheduled time. Don’t worry, there’s a simple solution – record your meetings and share the video in a group message.

This gives employees on a different time zone or schedule time to attentively listen to the meeting with the opportunity to pause and play at their leisure. If you don’t have a simplistic, office background to film against, not a problem. We have created one for you with many zoom backgrounds for Clipchamp Create users to use in times of remote work. Check out our How to Use Video Backgrounds for Zoom blog to find out more.

Need a helping hand?

Having trouble shooting a video from home? We've created a complete step by step guide on How to Film Videos When You’re Working From Home.