HR professionals are the guardians of a company’s culture and values, ensuring they permeate every level of the organization. But when these values are not clearly communicated, they can become abstract and disconnected from daily operations, leading to confusion among employees. This disconnect may cause uncertainty in how employees apply these values in their roles, ultimately affecting performance.
To ensure that company values are not just understood but lived, HR professionals must make these concepts tangible and relatable. One powerful way to do this is through compelling visuals that bring values to life and embed them in the everyday experience of employees
In this guide, I’ll show you how HR professionals can leverage compelling visuals to bridge the gap between abstract values and employees’ day-to-day experiences. I will also be sharing free visual communication resources as well as HR infographic templates and a free HR report maker. Let’s go!
Click to jump ahead:
- How visual communication can impact HR & leadership
- Types of visuals that resonate with employees
- Practical tips for creating compelling HR visuals
- Venngage: Empowering HR with easy-to-use visual communication tools
- Conclusion: Communicate values and culture with visuals
How visual communication can impact HR & leadership
Today’s workforce is changing. More employees are used to visual information in their personal lives, and they expect the same at work. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis are also on the rise and attention spans are getting shorter, which brings the average attention span of a human to 8.25 seconds. With this understanding, you know that a wall of text will no longer achieve its desired aim with your employees.
Every time you open your eyes, your brain instantly processes a stream of visual information, turning what you see into understanding. Visual communication can transform abstract concepts into something concrete and memorable. Since the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, well-designed visuals can convey messages more efficiently and effectively than words.
“It has improved my workload incredibly, and even the degree of engagement, by facilitating information sharing. If I’m to encapsulate it in a single key benefit, it would be clarity enhancement. That is to say, using visuals to present information in a digestible form from some of the complex data to avoid long-winded explanations for effective discussions to take place.” – CEO of ChaadHR, on the importance of visual communication.
Let’s look at the ways that visual communication can impact HR and leadership.
Boosting employee engagement:
Visual elements like images, videos, and infographics stand out, capture attention quickly and help convey messages effectively. In today’s work environment where attention spans are increasingly shorter, visuals cut through the noise, ensuring that essential messages not only reach but resonate with your employees.
The Visual Working Memory (VWM) and Visual Episodic Long-Term Memory (VLTM) theory come into play here. Visual Working Memory (VWM) can help us recognize past objects even after brief exposures and despite image-level differences. Visual Episodic Long-Term Memory (VLTM) helps us remember images we have not seen in a long time, be it months, years or even decades.
Visuals engage your employees visual and cognitive processes, making information easier to process, which can in turn enhance employee engagement and retention. HubSpot’s internal blog, “Culture Code” for example, combines visuals with storytelling. They share employee stories, company values, and culture-related content through visually appealing articles and videos.
Aligning employees with company goals:
Visuals like infographics, posters, or videos can show your company’s purpose, values, and long-term aspirations and make them more concrete and relatable for employees. The use of storytelling creates a sense of common purpose amongst employees, as well as a narrative where each employee can connect their roles to the broader vision of the company.
A series of visual narratives such as “Meet our customers,” “Our impact,” “Your role”, or even “Before meets After” can help craft stories that reinforce alignment and foster a sense of purpose amongst employees. Let’s look at these narratives a little closely, I’ll be sharing some examples and templates that you can use as well.
Meet our customers: This visual narrative shows employees the real people who benefit from the company’s products or services. It adds a personal touch, turning numbers into faces. This helps boost motivation by reminding employees that their work impacts real lives, showing them the value they bring. Here’s an example:
Here’s another example that shows the age range of the customers being catered to by a skincare company.
Our impact: This narrative showcases the organization’s broader impact, like sustainability efforts and community involvement. It shows employees how their work contributes to positive change, fostering pride and a stronger sense of purpose.
Your role: This narrative highlights each employee’s role, showing how their daily tasks are crucial to the company’s mission. It can feature job descriptions, career paths, and success stories, helping clarify responsibilities and the importance of their work. This deeper connection to the company’s goals can boost job satisfaction.
Here’s an example of a Software Engineer’s career roadmap:
In celebrating outstanding employees, here’s a talent showcase example, spotlighting an exceptional employee:
Before meets after: A creative infographic or video or even GIF can also be used to communicate changes within the company or the “Before” and “After” states of a project. This further shows how your new strategies align with the grand vision of the company and where the employees come into the picture.
Creating a positive work environment:
You can create a positive and inclusive work environment by shaping how employees perceive and interact with their workplace. For diverse teams, visual representation cannot be underscored. Creating a diverse workforce could include inclusive infographics, representation in internal communications, or artwork that celebrates the different cultures and perspectives represented in your company.
Creating accessible infographics makes room for people with one form of disability or the other to feel seen and recognized. When employees see themselves reflected in the company’s visuals, it reinforces that they are valued members of the organization.
An “Employee of the Month” infographic or board, or a digital slideshow of team or departmental accomplishments can boost morale and encourage a positive work atmosphere.
Types of visuals that resonate with employees
Visuals are not just another aesthetic addition to the workplace, they are key to effective communication. There are different types of visuals, and they serve various purposes, from onboarding new hires to celebrating team achievements. I’ll be taking you through some of the most impactful types of visuals and how they can be used to foster a stronger, more engaged workforce.
Infographics:
When you’re looking to simplify complex information and break down large processes within the workplace, infographics are your go to. With icons and visuals, you can better show your company’s values and culture which makes understanding easy for your employees. This way, employees quickly grasp and remember the core values, making them more likely to incorporate these ideals into their daily work.
Let’s look at Netflix’s core values beautifully captured in this infographic:
This infographic beautifully infuses Netflix’s colors and captures the essential message of their core values in an easy to understand way.
Rather than overwhelm employees with detailed reports, infographics can clearly and concisely present survey results. Let’s look at this image from a business report, which has all the information and statistics required for the report.
Then there’s this business report that is created into a beautiful infographic.
Going by the picture superiority effect theory, your employees are more likely to remember and understand the report contained in the infographic, than the one with just words.
Another example is to create an HR checklist for when onboarding new hires. This is essential for a smooth process. Create checklists that cover key steps like paperwork, orientation, equipment setup, and team introductions. Whether digital or printed, a well-designed checklist boosts efficiency and supports new employees during their transition.
You can also use a timeline infographic to show your company’s history, key events in that history as well as your milestones over the years. This way, your employees can easily see the company’s growth, how their hard work has contributed to the growth so far, and feel a sense of pride that their work is producing results.
Here’s an infographic that shows Instagram’s growth from 2010-2017.
Or, if you want to show a customer success report to your employees in a visual, don’t just throw words or data their way. Put it in a beautiful infographic like this:
Presentations:
Presentations are a powerful tool to convey key information and unify employees. When created, they can be inspiring, aligning teams with the company’s vision and goals. Onboarding is critical for new hires, and a visually engaging presentation enhances its effectiveness. An onboarding presentation could look like this:
This is your chance to introduce your company culture through vivid images, videos, and interactive elements. Photos of team events, behind-the-scenes videos, or mission-focused infographics create a welcoming and exciting experience for new employees.
Company-wide meetings are ideal for reinforcing achievements, goals, and future directions. Visuals—charts, graphs, and videos—enhance impact. For example, a CEO video message or animated slides for quarterly results create engaging, memorable presentations, leaving employees informed and motivated. Additionally, sharing a meeting recording after the session ensures that employees who missed the meeting can stay up to date.
In the same vein, a marketing team can visually track campaign progress, celebrate successes, and set clear goals. This approach aligns the team and boosts morale by recognizing hard work and achievements.
Reports
Visual reports elevate business communication by turning raw data and narratives into compelling stories that engage employees and inspire action. Employee Spotlight Reports, for example, recognize and celebrate the unique talents within your company. They showcase individual achievements, career paths, or personal stories, highlighting the diverse skills and backgrounds of your workforce.
For example, an Employee Spotlight Report can use infographics to chart an employee’s journey from their start date to their current role, emphasizing key milestones. By including personal quotes and photos, these reports make employees feel valued and appreciated, fostering a positive work environment. Additionally, they can inspire other employees by showcasing diverse career paths, reinforcing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Including charts and graphs in HR reports allows you to present employee turnover rates, performance metrics, and other relevant data visually. As a result, leaders gain insights into employee trends, enabling faster decision-making in HR matters.
Diagrams
While reports convey stories and data, diagrams play a crucial role in visualizing processes, structures, and timelines. Diagrams break down processes into clear, step-by-step visuals as text explanations alone can be challenging for understanding intricate workflows. For example, a flowchart visually represents a multi-step approval process, with each step labeled and connected by arrows. This helps employees grasp their role and ensure nothing is overlooked.
In understanding the company structure, organizational charts map out hierarchy, reporting relationships, and team structures. In organizational charts, different colors and shapes are used, which represent various departments, with lines connecting employees to their managers. This makes it easy for employees to easily identify who to contact for specific issues.
Gantt charts and timeline diagrams can be used to visualize and explain project timelines and milestones. These provide a clear overview of project progress. Deadlines, milestones, and dependencies are visually represented here making it easy to the employees understanding. For example, a Gantt chart displays a product launch timeline, with bars indicating task durations and markers for critical milestones.
Practical tips for creating compelling HR visuals
- Start with a clear message
From the onset, define the key takeaways and the emotions you want to evoke. It could be the importance of teamwork or the excitement of a new project. Whatever it is, make sure your visuals have a clear message that’s easy to grasp at a glance.
- Design for your audience
Tailor your visuals to the specific interests and preferences of your employees. Are they seasoned professionals, or are they interns fresh out of college? Are they data-driven? Use charts and graphs. Are they visual learners? Opt for infographics. Ensure your visual matches their interests and resonates with them, this way, you catch their attention easily.
- Keep it simple and memorable
With visuals, less is more. The goal is to make your visuals easy to understand and remember. So, avoid cramming in too much information or using overly complex graphics. Use straightforward icons, clean layouts, and minimal text that are easy on the eyes.
- Tell stories
Stories evoke emotions and create connections. Everyone loves a good story, and visuals are a great way to tell one that resonates with employees on a personal level. Instead of just throwing out facts and figures, create a narrative that employees can relate to.
- Use high-quality visuals
High-quality photos, videos, and graphics make a big difference in how your message is received. They show your employees that you care about them, their job and growth and are serious about what you’re communicating as well. Venngage has a library of thousands of professional photos, videos, and graphics that you can use to give your visuals a polished look.
- Maintain brand consistency
Anywhere, anytime, anyone would recognize Batman by his iconic black suit and bat symbol, because that is his ‘brand’. In the same way you wouldn’t miss a Pepsi or Coca-cola ad, even if you see it from a distance. The same should apply to your company. Your visuals should feel like they’re part of the same family as your company’s other communications. So, stick to the brand guidelines of your company for colors, fonts, and style so everything feels cohesive and professional.
- Leverage templates and tools
With tools and templates offered by Venngage, you don’t have to be a design whiz to create great visuals. There are tons of professionally designed templates that simplify your design process and make it easy to put together compelling visuals for your employees.
GENERATE FREE TEMPLATES FROM VENNGAGE MUSE
- Track your results
Communication is a two way street, so measure the impact of your visuals through surveys, feedback, or social media interactions. Check in with your visuals, did your employees engage it? Did they see that video, and what was their take away from it?
Mark Pierce, the CEO of Wyoming Trust explains the mentorship program the company has organized. “In this program, new team members are paired with seasoned pros—not just to learn the ropes but to master the art of giving and getting feedback. These aren’t stiff sessions—they’re real conversations about real scenarios.”
Venngage: Empowering HR with easy-to-use visual communication tools
A major challenge you may face as a HR or learning and development professional is how to create professional and high quality visuals with ease and without breaking the bank. Venngage is here to help you! Venngage is a user-friendly platform designed to help HR professionals create impactful visuals for their employees. Sign up is free!
We offer thousands of professionally designed HR templates that you can easily edit for your HR specific needs, such as onboarding, culture, surveys, reports etc. Our drag and drop editor allows for easy customization with our collection of icons, pictures and illustrations. You can make quick changes to designs in a few clicks and make them yours.
As a business user, you have access to the MyBrandKit with which you can add the colors of your brand in just one click. How easy and cool is that! Streamline your communication and HR processes with our collaboration feature that allows you to work seamlessly with your HR team in real time.
Conclusion: Communicate values and culture with visuals
As you create HR visuals, remember they’re not just for aesthetics. Visuals are the glue that holds your company culture and values together. Whether you’re celebrating wins, simplifying tasks, or promoting inclusivity, visuals make a bigger impact than words.
Ready to step up your HR game and drive culture and instill values with compelling visuals? Venngage collection of templates, icons, and design tools has everything you need to get started. Play around, make adjustments, and see your communication efforts take off. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, Venngage makes it easy for you to create a professional visual in minutes. Start visualizing your way to a more engaged and informed team!
