Virtual Reality in Business Training for Employee Development

Almost 9 in 10 millennial employees look for jobs with professional development opportunities. Training and development for employees has become an important part of the business world. Not only does it make employees happy with their workplaces, but it also makes them more loyal and productive.

Therefore, many organizations now view employee training as an important aspect of employee experience. 

Training has evolved from simple classrooms and mentorship programs to be more digital now. Virtual Reality (VR) is proving to be a useful technology as an interactive business training solution for employee development.

Employee skill development through VR is so much more immersive than traditional training methods. Not only does it require employees to participate actively, but it also simulates real environments without any risks. This means employees get to test their skills hands-on, right there in the virtual learning environment. 

Let us explore in detail how VR is revolutionizing employee training and development.

Understanding Virtual Reality in Business Training

Virtual Reality brings in simulations, engagement, and immersive experience in the world of employee training and development. 

In the past, employees had to sit through boring trainings where the instructor would drone on and on, without actually trying to engage the employees. Not only would these drain the employees instead of improving their skill set, but they would also be limited to theory. 

Using VR in employee training and development allows trainees to participate in immersive and real-world-like simulations. 

For that, business organizations partner with training agencies that arrange VR-based immersive learning experiences or create training rooms in-house. VR in corporate training consists of the following essential elements:

• VR Headsets
• 3D Simulated Environments
• Guided Content
• Dedicated Training Spaces
• Compatible VR Platforms
• Employee Performance Data

Apart from these aspects, another crucial element for successful VR training is a stable, high-speed internet connection. Since VR learning needs real-time responses, organizations also need to have a high-speed and reliable internet connection. Patchy internet connections with high latency are unsuitable for VR. This is because lag and buffering can disrupt the learning process. A fast fiber connection like Verizon internet, is a great way to ensure VR training is successful and uninterrupted.

Benefits of Using Virtual Reality for Employee Development

The reason why we are seeing more and more companies use virtual reality for employee training is because of its many obvious benefits. Let us discuss the benefits of using VR simulations for employee development. 

Reduced Risk

In the industrial and aviation sectors, real-world training can pose some serious risks to employee safety. However, using VR technology for workforce training can significantly reduce these risks. In VR-based learning, simulations of flight and manufacturing processes are created where employees can learn and practice in safe and controlled environments.

A VR flight simulator

 For instance, VR flight simulators allow future pilots to train flying planes without any serious risks to their lives. 

Better Employee Engagement

Physical corporate training tends to be boring for employees because of the lack of interactivity. VR training, with its immersive nature, engages employees right off the bat. This is important for successful learning and better retention for employees.

Data-Driven Actionable Insights

Physical training and written assessments make it arduous for companies to properly track employee performance. VR-based learning allows the automated collection of data based on pre-set KPIs. Organizations use these KPIs to get data-driven insights, which lets them instantly see how the employees are responding to Virtual Reality training. 

Experiential Learning

Business training and development used to be theory-based, which rarely gave employees any chances of practical learning. VR training allows employees to practice what they learn right away. Experiential learning is not only better for their retention, but it also allows them to expand their skill set in less time and effort. A study conducted by PwC showed that VR training enabled employees to learn faster and apply their skills more confidently. 

VR in business training engages employees better.

Flexibility and Scalability 

With workforces now going global, business organizations need to find a way to include their remote employees in corporate training. However, the physical distance often proves to be a challenge. But not anymore, thanks to organized remote training with virtual reality. It is due to VR’s flexible nature that employees can join their peers in training with just a VR headset.

Moreover, VR also makes it easy to scale up or down the training according to different difficulty levels for different employees. 

Reduced Costs

VR might seem like an expensive option for training employees, but it holds more value in the long run. Traditional learning repetitively requires trainers and materials, the cost for which can quickly add up. VR-based employee learning and development allows employees to access the training material digitally. On top of that, VR training can also significantly reduce accident-related costs.

Real-World Examples of Virtual Reality in Employee Training

Considering the various benefits of using VR for employee training, it is now used across various industries. Let us see some real-world examples of how businesses from different industries use VR for business training and employee development. 

Hospitality

McDonald’s trains its new employees using Tantrum Lab’s VR-based training software. It has unique training scenarios that guide employees on what to do in tricky situations. Plus, it is also available in multiple languages like English and Spanish to allow employees to cater to different customers. 

Healthcare

Johnson & Johnson uses Oculus and Osso VR’s training content to train surgeons on new medical equipment and gadgets. Surgeons are able to learn in a risk-free environment and build muscle memory as well.

Customer Service

Retail chains like Walmart partner with a VR training platform, STRIVR, to train employees to deal with customers effectively in the holiday seasons. Walmart was able to reduce its training time from 8 hours to just 15 minutes, using VR for employee training. 

Human Resource

Accenture uses VR for virtual onboarding and has onboarded roughly 150,000 employees. This is done using Meta Quest 2 and allows new employees to understand the company culture. This same program can be used to train HR professionals on conducting onboarding seamlessly. 

All in all, virtual reality can improve employee learning and development by making training more engaging, immersive, and cost-friendly.