When in-person training was put on hold last year, companies had to get creative in finding ways to train employees. Virtual Reality was one of the ways that this happened. Virtual Reality is a computer-generated simulation of an image or environment that the viewer can interact with as if it were in real life. VR training for employees proved to be very beneficial to employers because it simulated real scenarios.
Examples of VR Training:
- Hard skills:
- learning to perform surgery
- fly a plane
- Soft skills:
- enhance diversity
- equity and inclusion awareness
- difficult workplace encounters
Employers have been using VR Training to simulate high-stakes situations for a while. Now, it is being utilized to teach employees the necessary soft skills to succeed in their job. For example, VR can simulate a difficult conversation with a coworker. Ultimately, employees say that this type of training makes them more confident in their job and creates a strong emotional bond to the training course. It is also proven to enhance a learner's senses and helps the employee better learn and retain the training content.
Let's talk cost
You might be wondering, "How much does something like this cost?"
More organizations are now within reach of this technology because of its increased affordability. Many organizations are reusing VR technology with each employee to cut down costs as well. Here is a typical list of what someone needs to partake in VR training:
- headsets (VR goggles)
- off-the-shelf software/ custom development to build simulations for the company
On average, the cost of these materials is around $1000. However, this is just a one-time payment for companies that reuse the software. As you can see, VR Technology is now beginning to become just as affordable as regular training material.
Benefits of VR Soft Skill Training
The human elements of jobs are going to increase in value in the future. Artificial intelligence is going to continue to replace repetitive and manual jobs. However, one aspect that AI cannot replace is the human touch. Learning soft skills will become increasingly important to employees who want to prove their value to a company. Empathy, judgment, and collaboration are just examples of how employees will provide customer service that artificial intelligence cannot. VR technology aids in developing these skills by training employees on handling difficult tasks with customers, so they are equipped to handle them when faced with these situations.
In conclusion, VR will continue to be a part of companies' training programs. VR has become more affordable and proven to be a valuable tool for training employees.
endevis is a full-service recruitment firm specializing in the areas of healthcare, manufacturing & supply chain, technology, and accounting & finance. With solutions to fit every hiring challenge, endevis meets client needs from across the United States with physical locations in Toledo, OH, Cleveland, OH, Nashville, TN, & Jersey City, NJ as well as countless virtual employees across the country.