VR for training

Training employees or volunteers can be costly or even dangerous. That's why one of the most exciting ways businesses are using virtual reality (and augmented reality for that matter) is training. Here are some of the many benefits of virtual reality training:

• Employees can be trained about dangerous situations without actually being put in danger

• Employees can be trained about rare situations without having to encounter them in the real world

• Expensive equipment need not risk being damaged or even incur as much wear-and-tear because employees can spend much of their training on virtual equipment

• Equipment need not be taken away from its actual purpose in order for people to train on it

• Reduced pressure on employees who are nervous about working on expensive equipment or in dangerous situations

• Employees can repeat the training as many times as necessary

• New hire training can be done cost-effectively without taking HR professionals away from their other responsibilities

• VR training software can provide accurate, objective measurements of an employee's skills and progress

• Training can be done at any time with any number of employees vs. in-person training which is often only cost-effective if a group is training at the same time

• Training can be gamified and virtual reality naturally increases engagement

• Realistic simulations allow for the practice of soft skills such as sales, customer service, public speaking, negotiation, media training, and more

• Unconscious bias training for issues such as racism or sexual harassment has been proven to be very effective in VR due to a scientifically measurable increase in empathy the user feels because of the sense of presence (they feel as if they are really in the situation)

A woman participates in unconscious racial bias training where she is put in a VR experience in which she is a different race

So who is using virtual reality training?

• The medical field is using VR training for everything from IV insertion to surgery

• Retail organizations such as Walmart are using it to train employees on how to deal with situations such as Black Friday

• The Aviation industry is using it to train pilots, air traffic controllers, and even the people building and maintaining aviation equipment

• Military, law enforcement, and fire safety organizations are using it for training on how to react in dangerous situations. Some law enforcement organizations have also used it to detect and train against unconscious bias

• Manufacturers are using it to train employees on processes and equipment

• Shipping and logistics companies are using it to train on everything from safe and efficient unit load device (ULD) stacking to driving in hazardous road conditions

• Fast food restaurants such as KFC are using it to train employees safe and efficient food preparation

• Oil & gas and other industries where some employees perform dangerous jobs are using it to train employees for everything from worst case scenarios to mundane daily tasks and assessments

And as always, links to source material if you want to learn more:

• https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/why-virtual-reality-training-for-employees-is-catching-on.aspx

• https://virtualspeech.com/blog/how-is-vr-changing-corporate-training

• https://www.viar360.com/companies-using-virtual-reality-employee-training/

• https://hbr.org/2019/10/research-how-virtual-reality-can-help-train-surgeons

Want to talk about whether VR training might be right for your organization? Book a consultation with us!