VR in HR: How human resources can use VR and AR technology

How VR and AR can enhance HR

Computer-based training has been around since the '90s, and VR brings a deeper sense of immersion that can improve training and employee engagement.

"What's different about AR/VR is the ability to interact with others in a dynamic way where teaming can be applied," Sorensen said.

Imagine, for example, a cohort of high-potential leaders strapping on VR goggles and being put through complex business scenarios with key customers or a virtual board of directors or analysts. VR provides a way to expose people to situations they will likely encounter as they move through the corporate hierarchy, but it does so in a safe and controlled manner that aids learning and development.

"A key benefit of VR training is learners are immersed in the experience and not distracted," said Dan Eckert, former managing director of PwC's applied research lab for AI and emerging technology.

They cannot text, catch up on email or play games on their phones, which leads to a much higher level of emotional engagement and content retention compared with other learning modalities. VR is also a good approach for high-stakes training where safety or other concerns make realism too difficult or costly to create.

1. Hiring and recruiting

In some respects, VR is simply the evolution of flashy recruitment videos designed to build buzz by using the latest tech. VR and the metaverse enable HR teams to host job fairs where they can show candidates the working environment and what the job entails, and the candidates can get to know the company on a deeper level than is possible through traditional recruitment materials. Virtual interviews offered through VR can be more dynamic and personal because they avoid the confines of standard video conferencing software.

VR is becoming more practical and less costly because of the availability of off-the-shelf equipment and dedicated 3D content development tools. For example, in 2017, Toyota began working with InstaVR to create office tours that run on more modern VR equipment. InstaVR develops tools for capturing, editing, publishing and analyzing 3D experiences.

VR has not been widely adopted for recruitment, but its popularity is growing, said Holger Mueller, vice president at Constellation Research in Monte Vista, Calif. Recruitment videos have become common practice over the last several years, and VR has the potential to make these kinds of experiences even better.

"You can present your company in much better ways through AR and VR than you can through the traditional YouTube video," Mueller said.

Improvements in VR and AR will undoubtedly help. However, HR teams will have to experiment to figure out how to make VR content stand out. Also, VR use needs to increase in the consumer space so potential VR users are already familiar with the technology when they use it for work.

2. Vetting candidates

Others are not convinced that HR teams will invest a lot of money in flashy VR promos. However, companies could use VR to vet potential candidates by using the technology for candidate tests to see if they possess the required job skills.

Turning workplace simulations into VR experiences could help with high-volume hiring, said John Sumser, founder of HRExaminer.

"Imagine you're hunting for people to do what Lucy and Ethel did on the assembly line," he said. "You could probably model that behavior and assess those skills with a virtual reality tool, and it might be better than the tools they currently use."

Several years will likely elapse before these kinds of simulations are good enough for performing meaningful tests, but starting now could be helpful, Sumser said. Current supply chain challenges and political issues might motivate companies to bring manufacturing jobs back onshore, and VR simulations could help their HR teams identify and hire candidates with the right talents rather than bringing on candidates who may possess the right credentials but lack the necessary skills.

3. Onboarding

A better onboarding experience can lead to happier and more efficient employees.

"VR for meetings, workshops, training and virtual classrooms offer a fantastic way to onboard new employees," Eckert said.

A positive onboarding experience is particularly important in the wake of the social isolation caused by the pandemic, working from home and the globalization of companies. The new work environment can interfere with the social aspects of the onboarding process, such as connecting with new co-workers and team-building.

"VR offers something you cannot get from a 2D video call: presence [and] the feeling of being connected to others," Eckert said.

The technology enables people to onboard together, even if they are thousands of miles apart, Eckert said. This can be invaluable because it enables new employees to quickly build trust and develop professional relationships with their colleagues.

VR can also help employees learn the physical skills required to start a new job much faster. For example, Walmart's working relationship with Strivr, a VR training platform company, led to a reduction of the time needed to teach new hires goods-pickup skills, with the required training time dropping from eight hours to just 15 minutes.

4. Employee training for soft skills

VR shows tremendous promise for simulation training for soft skills, such as leadership and interpersonal skills.

PwC worked with Talespin, a VR content development platform, on a soft skills study that found people who trained using VR could train four times more quickly than in a classroom, were 275% times more confident in using the new skills and 3.75 times more emotionally connected to the learning subject than students who had learned it in a classroom.

In the past, this type of training was customarily reserved for the executive team and an organization's highest performers. VR democratizes the training and enables it to scale to everyone.

Academics are also exploring how VR can improve diversity, equity and inclusion training. For example, Courtney Cogburn, an associate professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work, developed an application that enables users who are not Black to experience being Black firsthand.

5. Career development and learning

VR and AR also show strong potential for technical training. They are already being widely used in high-stakes jobs where mistakes can be hazardous, such as the aviation, defense, oil and gas, and chemical industries. They are also a good fit for situations where on-site training might be very difficult to arrange and expensive, such as on oil platforms.

"Industries such as manufacturing, aerospace and government agencies are ahead of the curve in using VR and AR to develop technical or complex skills," said Kelly Rider, former chief learning and talent officer at Boston-based PTC, which has released software for digital twins. "For example, industrial companies are using VR and AR to learn how these systems work, improve workforce efficiency, improve quality and yield, and reduce waste caused by human error."

This training will be improved once early tools are replaced by new headsets that are capable of cognitive load measurement, which is a technique for matching training materials with an individual's ability to process and retain the information, Eckert said. The cognitive load measurement data will continuously feed into an AI-based human resources management system and learning management system to determine the training that is needed for a specific individual and customize the training on the fly.

"Cognitive load measurement will [enable] growing your human resources more effectively and account for a variety of learning styles and truly enable neurodiversity," Eckert said.

However, the systems will require new ethical and privacy safeguards because the data has the potential to be misused, Eckert said.

6. Workplace of the future

Some HR professionals believe that VR and AR could help improve company culture that could have been negatively affected if more team members began working remotely or in different office locations. All the major video conferencing applications are beginning to support shared spaces for virtual offices.

Many companies will continue to have a geographically dispersed workforce, said Lisa Rowan, a research vice president for HR and talent management services at IDC in Needham, Mass.

"Some of these things might be put together to provide a feeling of togetherness when you're working alone in your house," she said.

Drawbacks and challenges of VR and AR in HR

Enterprises will need to navigate a few challenges on the way to widespread adoption of VR in HR.

One is that the VR industry is still sorting out the ergonomics of VR headset long-term use. While some workers might revel in spending hours in virtual environments, other employees could experience motion sickness, dizziness and other issues that preclude extended use. Also, VR users need to be able to use the technology in a safe environment. Many people have crashed into objects around them while using a VR headset.

Also, content development and management need to focus on providing users with more immersive experiences. Most of the work today focuses on building 3D, game-like experiences. Soft skills training will also require simulating human behavior and measuring progress in meaningful ways.

Finally, VR and AR need to become more mainstream in the public domain so that potential candidates and employees fully embrace it in their work environment. However, most companies hiring, training and engaging with employees and candidates continue to use standard 2D video conferencing applications and in-person meetings.

In the long run, VR has immense potential to improve the candidate and employee experience. The need will only increase as the pace of technological, societal and business change accelerates.

"HR needs to provide an efficient, effective and enjoyable way for their employees to train and learn new skills," Eckert said. "VR training is something an organization can start with now."

George Lawton is a journalist based in London. Over the last 30 years, he has written more than 3,000 stories about computers, communications, knowledge management, business, health and other areas that interest him.

Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.

Additional reporting by Tony Kontzer.