- AI and VR are increasingly being used to train employees.
- VR can revolutionize workplace education and increase employee engagement through accurate topic simulation of training.
- Accenture is using Meta’s VR headset technology to onboard 150,000 employees.
A staff guides visitors as they try out virtual reality headsets at the Siemens stand at the 2022 Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, November 3, 2022.
Horacio Villalobos | Getty Images
Technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality play a big role in solving pesky people’s problems such as employee turnover and declining productivity.
One area where this is most noticeable is in employee training. The ease of use and immersive nature of AI and VR are taking employee training to a whole new level, said Tacy Byham, CEO of DDI, an international talent and leadership development consulting firm. said Mr.
Of course, using virtual reality simulations to train employees is nothing new. Companies in industries ranging from automotive to healthcare have used VR to train factory floor workers and emergency room staff for years.
But with advances in AI, VR training can also be effectively used to train soft skills, “giving employees the opportunity to practice speaking,” Byham said. “It also creates an immersive experience that feels safe, allows for practice, and allows you to dive into very deep and relevant conversations.”
Byham has been working on VR training sessions for years, even before the pandemic. She said every company could benefit from her AI and VR tech in different ways, and employers should start embracing these tools.
The biggest issues to blame for HR teams include poor employee engagement and a scramble to retain employees despite a cascade of massive layoffs across the tech industry.
Frankie Cavanagh, Chief Technology Officer at Gemba, a virtual reality workforce learning platform, is dedicated to finding the best ways to engage people in learning. He said VR is the perfect tool to revolutionize workplace training and increase employee engagement.
“You’ve probably seen memes about workplace training where employees click, click, click, and complete online training as quickly as possible,” Cavanagh said. VR is different because it immerses employees in the experience.”
“VR is the ideal vehicle for that because it is a useful way to keep people engaged, and once you get the learner engaged, you can teach just about anything,” Cavanagh added. .
Learning and training with VR impacts employees in ways that traditional learning methods cannot. This is because current tools like PowerPoint slides, online modules and how-to videos don’t block out the outside world the way VR does, Cavanagh said.
VR immerses employees in a simulation of the exact topic of a learning session. Full exposure and immersion in a topic helps employees remember what they learned better than traditional methods.
“VR is long-lived in terms of retaining that information,” Cavanagh said. “That’s what you went through, and it wasn’t the only day you sat in front of your laptop and clicked through and watched a terrible online video training.”
Whether you’re a manager who needs to do a performance review or an associate who wants to talk to your boss about a raise or promotion, every employee in your company faces a difficult conversation at some point or another. increase.
VR and AI can help employees navigate these situations, deal with stumbling blocks, obstacles and mistakes, and practice their statements before meeting their colleagues in the real world, Byham said. increase.
Employees can also be prepared for the kinds of responses they might receive in return. In these VR settings, virtual humans can react positively, negatively, or neutrally to what employees say, and react to similar emotions expressed in real-life conversations in the workplace. improve your ability to
“Let’s say you need to talk to an employee about how they missed a deadline,” says Byham. “The in-VR employee was like, ‘What do you mean? Listen. ’”
Emotions are high in this hypothetical scenario, and managers have time to think about how they would respond if this or something similar happened in real life, she added.
Byham said it is the leader’s ultimate responsibility to keep the emotions in the room in check. They need to listen, connect with you, and help your employees feel heard. These VR simulations help readers breakthrough and enter deeper performance conversations.
“You can watch movies, listen to podcasts, and get good advice on how to have conversations about performance, but until you actually get involved and try to do it yourself, there’s nothing you can do to change your behavior. , improve it,” Byham said.
Byham and Cavanagh agree that VR and AI technologies stand to benefit employees at all levels of the enterprise, but incorporating these tools is not a one-step, all-in-one solution. Incorporating these tools provides the first step in a long road to adoption of VR technology.
Byham also urges companies to consider the feasibility of what it takes to incorporate these VR tools into their specific workplaces. Constraints such as budgets, facilities and IT support can prevent companies from getting started with her VR tools, she said.
Among the questions to be addressed, do you have this equipment in the office and expect people to come by, or do you provide it remotely? We need more IT support to be able to support VR What is your budget for VR investment? Do you have the right facilitator to help you run and report on the program?
“To what extent do managers help support people on their journey? You can’t leave it to HR alone,” says Byham. “You have to make sure you have a manager who listens and provides support and provides coaching. He is one of the key means.”
