What’s Next in Employee Learning: Virtual Reality

Employee learning is a key area for all organizations which seek to have an ultra-skilled workforce. Employees who receive regular training workshops on different skillsets tend to do better in their jobs. The leadership and development departments of organizations typically take care of the employee learning programs and need to ensure that the programs are regularly updated. The latest trend in employee learning is virtual reality.

 

Virtual reality is a way to simulate real life situations using technology and help people practice their coping skills through virtual games. These games have points and employees learn in an interactive and fun way. Points help them determine whether they are doing well or if they are improving at their game.

The best part of virtual reality is that whatever people learn through it is visual and practical and hence, registers more in the brain. People who have trained in virtual reality tend to remember how to cope with such a situation in real life as compared to those who haven’t trained.

Current Scenario

A large number of virtual reality applications available currently cater to the works which involve physical tasks. For example, a virtual reality game called “Chop and Drop”, teaches employees how to cut trees, especially near electrical lines such that neither electrical lines, nor property nor self are damaged in the process. They learn to use a boom truck as well as cut trees while using a VR headset. These skills stay with them as they go out in the real world to cut trees in a similar scenario.

Future Prospects

Though the current applications help train for physical tasks, in future it can be expected that simulated team handling and other soft skills training would be imparted through the use of VR. It would help train people for group discussions and other interactive activities and in general how to behave in a team. Current technologies such as Skype allow you to connect with people around the world, however, the new forthcoming technologies would enable complete global collaborations for team building and thoroughly global projects.

What’s in it for leaders?

VR is a great opportunity for leaders to create truly global teams at the minimum cost possible. Obviously, technology would not enable a person to be transported geographically in a jiffy, but where things can be done without physical presence, VR would truly enhance the work experience. Strategic management and leadership teams must use this opportunity to build their global teams and invest in the use of VR as an employee learning mechanism.

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