Using Virtual Reality to Improve Employee Training Programs

Designing Digitally

08/13/2018

employee training

While you may think of virtual reality as primarily an entertainment and gaming device, as the technology progresses, its many uses are becoming more and more apparent. Virtual reality can be a great way to train employees in many industries. For young workers just entering their fields, virtual training can be a great resource. The use of technology in the daily lives of young people has led to shorter attention spans, necessitating a different approach to education for young workers. By using virtual reality training solutions, you can increase employee engagement during the training process. Read on for some reasons and tips for using virtual reality to improve employee training programs.

For the uninitiated, virtual reality uses impressive graphics and haptics to give users an immersive experience into a digital world that feels real. There are many options for virtual reality equipment, from cardboard to expensive headsets. There are products to fit any company's budget.

The Technology is Impressive

You may be wondering if virtual reality is advanced enough to train your employees. If you haven't had any experience with virtual reality technology in the past few years, the technology has moved forward by leaps and bounds. When virtual reality first appeared a couple of decades ago, the experience was not all that impressive. Now, new devices give the users a highly realistic experience. You may be surprised with how much your new employees can learn.

Virtual Reality Gives a More Authentic Learning Experience

As recent studies on education have shown, people learn best when learning experiences are authentic. This means that people learn best when the learning situation is as close as possible to what they will be doing in the real world. One of the most difficult aspects of new hires is that they are often inexperienced in your field. While your new employees can learn a lot by reading manuals and watching training videos, virtual training can give your employees the closest thing to actual experience.

Say your company trains workers to deal with intense hostage situations. You can try to recreate these situations in a number of ways, but virtual reality can put your trainees under a similar type of stress so that they can best learn how to handle these situations.

Virtual Reality Lets Employees Safely Try Dangerous Techniques

If you work in an industry that requires workers to complete tasks that have the potential to be dangerous to themselves or others, finding a way to train them can be a challenge. Virtual learning can give your employees an opportunity to have a realistic training experience in a safe space. Your employees can gain the skills they need to do the job without causing harm.

For example, for workers in the medical field, virtual reality can allow them to practice new skills without the risk of them hurting a patient.

Even if a job is not dangerous, mistakes can have consequences for you employees and your business. A virtual reality experience can allow your employees to make mistakes without the repercussions.

Virtual Training is Fun

When planning training sessions for employees, you may be worried that your workers will get bored. If this happens, they will likely stop listening, and the training will be useless. Virtual reality training solutions help keep your employees entertained and engaged in learning the new content. It will create a positive experience for all parties involved.

Virtual Learning Allows Employees to Experiment

Your employees may be nervous when trying out new skills, and rightfully so. Many may feel that if they make a mistake, their job may be on the line. Nerves can cause your employees to perform at less than their best. Virtual reality allows your workers to try new things without risk. Your employees may even be more creative when using virtual reality software, which will then translate to them being more creative in the actual working environment.

Virtual Reality Can Let You Try Out New Programs

You may often find that someone in your company has an idea that sounds great, only to discover that it does not work when you try to implement it. This can be both costly and detrimental to your company. If you try out a new idea using virtual reality first, you may be able to save time and money and avoid a bad experience if an idea fails. It can also help you work out any issues with a new program before you launch it to the public.

Virtual Reality Can Save You Travel

You may have to travel often to train people who work at other branches. Virtual reality can allow you to send a headset loaded with software to help train these employees without you having to physically go there. This can save your company money and save you time and a trip out of town.

The benefits of using virtual reality to train your employees are vast and the technology can revolutionize the way your employees learn. Contact the Designing Digitally team today to learn how virtual reality could impact your training goals.