Reasons to Implement Virtual Reality in the Workplace

Designing Digitally

01/10/2020

Virtual Reality in the Workplace

Please note: This blog was updated on October 2nd, 2020.

Virtual reality, or VR, has revolutionized the way organizations train their employees. It has taken immersive learning experiences to a different level altogether. According to research, by 2021, 1 in every 3 small and medium business in the U.S. will introduce VR in their employee training programs. The VR training market growth is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2023.

Here are a few reasons why using VR for your employee training may be a productive decision.

#1: It improves knowledge retention.

The human mind is quite restless. It is not very good at remembering things for a long time. Traditional learning methods do not engage learners, so they tend to forget most of what they learned within an hour of finishing the training. But, when your employees learn through VR experiences, they tend to remember twice as well than those who learn through traditional modes. The simple reason is that with VR, they are immersed in the way the content is presented to them.

#2: It helps your employees learn faster.

Depending on the complexity of their roles and the training they receive, employees can take a lot of time to become fully productive. The faster they operate at full efficiency, the better for the organization. So, it helps if they ramp up their learning curve. Experiential learning like VR can boost faster learning since there is less distraction. Also, the learners are engaged in the content. A case in point is KFC. When they used VR to teach their employees to make fried chicken, they learned it in 10 minutes as opposed to the 25-minute benchmark.

#3: It enhances workplace safety.

Research shows that VR can enhance workplace safety. There are many hazardous jobs that need a lot of practice to perfect. A minor mistake on the job can cause damage to life and property. 5,250 workers alone died on-the-job in 2018 (3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers). To put that into perspective, that's more than 100 deaths a week, or more than 14 deaths a day. But how can employees practice dangerous realistic scenarios without the possibility of making a life-risking mistake? This is where VR can help. It replicates the real-life environment in the virtual world. That way the more mistakes your learner makes, the better they get at their work. More practice helps boost their confidence and enhances their productivity.

#4: It boosts employee retention.

The modern workers attach a lot of importance to training and the latest technology. When the workplace fails to meet their expectations, they quit. An organization’s reputation as a digital leader can impact its ability to retain its employees. When you offer them the latest technology in training, they feel that the organization values them.

VR may be a great way to create engaging content for your workforce, but you need to gauge if your employees are ready for it. Just because it’s the next big wave in the learning industry, you cannot force it down their throat. You need to identify the roles that would best benefit from VR solutions and work from there. You also need to keep in mind that VR is used to complement existing employee training and not substitute it. Most importantly, you should have a robust plan to prepare for and deploy VR.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is an expert at creating immersive and meaningful learning experiences using VR. Our VR solutions have provided numerous clients with learn-by-doing experiences that can be used as stand-alone internal training or in conjunction with instructor-led training. Overall, VR is positively changing the way corporations train.

To learn more about implementing VR into your training strategy and the impact it can have on your company, book a free consultation with our team of experts today.

Related Resources: Virtual Reality Training Adaption Rates and Predictions Infographic, Virtual Reality: Changing the Corporate Learning Experience White Paper