Many companies now see VR training as an efficient and cheaper way to help their employees advance in the workplace. Workers around the world use specialized VR programs to improve their skills.
Let’s explore the key advantages of implementing VR training in the workplace. If they resonate with you as a worker or employer, start looking for a suitable provider.
1. Virtual Hands-On Training
Say you need to boost your active listening or ability to communicate clearly. A VR program for soft skills will put you in a simulation, where you can practice talking and listening to virtual people.
Available simulations might also include more difficult situations.Pixo VR’s soft skills training, for example, can help you with gender inclusion and identity, understanding and resolving conflict, and combating bullying and harassment.
You get to learn about all these issues through a headset, as opposed to traditional classroom-based training. Simulations can be very realistic and no less educational than standard training. That said, practicing what you learned with real people adds depth to your understanding of each social situation.
2. Immersive Training That Resists Distractions
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of virtual reality for training soft skills,PwC’s studyin 2020 revealed a lot after employees were put through classroom, e-learning, and v-learning sessions.
V-learners demonstrated the highest level of emotional engagement with the training content. Compared to classroom and e-learners, it was 3.75 and 2.3 times greater, respectively. The immersive nature of VR training factors into this connection in a big way.
Consider the vivid audiovisual experience a headset pulls you into. Combine that with a program that makes you focus on the task at hand, whether it’s preparing for interviews or learning to coordinate a team, and you end up with a super engaging simulation with no distractions.
IfVR platforms can train surgeonsin realistic environments and heuristic technology, you can expect great results from soft skills training programs, too.
3. A Safe Virtual Space to Learn and Perfect Your Skills
Beyond its practical and immersive nature, VR training eliminates the discomfort and potential dangers associated with in-person training for certain skillsets.
This may be more useful for doctors, pilots, or police officers, but there are skills office workers need to practice just as much, ideally in a space that’s secure and free of judgment.
Examples include first aid, fire safety, and even self-defense. Softer issues, such as countering arguments, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace, are just as important.
To put the matter into perspective, among PwC’s findings was that three-quarters of its VR participants were surprised to discover that they were less inclusive than they thought.
This kind of self-realization is a result of the focus and security that VR training provides, which then enables the user to open their minds, absorb more information, and become more confident.
The only health and safety issue to keep in mind is that VR headsets shouldn’t be used for long periods of time. It’s important to take breaks to rest your eyes, ears, neck, and arms. Stretching exercises are a good idea, too.
4. VR Simulations Are Opportunities to Make and Learn From Mistakes
Something else that makes virtual reality safe to use as a training tool is that you can make mistakes and just start over—no injuries or repercussions besides lost time.
Furthermore, simulations can enlighten you on what happens if a situation goes wrong. If you’re immersed enough, the experience might give you extra incentive to train well, if only to avoid the same mistakes and consequences in real life.
As you progress with your VR training, you can keep track of the scenarios you struggled with, as well as your achievements. Some platforms are designed to teach as naturally as possible and help you grow as a person.
Thelearning framework of Bodyswaps, for example, uses personal, visceral experiences to trigger self-reflection and emotional resonance. At the same time, it provides feedback as you practice with more and more complex simulations. AI-based data collection plays a large part in this as it assesses your behavior, good and bad, to advise and train you better.
5. Train From Anywhere With Virtual Reality
VR training in the workplace doesn’t mean that you have to be in the office to use a headset and learn new skills. Depending on what your employer can accommodate, it is possible to train on a VR platform from a remote location.
As long as you have a compatible headset and a good internet connection, you may access the company’s training programs wherever and whenever you want.
To streamline your training experience, look into solutions liketurning the Oculus Quest 2 into a Windows PC headsetand evenbudget VR headsetsthat work just as well as pricier models.
6. VR Training Can Be Less Expensive
If you’re part of a substantial workforce that needs to boost and maintain its skills regularly, virtual reality for training employees can be the most cost-effective option.
ThePwC studyconfirmed that v-learning on a large scale is more affordable. To be exact, it was at 3,000 learners that the VR training became 52% cheaper than classroom sessions.
The fact that v-learners completed their programs four times faster than the other groups was key. But it also comes down to not needing to pay for trainers, venues, teaching materials, and so on. Everything you need can be programmed into the VR platform, ready for anyone to use at their leisure.
However, small businesses may not benefit as much in terms of cost. Low consumer demand and complex designs contribute to thereasons why VR headsets are expensive. So, if your company’s finances and trainees aren’t enough to make the price tag acceptable, traditional training methods may be your best bet.
VR Training Is Practical and Educational, If Still Flawed
There are limitations to using virtual reality to boost your skills and confidence in the workplace. Besides headsets and their technology being quite expensive, you’re able to’t use them for long, and you need real-world experiences to understand the VR lessons fully.
Even so, VR training is the future of advancement in the workplace. If you do have access to relevant platforms, whether remotely or in-house, you can expect highly immersive and hands-on simulations that prepare you for a range of situations.
