As organizations lose seasoned employees and struggle to retain new talent, leaders in learning and innovation are eager to attract the right employees and incentivize them to grow with their companies. The future of work is tackling recruitment and retention, starting by optimizing the way employees learn. By leveraging the unique capabilities of XR training – employee competency and job satisfaction don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
So, what’s the secret ingredient behind XR training success stories? Immersive learning skyrockets employee engagement with active learning, empowering them with valuable skills to succeed in their careers. By bridging theoretical concepts with the practice of performing them, extended reality training programs give learners real-world experience. From onboarding to technical skills training, the immense benefits of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) can transform operations, employee morale, and overall organizational culture. Echoing the positive praise immersive learning has received in employee feedback, XR training is an effective tool to recruit talent and combat turnover.
Recruit Talent With XR Training
Today’s hiring trends reflect the fast-moving modernization of recruitment, onboarding, and culture to improve employee retention. With growing demands for higher efficiency and productivity, the gaps that exist within the workforce slow operations and leave too many specialized roles empty. In the meantime, the acceleration of skills-based training aims to keep pace with rapid advancements in manufacturing and distribution centers as investments in front-line jobs are expected to push the industries forward. And XR can help.
Realistic Job Previews
XR is a phenomenal recruiting tool with a growing presence at job fairs, college campuses, and classrooms to inspire the next generation to explore industry-specific careers. One leading strength of XR training as a recruiting tool is the ability to provide realistic job previews. Some of the largest organizations utilize virtual reality during the interview process to showcase what a day in a new employee’s life would look like. By integrating VR into the interview process, a large-scale corporation reduced initial 90-day turnover by 20 percent! Ultimately, extended reality technology sends a clear message to new hires that they are worth the investment, in addition to appealing to the remote workforce that needs flexible training options.
Showcase Your Company Brand With Extended Reality
Never underestimate the power of employer branding! Custom AR and VR programs can personalize immersive experiences with your company logo and shine the spotlight on your organization’s culture.
Imagine a VR tour of storefronts, offices, or facilities that allows new hires to make authentic connections with your organization. Augmented reality programs can also be used as an interactive tool that invites talent to go through a scavenger hunt on-site using their phone or tablet device to discover fun facts about your organization. Extended reality is the ultimate recruitment tool if you’re looking to paint a picture for ongoing learning and training, further incentivizing loyal employees who can count on growing with your company.
Attracting The Next Generation With VR and AR
Now more than ever, organizations are asking – what distinguishes our organization as cutting-edge to young people entering the workforce? Organizations are taking full advantage of XR to enhance their recruitment process and attract fresh talent.
VR and AR are like a magnet to young people who are already familiar with immersive technologies and know how to use them. With a moniker like “digital natives,” it’s no surprise that Gen Z finds extended reality learning experiences appealing. Millennials are also a target demographic for XR, as the need for continuous learning and upskilling can be fulfilled by XR’s experiential learning.
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XR Drives Engagement
XR’s superpower is engagement. The powers of AR and VR make learning an adventure, engaging talent with hands-on activities. Imagine putting on a headset and entering a world where you’re solving problems and mastering skills, all while feeling like you’re in an alternate universe! PWC reports that learners were 4x more focused during VR than eLearning. During recruitment and onboarding, XR invites new employees to explore and interact with their work.
Boosting Retention With XR Training
We’ve talked about how to attract talent with XR, now let’s explore how to keep talent.
In 2024, the workforce is saying no to monotonous training, and first impressions mean everything. 20% of employees quit in the first 45 days of employment due to poor onboarding practices, directly impacting turnover. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities industries lost 161,000 employees to turnover in February 2024 alone. Solving retention challenges starts with ensuring your employees have a solid foundation for a thriving future within your organization.
VR And AR Onboarding and Skill Acquisition
When it comes to onboarding, transparency is the key to success. New hire training should invite learners to take an active role as they orient to products, services, and processes. By giving learners hands-on experiences, XR onboarding programs accelerate the way employees acclimate to their new work environments.
Behind every strong performance is a series of rehearsals. The same goes for training and development. Think of all the untapped potential that traditional modalities haven’t been able to uncover. Regardless of skill level or starting point, XR programs create consistent training practices that enhance skill acquisition with experiential learning. Through tactile and interactive training, employees build muscle memory as they perform specific tasks in XR. With top engagement rates and learner approval, XR programs motivate employees to hone their skills through practice and create opportunities to correct mistakes.
In addition to on-demand skill acquisition, XR programs like augmented reality performance support tools promote ongoing learning to help employees feel supported in their roles. AR microlearning modules allow employees to access on-the-job training that enables them to perform step-by-step processes with precision.
Reduce Risks and Injury with XR Safety Training
Injury does more than stifle your organization’s progress – high injury rates guarantee employee turnover. While high-risk roles are necessary in many industries, so are safe operations. Simply put, people are attracted to organizations with a culture that prioritizes safety. XR safety training is making significant strides towards reducing injury and thereby improving retention rates by ensuring a safer workforce.
In The News: BNSF Railway builds upon safety record by utilizing virtual reality for training
Ever learn something the hard way? Seeing the consequences of your mistakes firsthand can leave a lasting impression that serves us far better than verbal warnings. In VR training, learners experience the consequences of their mistakes that illustrate the true dangers associated with their roles. Luckily for them, immersive learning programs allow learners to repeat training as often as needed until they can efficiently mitigate risks. Extended Reality safety training can help your workforce:
- Identify hazards
- Follow protocols and procedures
- Operate equipment and machinery safely
- Respond to high-risk scenarios like an active shooter or fire
XR training goes the extra mile to ensure employees remain safe on the job. Anchored by data-driven learning, XR programs help identify performance gaps with real-time feedback and report KPIs during training sessions to allow ample opportunity for learning reinforcement. This level of support during the training process creates a more confident workforce that feels secure in their roles and can safely perform high-risk tasks. From tracking body ergonomics to ensure safe practices to interactive training that allows employees to perform lock-out tag-out practices in a secure environment, experiential learning through XR keeps employees safe on the job and more likely to stay.
Explore XR Training
XR technology is an invaluable tool for attracting the right talent and delivering memorable experiences that help keep them as employees. Think of AR and VR as a dynamic duo of recruitment and retention! With user-friendly headsets that have been polished and upgraded for enterprise use, digital technologies are now synonymous with learning. XR training can help you establish a tech-savvy learning culture with soaring recruitment and outstanding employee retention.
Attract talent with augmented reality and virtual reality training programs that kick passive learning to the curb. Are you ready to level up your recruitment strategy with immersive learning? Consult with an experienced XR training provider today!
