VR has many practical business applications. One of the most promising is within human resources. Let\u2019s take a look at some of the ways HR can be shaped by virtual reality.<\/p>\n\n
What is virtual reality?<\/h2>\n
![\"virtual](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_519669304-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
VR is the use of technology to create a simulated environment within a 360 degree video experience.<\/p>\n
This could be a battlefield in a video game, or exploring nature as if you were there. It\u2019s a unique experience that no other technology can offer, which is why when it first emerged it was nearly impossible to get your hands on.<\/p>\n
Tech experts predict the VR market will be worth $120 billion by 2022, so it\u2019s no surprise companies are working toward integrating this technology into their repertoire. It can be used for many things, and isn\u2019t limited to fun and games.<\/p>\n\n
How HR and VR work together<\/h2>\n
In HR, it\u2019s important to keep things fresh. Virtual reality can be used in many different areas of the field, but seems to be most valuable to the employee recruitment and onboarding processes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n Many companies have begun using VR for recruiting. For one thing, it reduces costs by removing the need to pay for travel when a potential employee wants to visit the office.<\/p>\n VR gives prospects a real look inside the office instead of reading a description or hearing about it over the phone. They can see around the office, understand the layout and workspace, and even get a feel for employees interactions and potential workflow.<\/p>\n Offering a feature like this in the hiring process can increase a candidate\u2019s interest in a position and the company overall. It also adds a new layer of personalization because it enables companies to be more accommodating to potential hires’ busy schedules.<\/p>\n\n The General Mills recruiting team has been using VR and Oculus Rift when reaching out to students both in and outside the classroom. It\u2019s simple, but effective.<\/p>\n Using GoPros, General Mills\u2019s IT team created a virtual tour of their headquarters in Minnesota to provide a 360 degree view of the space for students.<\/p>\n They say simply having the VR technology at their booth at career fairs brings people in. \u201cThe gear draws a crowd,\u201d says<\/a> General Mills IT Director Leo Timmons. \u201cWe knew it would be an automatic magnet for attention. When you\u2019re trying to standout in a crowded career hall, nothing draws a crowd like a crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n HR is finding creative ways to incorporate virtual reality into onboarding too. There are a handful of common strategies, and some work better than others.<\/p>\n Gamification<\/a> is one method that is showing success. It\u2019s known to be one of the best onboarding strategies on its own, and incorporating VR has made the experience more fun and immersive.<\/p>\n In general, there are several ways to add VR to the onboarding process. For example, create a video of the CEO walking through the office while explaining the history of the company. If it\u2019s an international company, create a Q&A video of employees from all over the world. When you make a unique experience real and accessible, it\u2019s more likely the employees will show interest and retain the information they hear.<\/p>\n\n General Electric uses VR to give new employees a unique onboarding experience.<\/p>\n Using VR, new employees \u201ctake a trip\u201d to the bottom of the ocean to see the company\u2019s oil and gas recovery machines \u201cfirsthand.\u201d<\/p>\n GE uses VR in other departments of the company as well. A VR-based training tool<\/a> lets new engineers take a look into a nuclear power plant and watch how the equipment works.<\/p>\n According to Kevin Dubray, the GE 3D engineer who created the video, \u201cCustomers don\u2019t open nuclear power plants for training visits; they allow access once a year but cannot allow visits every month.\u201d<\/p>\n Thanks to this system new hires are able to see the turbines, learn how they work, and even how to assemble and dismantle them.<\/p>\n\n Whether you\u2019re trying to get more people interested in your company, improve new hire onboarding, or just trying to make work more interesting, virtual reality is a smart way to achieve both.<\/p>\n The technology is here to stay, and for good reason. As interest in the technology rises, VR helps companies attract talent and improve onboarding. Try it out for yourself \u2014 for HR or just for fun \u2014 and see what all the hype is about. You won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n\nRecruitment<\/h3>\n
![\"employee](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_1086491852-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow General Mills uses VR for recruitment<\/em><\/h3>\n
Onboarding<\/h3>\n
![\"employee](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/08\/shutterstock_531419881-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow GE uses VR for employee onboarding<\/em><\/h3>\n
Discover for yourself how VR can give your HR a boost<\/h2>\n
The ultimate employee onboarding tool is within reach.<\/a><\/h4>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Virtual reality is a new technology that is slowly finding its way into all areas of business. It\u2019s an important…<\/span>","protected":false},"author":246,"featured_media":4958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mobile_image_id":0,"tablet_image_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,87],"tags":[249,295,178],"class_list":["post-4957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-transformation","category-training-onboarding","tag-human-resources","tag-vr-technology","tag-wmb-to"],"acf":{"__coauthors":""},"yoast_head":"\n