Build A Powerful Onboarding Program Using XR Technology
Millions of employees responded to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace study, yet a mere 12% reported that they had a great onboarding experience with their employer. Ouch.
Without an effective new hire onboarding program, your company is not only forfeiting revenue, but you’ll also compromise your competitive positioning and ability to retain employees.
So, what if you could facilitate an onboarding process that provided a more interactive and engaging experience for new staff members? More and more employers have begun to integrate extended reality (XR) technology into their training and development programs to help cultivate a stronger connection between the company’s goals and values and how the new hire will help achieve those objectives.
Companies that are employing immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) to drive efficiency are seeing a significant return on their investment. In a report conducted by Capgemini Research Institute, 82% of companies surveyed reported the benefits of using XR technology are either meeting or exceeding their expectations.
Adoption of Extended Reality Technology for Onboarding
IBM insights on AR and VR in the workplace revealed training to be the most common use of XR among employers. According to their research, “Compared to traditional training, VR-based training can reduce training time by 40 percent, and improve employee performance by a whopping 70 percent. And, once XR becomes the norm for visual recognition and guidance, overall training becomes simpler.”
To put this into perspective, technicians typically receive extensive training surrounding various pieces of machinery – like an engine or drill. Through the use of XR technology, however, learners have the ability to deconstruct and interact with a 3D projection of a particular piece of equipment. This provides a more comprehensive, hands-on and individualized approach to training.
In this scenario, the use of AR or VR technology allows employers to reserve real-world equipment for on-the-job purposes – circumventing unnecessary wear and tear, accidental breaking of parts and the need to purchase extra equipment purely for training staff. Immersive technology can also reduce costs associated with travel and in-person learning, as it allows employees to complete their onboarding and training from anywhere.
Benefits of Introducing an XR Program to the Workplace
For large corporations, the adoption of new technology is usually a massive undertaking. Recognizing this pain point, Concannon created bundled solutions ready to implement right out of the box for enterprises. Using this technology for onboarding and training offers a myriad of benefits – from reducing on-the-job accidents and improving safety to long-term knowledge retention and higher employee engagement. What’s more, XR can effectively cater to all the unique and varying learning styles that your staff possesses.
Here’s a breakdown of the wide-spectrum of benefits reaped from incorporating XR into onboarding initiatives in the workplace.
1 | Reduces Learning Window: By leveraging digital resources, it’ll reduce the learning curve, allowing workers to be fully productive and up-to-speed much quicker than traditional training methods. When employees are given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the learning environment, they’re able to digest information more efficiently and allocate more time towards other tasks.
2 | Minimizes Mistakes: New hires are bound to make mistakes. After all, that’s how many of us learn what “not to do.” With XR programs, learners can explore and make mistakes without worrying about real-world repercussions. It furnishes employees with a way to practice real on-the-job tasks in an environment that is risk-free. Organizations will see a corresponding uptick in performance and productivity post-onboarding by adopting immersive technology.
3 | Boosts Engagement: When new hires are given the tools to explore and experiment in a way that complements their unique learning style, it directly increases engagement levels. Organizations using AR or VR technology have reported a 46% reduction in the time it takes for employees to complete tasks, as well as a 32% increase in productivity. And with the ability for XR solutions to capture learning metrics, business leaders will be able to provide mentorship or additional training where an employee may be struggling.
Build a Powerful Onboarding Strategy with XR
In addition to the productivity, cost and enhanced learning benefits of integrating XR into your onboarding strategy, the use of the technology is sure to leave a lasting impression on new hires. It’ll keep them motivated – and even excited – throughout the onboarding experience, which can bolster employee retention and referrals. As the popularity of XR technology continues to increase, it will soon become an integral part of an organization’s ability to attract new talent, as well as its long-term success.
Interested in learning more about Concannon XR’s bundled AR/VR/XR onboarding programs? Get in touch for a free consultation.
