Category: Business life

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How virtual reality can help to recruit and train staff

Source: BBC.com

By Bernd Debusmann Jr

For many who leave the military, entering the civilian workforce can be a shock, with an office culture devoid of the routine and chain-of-command that shapes a life in uniform.

“There’s a loss of structure, and a loss of all those things that held daily activities together,” recalls Tristan Carson, a US Marine veteran. “In the military, your days are dictated for you. You know what you’re going to be doing.”

To make matters worse, the culture shock that often comes with this transition from military to civilian life is compounded by a communication problem.

For instance, many employers outside of the military cannot comprehend the myriad of acronyms soldiers may initially struggle to stop using in their daily work. Some veterans may also struggle to explain how their experience can be applied in a non-military environment.

One potential solution comes in an unlikely form: virtual reality (VR).

For most people VR is nothing more than a fun gimmick to enhance the experience of playing video games at home however the technology is now starting to be used in some exciting new ways.

In Mr Carson’s case, he took part in a pilot scheme testing a programme called Artificial Intelligence Designed for Employment (AIDE). It was devised by Onward to Opportunity, a free career training programme created by the University of Syracuse for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF).

Using an Oculus Rift headset, which will soon be distributed at 19 military bases throughout the US, the initiative briefs soldiers on their transition to regular life as well as on how to conduct a virtual interview.

The technology includes a “jargon analyser” and examines its users’ speech patterns to detect things like nervousness and hesitation.

“It will tell you, for example, how much jargon and military terminology you used. [Participants] get a full transcript and feedback,” says Bryan Radliff, who spent 31 years with the US army and now manages the CyberVets programme, which trains veterans in IT skills.

“They need to know that they are explaining things adequately to a hiring manager so as not to create confusion,” he adds. “Then programme coordinators and transition specialists can sit with the individuals to talk about their experience, or work on their interviewing skills.”

This programme is just one of a number of initiatives that are using virtual reality to recruit or train workers on everything from job interviews to complex mechanical processes, and even wellness initiatives.

These programmes, in turn, form a growing part of the global virtual reality market, which Fortune Business Insights estimates will grow to $57.55bn (£40.19bn) by 2027, up from just $3.1bn (£2.24bn) in 2019.

Tom Symonds, the chief executive of online training platform Immerse, says the use of VR has a number of benefits for companies, such as giving them the ability to conduct training sessions or complicated assessments with employees around the globe, without the need to fly out personnel to do in-person sessions.

VR is also often better at maintaining the interest and focus of employees, Mr Symonds adds.

“Generally speaking, the accepted way of developing talent within an organisation has been some kind of classroom training-based experience and some kind of PowerPoint presentation,” he explains. “I think there is a growing awareness that this old blend can be enhanced by new technology.”

As an example, Mr Symonds points to multinational oil and gas company Shell, which uses VR to train and assess its widely-dispersed workforce, some of whom are located in remote offshore facilities.

“We see virtual reality as another instructional method that provides teams with a safe place to practise skills, and more importantly, fail within a safe and controlled environment,” says Brent Kedzierski, head of learning strategy and innovation at Shell.

“When learners are not in the classroom, they can continue to perform VR simulations to practise and reinforce intellectual and behavioural skills,” Mr Kedzierski adds. He says the “scenario-based training simulation exercises” are designed to be repeated at increasing levels of complexity, without the support of an instructor.

While the use of VR in recruitment and training pre-dates 2020, Mr Kedzierski said that the benefits were starkly highlighted during pandemic-induced travel restrictions.

Being able to familiarise new joiners with the company, anytime and anywhere has been a big advantage. “We’re able to give learners a physical orientation to our assets when they don’t have the luxury of being in the actual control room, mess hall or sleeping quarters.”

However, industry insiders warn that the VR technology still has limitations.

Sophie Thompson, the co-founder and chief operating officer of VirtualSpeech – a UK-based VR education platform which focuses on skills such as interview technique, sales and public speaking – says that while the firm’s revenues grew 300% in 2019 and 2020, “user habits simply aren’t there yet”.

“It’s quite a jump from looking at a computer or phone and observing the digital world, to then becoming an active participant right in the middle of it,” Ms Thompson says.

“People aren’t used to putting a headset on their face and being completely immersed and teleported to another location or experience, and some people feel vulnerable doing that,” she adds. “This is already starting to change as the headsets become more sophisticated.”

Kevin Cornish, the chief executive of Moth + Flame, a VR company that has partnered with the US Air Force to provide training aimed at combating suicide and sexual assaults, said that “once people adopt this training, it’s tough to go back to computer-based training”.

“This is just so immersive and engaging that companies will definitely be adding this to their overall training solutions,” he says.

Mr Cornish adds that the fact that younger employees in particular are quick to pick up headsets, and feel comfortable, bodes well for the future of VR in the workplace.

“As these generations move into positions of management and leadership that will likely accelerate the adoption of the technology, but we are seeing a lot of enthusiasm for the product with Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers,” he says.

Immerse’s Tom Symonds, for his part, says that much of the future growth of VR will be a result of companies turning to the technology to help them manage the wellness and mental health of their employees.

Already, Immerse has partnered with meditation app Solas VR to create a library of VR meditations aimed at boosting mental wellbeing and brain productivity. The partnership include a selection of 360-degree videos featuring idyllic Irish nature scenes to relax in, as well as breathing exercises and other features.

“The technology has the ability to transport you to a different place, take you out of your daily work stress, and put you in an environment that allows you to be calm,” he says. “That’s a brilliant use of the technology.”

“Its great quality is the ability to focus you on something 100%,” Mr Symonds adds. “Once you are in the headset, you are focused.”

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Does the war in Ukraine impact your productivity?

The short answer is yes.

As we have already discussed in a previous blog post, the Covid-19 pandemic raised an unprecedented wave of burnout and emotional instability symptoms as a response to the loss of control and insecurity. As the world around us is changing, we need to find new anchors that will redefine our ruined safe zone. The war in Ukraine intensified these feelings and, now, more than ever, the impact on employees’ productivity is obvious; lack of concentration, irritability, a cynical approach to goals etc. Insecurity is promoted to a business problem.

There is a vivid discussion amongst managers on how to cope with this new status before it explodes. And, there is a consensus for a two tiers approach:

  1. The new new leader

Transformational leadership is the best approach for turbulent times: managers need to be empathetic, flexible and humane so that their team members will feel safe to express their feelings and fears. There is no room for “This is not my problem” behaviours, as distancing from employees becomes a source of extra insecurity. The empathetic leader is open to new working conditions- eg WFH- allows some personal space or/and time off for psychological issues, remains patient and approachable. And, what is now a new tool in the toolbox, managers can encourage their team members to care for their mental health, through discussion, visitations to consultants and mindfulness.

2. The employee

On the other hand, employees need to acknowledge the challenge and try to focus on its source. Psychologists insist that throughout our lives we strive for this sense of control- from the first day of our existence as humankind. We have been trying to rationalize natural phenomena, we built huge buildings to come closer to God, we make decisions that secure the boundaries of our safe zones. And yet, lately, two devastating events shook all our beliefs. The pandemic made “healthy” our salient identity and the war underlined how fragile our world is. What we need is something we can lean on and this is always found within ourselves.

Here comes mindfulness, as the solution to these urgent problems. Either as employees or as individuals, now we need to create some space between the world out there and the world inside us. Our thoughts are just thoughts, they do not determine our lives. Our emotions will go away if we sit with them. These techniques seem easy- in fact, they are- but guidance is called for.

We, hence, understand why Solas VR mindfulness app becomes every day more popular amongst corporations as the solution to keep employees close to the team yet working on their inner balance is now a strategic goal.

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Businesses after the pandemic: how priorities change

There has been a lot of discussion about the after Covid-19 era and how businesses will need to adopt and adapt as society and value systems change. This pandemic is expected to define a whole generation, the way 9/11 did, as a deep shock in terms of what we thought it was given.
The corporate world has been challenged, also. Remote working, grieving employees, stakeholders, at large, that didn’t care about consumption while their world was falling apart.

Now that the storm calms down, managers and CEOs are called to revisit their priorities and practices. As Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy recently put it: “The profound multifaceted crisis we are facing has made it even more obvious that business and society cannot thrive if employees, customers, and communities are not healthy.” But, as we were forced to learn during the previous year, health is not only about fever and cough; stress levels and burnout incidents skyrocketed and a massive explosion of depression diagnoses is expected in the near future. Humans reached their psychological and emotional limits as they experienced, many of them in first hand, the harsh reality.

These voices preaching about the value (or even necessity) of mindfulness as a habit are finally heard. Each one of us needs to find some inner peace that will become the fuel and the refugee in this effort to cope with the new reality. Taking some time off- even some minutes off- letting the noise go and focusing on our mere existence through breathing can restore our faith to life and make every day easier. At work, corporate wellness practices emerge as higher priorities, as security empathy and understanding are becoming key leadership practices.

What we read, what we learn and what we believe converge at this: we (as members of a society) have given far too much attention to what happens outside. Now it’s time to take care of our minds and souls and find new (or very old) ways to cure our wounds. After all, there is always a calm, safe place in our minds. Perhaps now it’s the time to visit it.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

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Immerse partners with Solas VR to bring wellness to the remote workforce

Wednesday 7th April, London- Press Release

Enterprise virtual reality (VR) software provider Immerse has today announced its new partnership with Solas VR, a leading meditation app. This partnership will enable organisations to access a library of VR meditations that can be easily integrated into the Immerse Platform and deployed to employees across organisations. 

Virtual Reality is enhancing human performance in ways that were once unthinkable. Today, it is transforming the way we learn, explore and interact. With a global customer base and customers such as DHL, Nestlé and bp, the Immerse Platform creates an all-in-one solution for enterprise organisations. This partnership is part of an ongoing initiative from Immerse to build an ecosystem where the Immerse Platform will empower and enable organisations to embrace the future of training in the workplace.

The past year has been particularly challenging not only for businesses but workforces too. Mass homeworking has left employees struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance, with the additional stress of the pandemic bringing its own challenges too. Solas VR has developed an innovative meditation app to boost mental wellbeing and brain productivity through meditation, which will be hosted on the Immerse Platform. Drawing from solid scientific data and empirical studies, this synergy aims to multiply the effectiveness of training, through better focus and open-mindness, achieved via mindfulness. The partnership will empower organisations to enhance employee engagement and performance, providing a new approach to mental health and job satisfaction. 

The initial library of Solas VR experiences to be made compatible and available through the Immerse platform include:

  • The meditation space: A wide selection of 360 videos capturing the nature of Ireland, that can be used in different meditation experiences. The user selects the duration, the voice of preference and the background sounds, to create a personal and unique mindfulness journey. 
  • Weekly Wisdom: An area dedicating to reflection and self-discovery. This unit is updated regularly to provide the audience with new stories and discussions to guide them into their self-improvement pathways. 
  • Breathing space: Breathing exercises for all levels of experience. 

Tom Symonds, Immerse CEO comments: “The Immerse team are excited to be working with Solas VR to help encourage mindfulness in the corporate environment. We understand the importance of having a healthy and happy workforce, and the capabilities of virtual reality will allow those who receive the content to incorporate it more effectively than traditional methods. Partnering with Solas VR is a great step in our endeavour to enable businesses to capitalise on the opportunity offered by immersive technology in multiple ways.” 

Stephen Pitcher  Managing Director at Solas VR adds: “We’re very excited to be working with Immerse to help bring meditation, and subsequently a better sense of wellbeing, to as many people as possible. The last year has been difficult, but employers who prioritise corporate mindfulness will gain a sustainable competitive advantage as looking after your employees is more important than ever.” 

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Mindful Training: making the best out of our brainpower

It is amazing how quickly VR training became popular and it tends to become a mainstream solution for businesses. Starting from hard skills training, and expanding  to soft skills, the VR experience changes the game in training performance. The image brings together the most important findings an extensive PWC case study on the application of VR techonoly in training in general and in soft skills training in particular.

What we also know well, from dozens of scientific publications, is that meditation, breathing excercises and mindfulness clear the mind and boost focus and concentration. When these are applied on a training environment, it is only natural that trainees will be more receptive to knowledge, more focused and eager to accept new concepts. This is how we decided to team up with VR training platforms, in a synergy based on the power of VR technology, enhanced by the power of an open, focused mind.

Download our fact sheet for more information and stay tuned for our updates!

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Corporate reality in numbers

There is compelling data on the importance of stress management at work; the current situation and the widespread uncertainty not only the don’t relief stress but they prove to add up to already high burnout ratios. We have brought together some numbers you need to know, about the silent killer of team productivity.

80% of workers feel stress on the job and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. 42% say their co-workers need such help. – American Institute of Stress

Stress levels in the workplace are rising with 6 in 10 workers in major global economies experiencing increased workplace stress. With China (86%) having the highest rise in workplace stress. – Regus Group

Employee burnout accounts for 20-50% of their companies’ annual employee turnover. – Kronos & Future Workplace

Meditation increases employee productivity by 120%. – National Business Group on Health

source: Solas VR Corporate mindfulness e-book

 

Download our free e-book on corporate mindfulness and allow your team to be more.

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The power of Virtual Reality Technology

Developments in VR technology have been remarkable: new technologies, new applications and a strong interest from health professionals, researchers and academics have put VR at the core of research activity.

What we know so far is that Virtual Reality supports learning and boosts memory, helps in chronic pain relief as well as being highly successful for PTSD treatment. As a part of our e-book, we primarily reference academic resources that report results from experiments, with a focus on mindfulness and how VR impacts the brain. There is a broad consensus that VR enhances the meditation experience through content that allows the mind to focus and unwind – like the 360 cinematic videos on the Solas VR app. This can be understood through the fundamental brain biology: as thoroughly explained in a 2019 publication (Neuroscience of Virtual Reality: From Virtual Exposure to Embodied Medicine) the brain and VR technology share the same basic mechanism: embodied simulations, meaning representations and predictions of the self in the environment. Simply put, as the brain prepares itself to react to different environments by imagining them, VR provides the mind with these environments in an artificial way. Additionally, according to a Forbes article, “Meditation, coupled with VR technologies, can be more precise and personalized and make the learning curve easier. Plus, when wearing a headset you are truly transported, making it easier to tune out of any distractions around you and focus”.

Employers are facing a dilemma: Their workforce needs to learn new skills, upgrade existing capabilities or complete compliance training, but may not be able to do so in person given the current environment. Yet, training is especially important now, with employees to keen to gain skills, and it may become even more critical when workers start returning to a changed workplace. So how can employers deal with the challenge? The effectiveness of Virtual Reality in hard skills training has been established for some time now, with the use of simulators for pilot training for example. But, there is now equivalent findings for the case of soft skills, so PWC run an experiment: they conducted the same training program (inclusive leadership) in three different learning modalities: classroom, e-learning, and VR training and they monitored the results in terms of the the process effectiveness and the training outcomes. What they found builds a new case on the use of VR in soft skills training: 

 

VR training is 4x faster than classroom training. What took two hours to learn in the classroom could possibly be learned in only 30 minutes using VR. When you account for extra time needed for first-time learners to review, be fitted for and be taught to use the VR headset, V-learners still complete training three times faster than classroom learners. 

 

 

VR learners are more confident in applying what they’re taught, which is essential in the case of soft skills. What makes the difference in VR training is that learners can practice their skills in a controlled and safe environment.

 

 

Employees are more emotionally connected to VR content, they understand and remember things more deeply as their emotions are involved. What we actually have here is a game changer for training. 

 

 

With VR learning, users are significantly less distracted. In a VR headset, simulations and immersive experiences command the individual’s vision and attention. There are no interruptions and no options to multitask. 

 

 

VR learning can be more cost-effective at scale. According to the PWC case study, At 375 learners, VR training achieved cost parity with classroom learning. At 3,000 learners, VR was 52% more cost-effective than classroom. 

By the same token, in 2019, Prof. Spiegel and his team conducted extensive research, including a comparative experiment with a randomized sample of hospitalized patients. The hypotheses referred to the extent VR technology can significantly help in the treatment of chronic pain. The experiment took place on the Cedar Sinae Medical Center: the patients were randomly distributed in two groups. In the VR group, patients were asked to use the headset for 10 minutes in the presence of study staff to practice with the equipment, and then advised to use the headsets thrice daily, for 10 minutes per session, and as needed for breakthrough pain over the subsequent 48-hours. Patients in the control group were instructed to tune their television set to the “Health and Wellness Channel”, which is available in all rooms throughout the hospital. The programming includes guided relaxation content (e.g. yoga and meditation), discussions about health and wellness topics, and poetry readings. This practice also resulted positively in pain relief in previous research. The results confirmed the initial hypotheses that VR would have positive effect on pain relief. As they reported: “VR significantly reduces pain versus an active control condition in hospitalized patients. VR is most effective for severe pain. Future trials should evaluate standardized order sets that interpose VR as an early non-drug option for analgesia.”

Download our free e-book on corporate mindfulness and allow your team to be more.

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When employee health is key to business success and employers are actual leaders

While it sounds obvious, it is important to remind ourselves that businesses rely on the health of their

employees. Employee wellness programs improve not only employee engagement and productivity, but also

lead to strong brand awareness. Strong relationships between companies’ brand and its stakeholders have

become a primary source of competitive advantage. Great Place to Work certified companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of employee wellness.

Our business vocabulary corroborates this shift, with new terms like employer branding, brand love, brand trust etc. becoming the new “keywords” in business plans and on zoom meetings.

What we must do now, as managers and team leaders, is to align our approach towards our people with this new framework, in order to become the managers that we aspire to be. In other words, transactional leadership alone is not sufficient for business success. Motivation has replaced fear; empathy has replaced strict rules; retention has replaced turnover.

But what makes a good employer today?

The ability of managers to address what really matters to their employees and to create an inclusive, rewarding work environment is key. The more empowered and cared for team members feel, the more productive and devoted to their job role they become. Academic findings show satisfied employees pay more attention to detail, become better service providers and contribute positively to corporate image and word of mouth marketing.

In this context, taking action to boost staff’s mental well-being becomes self-explanatory: being individually balanced and calm is the cornerstone of team balanced performance. It is increasingly being recognized that the mental health of employees is a crucial determinant in their overall health and that poor mental health and stressors at the workplace can be a contributory factor to a range of physical illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, amongst others. In addition, poor mental health can also lead to burn-out amongst employees, seriously affecting their ability to contribute meaningfully in both their personal and professional lives. It is so important, that employers encourage employees to engage in mindful practices before they feel emotionally challenged.

When we started working on the Solas VR meditation app, prior to the Covid-19 outbreak , we knew how important the implications of corporate mindfulness were. By the time we launched the app, things had changed and remote work made joint team activities even more urgent: teams need to introduce new rituals that would enforce the sense of community, especially when working remotely.

Download our free e-book on corporate mindfulness and allow your team to be more.

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Solas VR mindful experience perks

The uncertainly of current times demands a new approach to employee health and job satisfaction. Employers who prioritize corporate mindfulness gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Solas VR is backed up with multi-disciplinary scientific data for an essential boost in mental wellness and productivity.

The Solas VR mindful experience is one of the few activities that:

  • Nurtures the employer-employee relationship
  • Deepens the sense of community
  • Boosts productivity
  • Enhances mental wellbeing

Solas VR meditations are ideal for micro-breaks; they allow the mind to experience a relaxing and refreshing time off in nature, while at work. VR technology triggers the mind in the same way the real experience does, meaning the effects of a Solas VR microbreak mirror those of a walk in actual nature.

Mindfulness programs, like the Solas VR app, help leaders and employees reflect effectively, focus sharply on the task at hand, master peak levels of stress, and recharge quickly. On an organizational level, mindfulness reduces sick days, increases trust in leadership, and boosts employee engagement.

As Work From Home is here to stay, managers, teams and employees face new challenges- from team coherence to work/life balance. Solas VR meditations can be an experience shared by team members in different locations, while allowing the mind to relax and to cope with stress. As doctors and other specialists state, remaining calm while working from home is a key to productivity and wellness in general.

Download our free e-book on corporate mindfulness and allow your team to be more.