Virtual Reality technology has transformed our perception of the world by taking us to a whole other reality, transposing the user. This kind of technology is used virtually everywhere, from gaming, to sports, to medical training. However, one of the growing trends surrounding this concept is the use of VR in recruitment processes.
VR recruitment consists of hyper-realistic experiences showcasing a company, without requiring actual physical presence. It is a way to engage with potential candidates and encourage them to join an organization. It is used in different ways to attract or assess candidates, showing them what joining would be like. VR recruitment is an excellent tool to engage potential employees in an exciting and original way.
VR recruitment: 3 different uses, multiple advantages
Having grown up alongside technological advances, newer generations look for experiential opportunities. Therefore, VR is exploited where targeted candidates can be found, such as job fairs or campus recruiting.
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Immersive experiences:
The biggest benefit to VR technology is its very purpose: creating deeply engaging experiences, incomparable to basic technology like printed materials or videos. Younger generations are reluctant to join organizations when they don’t know what working there is like. Using VR recruitment could overcome this challenge, as those immersive experiences display all the sensations of physically being there.
Using a ‘show don’t tell’ strategy, Jet.com showcased its relaxed and collaborative company values to attract young skilled talent, designing a full VR experience. Candidates are immersed in the company, attend meetings and go to happy hour with employees.
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Applicant assessments:
Gamification systems, as the name suggests, are motivators designed to shift the perception of work to a more entertaining concept. An essential part of the recruitment process is evaluating a candidate’s skills and how he fit he is for the role he applied for. Why not gamify the application assessment through VR? Performing virtual assessments on applicants can represent various advantages. Not only will it stimulate the candidate’s interest through amusement, but also enables the company to evaluate the candidate’s skills based on his performance in the game.
In 2017, the luxury car brand Jaguar made use of this concept by elaborating a VR skills-based recruiting game. The experience enabled candidates to learn about electric vehicles and solve code puzzles. Those who performed well in the game were streamlined through the recruiting process.
CBA, the largest bank in Australia, also invested in VR recruitment strategies. Its Virtual Reality Candidate Experience showed the kind of projects employees handle, and tested a candidate’s ability to make agile, smart decisions.
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Office tours:
VR can bring the office to the candidate. This is the best way to advertise your company, its values and culture, taking potential applicants through the office. That way, they can live what any employee experiences during a typical day at work. When wearing the VR headset, the candidate is free to choose what he wants to do. He can talk to employees who explain what their daily tasks are, and why they enjoy working there or bump into the CEO who can explain the company’s values.
General Mills stole all the attention at a careers fairs in 2015 by presenting virtual tours of its headquarters to show to potential applicants through an Oculus Rift headset.
The British Army also offered VR experiences, in which users see what it is like to engage in missions, driving a tank and parachuting, among other things. After this, their recruitment applications rose by 66%.
In short, new generations have different expectations and demands regarding their jobs. Millennials seek an innovative, collaborative and flexible workplace relying heavily on technology. As this particularly demanding generation starts dominating the workforce, being amongst the first to adopt the revolutionary tool of VR recruitment can represent a significant competitive advantage.
