The truth is, the benefits of using virtual reality (VR) in hiring are indefinite. Given that the VR space is going through some exciting developments, it is forecasted to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the next two to three years. This is good news for employers, especially the ones committed to driving innovation in HR and workforce management, as they stand to benefit enormously. Here are just a few of those benefits:

Setting challenges – VR and related technologies are giving employers a new and exciting way to test the skills and ingenuity of job candidates. Major tech companies such as Google, Apple, and Facebook have been investing in VR and augmented reality (AR) to help in the assessment of candidates. The technology is also used in recruitment and talent acquisition, where it can be deployed even in campus career fairs so as to give the students virtual tours of your company. This ensures that the students get to feel for themselves how the office environment and culture really are. This will certainly boost your brand profile as well as recognition.

Enhance candidate experience through virtual tours – VR is highly effective in showing candidates where they should be working and living, especially if certain key roles require them to be based in different locations. The tech basically allows the candidate to have a first-person look at their possible future workspace and location. Doing this helps them manage their expectations and also gives them a better understanding of what is expected of them in the job, or better yet, what their specific roles are.

Engage with young, tech-savvy candidates – the truth is, age diversity is extremely important and beneficial to any workforce. If you are searching for the right mix of young and experienced professionals for your company, appealing to them is just as important as keeping your seasoned employees happy and fulfilled. Having said that, deploying VR technology in the hiring process will help you engage and capture the interest of the young and switched-on professionals who relies on cutting-edge technology in their life and work.

Testing practical skills – replicating the practical, day-to-day challenges that employees are likely to encounter in their roles during the interview and assessment process can be challenging. It can’t be easy! Well, there are those employers who are using online immersive assessments to try and overcome these challenges, by placing the candidates into situations they could find themselves in if they were to be hired. Now, this is where VR and AR come in, where they provide insights into the company’s working culture and also test the applicant’s aptitude for agile thinking. Considering how the recruitment process is evolving, this sort of forward-thinking approach will certainly prove more important than ever. And to be honest, virtual reality hiring and augmented reality will be one of the most experimentation and innovation fields, holding great promise to employers throughout Singapore.