Can VR help you recruit your next talent?

When you think of virtual reality (VR) you are probably most likely to think of the entertainment and gaming industry,

Yet recently, the more practical applications of VR are on the rise- from helping in the education of children in schools to being leveraged to train employees in a variety of situations.

Some businesses are also using the technology in their recruitment processes. Here are four ways in which VR is facilitating businesses in attracting top talent.

Assessing the skills of candidates

Did your last interview include a trek through the mountains or navigating a complex maze? This may very well be the future of the interview.

With VR, businesses have the opportunity to test candidates for skills in a range of situations that would previously not have been possible due to time constraints and costs.

Lloyds Banking Group did just this in a recruitment campaign, where 400 candidates were immersed in different scenarios using VR.

“The more we allow candidates to reveal their natural strengths and behaviors, the more we can ensure that we align people to roles and teams where they will thrive,” Lisa Dell’Avvocato, Lloyds’ graduate and emerging-leadership development lead, told The Guardian.

Attracting fresh graduates

VR technology is also helping companies that have an aging workforce attract fresh new graduates.

Such was the case with German mobility and logistics company Deutsche Bahn. Apon realizing that a high percentage of its workforce were nearing retirement age, the company realized that they needed to do something to attract fresh talent.

To do this, the company experimented with VR headsets at one of their career fairs. Candidates were able to virtually experience roles within the company. As a result, the company experienced between five and 10 times as many applications from job fairs.

Using emerging technology such as  VR will showcase to tech-savvy graduates that your company is at the forefront.

Virtually showcase your company culture

In today’s hyper-competitive market, any opportunity to showcase your company to potential candidates is vital in recruiting top talent.

But in the short window of time that you have with each candidate, how easy it is to portray your fantastic company culture to them?

Companies such as Walmart-owned online shopping platform, Jet.com, is using VR to showcase it’s relaxed and collaborative company culture to attract talent.

Through an immersive video, candidates can get a snapshot of the company’s culture by virtually visiting the office.

VR interviews

Virtual reality is also being used to help actually conduct interviews. Many companies have stopped doing face-to-face interviews with candidates who are not local, instead switching to VR during the first stages of the recruitment process.

This is not only reducing costs for companies but allowing them to connect with top overseas talents.

VR technology is making waves in many industries, bringing many benefits with it. For businesses, VR can attract top talent, save operational costs, and showcase your company as a leader in innovation.