A leading organisation conducted research on the global workforce crisis to explore the potential of XR
The XR Association, a Washington, DC-based trade association representing the extended reality (XR) industry, released last week a new survey on the growing trends in human resources (HR) and learning.
The survey was conducted by the Martec Group and is the organisation’s second annual report, which explores views from HR workers on XR technologies across numerous sectors.
The news comes as workers reflect on career goals and employers face spiking workforce turnovers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, sparking a crisis in employment figures across the nation.
Facts and Figures about XR, HR
According to research from the XRA, HR professionals prioritised training and upskilling, finding and securing high-quality talent, and boosting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) training at 46 percent, 42 percent, and 35 percent, respectively.
92 percent of 250 HR workers also overwhelmingly responded XR was a viable pandemic recovery tool, the survey reported.
Despite 81 percent of HR teams using XR to boost learning outcomes, just 41 percent saw it as an effective tool for DE&I training.
It added 48 percent of HR professionals responded XR technologies led to higher training and development outcomes, 46 percent said XR could boost working efficacy and save time, and 45 percent saw XR as a tool to expand distance learning.
Additional figures revealed transport and construction industries led in the adoption of XR technologies, with 92 percent and 91 percent adoption rates, respectively.
Public safety, manufacturing, energy, and healthcare followed in adoption rates at 88 percent, 79 percent, 70 percent, and 70 percent, respectively, the findings concluded.
The XRA also cited a 2020 McKinsey report, which revealed organisations with more diverse ethnic workforces were 36 percent more likely to boost profits than rival firms.
According to the World Economic Forum, firms with diverse employees received up to a “20 [percent] higher rate of innovation and 19 [percent] higher innovation revenues.
Statements on XR’s Potential for US Workforces
Elizabeth Hyman, Chief Executive of the XR Association, said in a statement the COVID-19 pandemic had fuelled digital transformation and automation across industries, which increased talent shortages and forced HR departments to seek “new ways to train and develop talent”.
She added,
“The XR technologies currently being deployed for workforce training are proving to be a game-changer”
Such tools allowed organisations to upskill workforces, prepare job candidates “on day one,” and reach higher learning outcomes to tackle the ongoing employment crisis in the US, she said.
Hyman added despite the “dynamic and impactful nature” of immersive learning, the emerging technology should be included as a tool for backing DE&I programmes to close skill gaps and allow HR teams to “look beyond recruiting for exact exptertise, opening up larger, more diverse pools of talent.”
The XRA Chief concluded,
“XR learning opportunities for new hires and long-term employees can be tailored to individualized needs, which are at the heart of workplace equity programs”
The news comes after the XRA hosted its Limitless Future Conference 2021, an inaugural event covering innovations in DE&I, innovations, and use cases for XR technologies across the industry.
Speakers at the groundbreaking event included Chike Aguh, Chief Innovation Officer at the United States Department of Labor, Cornelius Dowdell, Chapter President for the Association of Talent Development’s Greater Atlanta Chapter and Senior Talent Development Strategist, Marc Metis, Vice President, Enterprise Software and Global Head of Vive X, Kristina Francis, Executive Director for JFFLabs, Daniel Guenther, Managing Director of Accenture Extended Reality (XR), and numerous others.
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