Summary: Which VR training activities are worth the expense? In this post, I highlight the top 7 resources to add to your outsourcing agreement to get the best value for money.
VR Training Activities That Should Be In Your Outsourcing Contract
There are a variety of reasons why organizations outsource virtual reality job training. But the top two are usually employee engagement and ROI. You need to make the information stick and foster real-world application. Likewise, every project you hand over to the content provider should benefit your bottom line. So, how do you know which VR training resources are worth the investment, especially when budgets are even tighter due to the COVID-19 crisis? While businesses have different L&D needs, there are a few items every company should consider.
7 Crucial VR Training Activities To Add To Your Outsourcing Contract
1. Customer Service Scenarios
Service employees often bear the brunt of customer complaints. But they must take everything in stride to provide the best CX. Virtual reality job training scenarios expose them to a broad range of personas so that they can build interpersonal skills and identify areas for improvement, as well as manage their stress levels and learn how to cope with challenging customers. In most cases, these scenarios feature decision points that lead to corresponding paths. Employees can point to the appropriate response in the VR environment, which makes it even more tactile and immersive.
2. Sales Pitch Simulations
Every employee who interacts with customers should have some sales experience even if they’re not negotiating deals or ringing up purchases. Sales pitch simulations help them master persuasion and communication skills. Plus, they need a firm grasp of product specs, features, and benefits to get the job done. You can even incorporate more challenging sales scenarios to broaden their experience. For example, a customer who wants everything for half price and won’t take “no” for an answer. Trainees must emphasize the value of the product and its innovative uses to win them over. If not, they lose the sale and receive targeted performance feedback.
3. Safety Training Demos
VR and compliance training go hand-in-hand because it takes risk out of the equation. However, employees still get to experience all the consequences involved. For example, safety training demos show them how to thoroughly clean the workspace or which gear to wear. These videos also highlight the negative repercussions that come from non-compliance, like spreading bacteria and how contamination impacts everyone in the workplace. Finally, include some dos and don’ts so that employees know which mistakes to avoid, as well as quick ways to enhance their performance behaviors and stay safe on the job.
4. Virtual Tours
Give new hires a virtual tour of the workplace so they’re ready to tackle tasks right away. This is also beneficial for staffers who switch departments. For example, a warehouse employee is joining the sales team. They must familiarize themselves with the sales floor layout, registers, etc. It’s also wise to incorporate tips and tricks along the way, like pop-ups that feature helpful demos and tutorials for related skills. Lastly, provide a list of follow-up resources at the end of the grand tour so that employees know where to find additional info regarding compliance policies and JIT job aids.
5. Mistake-Driven Serious Games
Recovering from mistakes is much easier when games are thrown into the mix. Virtual reality training games have built-in feedback. Employees can’t move to the next level or achieve best outcomes if they don’t possess the necessary skills. You can even recap their performance after each section to highlight areas for improvement. Make it even more interactive and engaging with badges, points, or leaderboards. For instance, trainees earn points for in-game activities. These points increase their ranking on the board. Above all, mistake-driven serious games offer discreet (and entertaining) performance management, particularly when they’re VR training activities that immerse employees in the gaming environment and build an emotional connection.
6. 360 Product Demos
Produce 360-degree videos of your products in action. Employees can spin the camera to focus on specific features or functions, as well as pause the video and zero in on certain components or parts. This allows them to showcase all the product highlights in front of customers or even explain the unconventional uses. Just keep in mind that 360 videos are more involved than traditional training videos. However, you can hire an outsourcing partner who has the right equipment and rendering software.
7. Skill-Building Stories
Take your employees on a journey instead of just asking them to read case studies and real-world examples. Skill-building stories are ideally suited for VR because they’re emotionally engaging. You can even feature personal anecdotes to improve relatability. Start with a challenge or obstacle. Then move on to which skills are required and how employees can hone these abilities. Wrap everything up with a recap. In other words, explain how those skillsets tie into workplace performance and boost employee productivity. One of the best ways to stretch your budget is to repurpose assets or use animation software. You can also add cut-out characters and images from your asset library, then incorporate audio narration.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, bottomless bank accounts aren’t a thing. At least, not in the real corporate world. Thus, you have to be choosy about the projects you outsource. Keep in mind that these 7 VR training activities don’t have to happen overnight. You can gradually expand your library when the budget permits. In fact, why not discuss your strategy at the next meeting to get vendor feedback or mention these resources in your RFP so that companies can provide accurate cost estimates? That way, you have a clear idea of how much to set aside for your VR training program.
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