19 Dec How to Increase Employee Training Retention by 4X

If you’re following along, you learned how companies are currently using Virtual Reality for training. These companies are seeing impressive results across the board, with some reporting an increase in retention rate by 4X. Others reported a 30-40% reduction in training expenses by switching to VR training. Now we are breaking it down and looking at how you can achieve similar results.  

Chances are your company has been training people the same way for years – either in the classroom with PowerPoints and videos or by pairing a new employee with a seasoned professional to job shadow or a combination of both methods. We know that videos aren’t that engaging and learning on the job can put us in a dangerous situation. VR training can solve these issues and more but how do you get started? 

We typically advise starting off by piloting one VR training module at a couple of key locations. There are no one-size-fits-all training modules and it’s important to test often to make the next iteration is even more effective for your company. By taking a phased approach you can be sure the final VR training program is the best it can be. 

Step 1. Identifying a Use Case 

Evaluate your company’s current training techniques and identify areas of improvement. To expedite the VR pilot deployment process, look for a use case that is a step-by-step process. You can certainly add more complex processes down the road but the first phase (pilot testing) should be deployed quickly to allow you to learn and adapt to fit your employees’ needs in a timely manner. Consider the following questions when narrowing down potential use cases.  

What goals do the internal stakeholders have in regard to training? Write down the top three priorities and try to find a pilot use case that hits on most, if not all, of these items. Some examples include increase safety, decrease the cost/resources needed to train, reduce time to train a new employee, or improve retention and recall rate.  

Are there complex processes that trainees have a difficult time understanding that can be simplified? An easy way to simplify processes is to gamify it and make the content relatable to people newer to the field of work.

Are you currently training new employees on active machines? There’s an opportunity to let trainees get used to the operations and controls in virtual reality and reduce wear and tear on the physical machines. This allows people to still “learn by doing” without using up valuable resources.   

Are there common accidents or safety risks that occur when training? You can avoid unsafe situations by first letting trainees get acclimated to the process in VR. This is also an opportunity to make a big impact on the first go.  

Do you require trainees or trainers to travel? You can save their time and eliminate travel costs altogether by training in virtual reality while still making them feel as if they were in a particular place. 

Step 2. Developing the Pilot 

Now that you have a use case it’s time to get started with the development process. Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) from the client and developer’s side should work together and initiate a knowledge transfer session where the project team makes sure they fully understand what needs to be conveyed in the VR module. It may be helpful or necessary to provide supporting material like training curriculum, manuals, or technical documentations.  

Partners should visit your job site and get a feel for how you do business. This is an opportunity for them to experience the environment’s sights, sounds, and scale, in order to be able to translate that sense of being there in the VR simulation. The team can then create storyboards and plan out points of interactivity in each environment. 

The project team should have most of what they need to get started with development. Your project manager should keep in touch with you (or a designated point of contact) throughout the duration of development and check-in with stakeholders at key milestones. Each vendor has a different project management style and method – be sure to ask about this in the vendor vetting process. 

Step 3. Pilot Testing 

After the VR pilot development is complete, or at a point you feel comfortable with, start testing with a select group of end-users. There are a number of ways to conduct these initial tests – the most commonly chosen among them are user surveys, real-time feedback, and performance tracking.  

User Surveys: Ability to get a lot of feedback, quickly.   

Real-time Feedback: Obtain detailed information and seek clarification.  

Performance Tracking: Results that can be compared to current training methods.  

Whichever route you choose, keep in mind that the intention of creating a pilot is to gain valuable insights that will improve the current module, as well as make the design and development of future modules more streamlined. Your team will also be able to get a clearer understanding of what resources are needed for full-scale deployment.  

Step 4. Evaluating the Results 

You’ve shown off the VR pilot experience to a trusted group of individuals. Now it is time to analyze the findings. Identify key commonalities in the feedback you receive and flag any results that do not match your hypothesis for further analysis. As with any focus group testing, remove outliers and use your best judgment when deciding what comments are valid. Use the feedback to make adjustments and tweaks to better meet your business goals and objectives for full-scale deployment.  

Step 5. Scaling  

Preparing a rollout plan ahead of time is a good idea. That plan should include how you want to tell your employees about the initiative and establishing internal champions to ensure a successful launch and beyond. The plan should also include a short- and long-term roadmap for how you intend to grow the program. The roadmap can include things like adding more modules for a wider variety of educational topics or enhancing current modules to increase interactivity.  

By now the virtual reality simulation passed rigorous tests and it’s ready to be put into production. Your development team should be able to assist in setting up the devices, teaching your trainers how to run the program, and tech support. 

Upon launch, you can start realizing the impact it has on your employee training program, such as increasing safety, reducing wasted resources, and improving employee recall and retention rates. As a bonus you may also start to notice training consistency across your company, making it easier for workers to transfer or fill in at other locations.  

Contact us to start achieving your employee training program goals.