Virtual Technology in HR

The world of work is changing rapidly. New technologies are becoming a 'treasure trove' for businesses to operate more efficiently, increase employee engagement, and lower operational costs.

The current social-economic spectrum, impacted by growing globalization and technological advances, is an upsurge of demands for more qualified and competent people. To cope with the structural change in the market fueled by innovation, becoming tech-savvy is among the most prominent demands for businesses. In this regard, the organization's Human Resources Management and Development branch adopting tools and processes that increase productivity and competitiveness is the need of the hour.

Human resources departments typically have several challenges when managing and retaining employees. The standard HR software that most organizations use has long been hamstrung by its suite-based architecture, making it challenging for departments to collaborate and share information quickly. 

Often the HR teams have to spend time manually inputting employee information or sharing documents with others to collaborate and get the assistance they need. This presents countless opportunities for human resources departments to use technology to streamline their processes and make them more efficient. Virtual technologies are changing the way HR functions and is being managed. 

If you've been wondering how HR uses virtual technology, in this article, we will explore how human resources (HR) departments can use this to their advantage. Read on to get insight into how to use virtual technology to streamline your People Ops department operations.

What is HR Technology?

HR technology is considered an 'umbrella' term for the management tools that help the administration and operation of a Human Resources department. HR technology helps improve the HR department's overall efficiency by automating routine tasks and providing real-time insights. Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and its related technology, and virtual workplace assistants are the innovations that human resources departments can use to improve employee wellbeing and performance at work. 

Here are some of the HR technology benefits:

 Benefit 

 Impact

Improves employee engagement & retention

• The most apparent benefit of HR technology is improved employee engagement and retention. 

• With increased ease of access, employees can access files, reports, and information whenever and wherever they want. 

• This can help improve work-life balance by allowing employees to access relevant information across all platforms throughout the day easily.

Streamlines employee onboarding

• HR technology can also be used to streamline employee onboarding by providing employees with all necessary information at their fingertips.

• It allows for more efficient attendance tracking and increased speed in direct deposit processing.

Improves talent acquisition &  management

• HR technology can also improve talent acquisition and management by making tracking applications, resumes, and interviews more accessible. 

• It helps reduce mistakes in the hiring process, such as duplicate applications, missed deadlines, or lost emails.

HR Technology for All-size Business Leaders

HR technology for businesses of all sizes is a digital toolset that helps companies run their human resources more effectively and efficiently. This can help organizations to recruit, hire, onboard, train, and lead more effective employees by providing them with the necessary tools and resources.

When you are leading a company, technology can be a great asset to help you achieve your goals and make things run more efficiently. One of the best ways to use technology to help you be more efficient is by automating tasks. This can help you spend less time doing mundane tasks and more time focusing on the things that are important to you. 

One technology that can be very helpful in all-size companies is workforce management software. The software can help you manage your workforce, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and payroll. You can even get a full view of each employee's performance so you can take action if necessary. 

At its most basic level, HR technology enables better and more efficient operations within your organization. This can take many forms, from automating administrative tasks to providing employees with more employee-focused tools and resources. As the HR industry continues to evolve, several exciting advancements are fueling HR technology's growth. For example:

● Enhanced user experience: Today's HR tech tools are designed to focus on usability and ease of use. The result? People spend far less time managing their workflows than just a few years ago. As a result, employees can return to the task at hand and perform their jobs more effectively.

● Data processing power: As HR tech has matured, so too have the capabilities available for processing data. Companies can now make more effective decisions about staffing and recruitment needs, from big data to predictive analytics, thanks to greater computing power.

● Predictive analytics: Predictive analytics is one of the most talked about areas in HR technology today. This software uses machine learning techniques to predict future employee behavior based on current trends. Using this technology, companies can proactively make staffing and staffing decisions that significantly impact company performance over time.

Human resource management system structure [Source] 

What Is Virtual Reality In HR?

Virtual reality or VR uses computer technology to create and experience a virtual environment, often entertainment-linked. VR further has the potential to change the way we work and live. VR and services have become so essential in the modern workplace. With the latest technological innovation, the human resources department can operate as effectively as it should to build a thriving work culture. 

There are plenty of ways your organization can implement HR software to make operations run more smoothly, reduce operational costs, and assist employees with job searches, benefits enrollment, and career management.

Furthermore, virtual job applications have taken the HR world by storm. They've made it easier for companies of all sizes to find and hire the best talent. But what if HR professionals had access to virtual technology that could help HR departments run more efficiently? Let's take a look at:

1. Recruitment 

VR is an excellent tool for selecting and hiring. VR platforms are great for employee recruitment and job search. It also provides a more immersive experience when interviewing remote and on-site candidates.

With VR, you can now meet with candidates in a more casual setting, like sitting on the couch in someone's office and still get a sense of how they would interact on a work level. 

It helps you, onboard new employees, like taking them through company policies and procedures. It further helps track employees, like tracking their attendance and how often they work from home.

2. Remote Workspace Collaboration

As the popularity of BYOD continues to grow, the need for self-service options for remote work has increased. Virtual workspaces allow employers to create remote offices with all the benefits of an office, such as communications, collaboration, training, and management tools. The virtual workspace technology allows employees to work on-site or remotely while having all the resources they need, including all their files, calendars, and other tools.

The virtual workspace concept allows HR managers to create a virtual office that can give employees access while keeping them close enough to be managed and controlled. This will enable employers to keep some of the benefits of remote work while maintaining some of the responsibilities associated with being on-site.

3. Onboarding

Employers offering benefits often have to enroll employees and track their coverage manually. This process may be time-consuming and prone to human error. Automated benefits enrollment software allows employees to register and manage their benefits quickly. 

This reduces operational costs and helps employers retain qualified employees, which is vital for compliance. Automated benefits management allows employers to offer flexible benefits and manage their risk.

4. Organizational Culture

HR software can be used to create and manage a comprehensive employee culture policy. With a complete approach, HR departments can use software to help engage employees with corporate social responsibility initiatives and environmental sustainability programs. 

This can be done through VR, which allows employees to feel like they are part of the program and helps boost their engagement. With an integrated culture policy, HR can use software to help manage an evolving organizational culture by tracking trends and statistics while allowing employees to feel like they are a part of the program.

Image Source: VirtualSpeech

How does Virtual Reality Help To Build Productive Work Culture? 

Factor

Impact 

Enhance Productivity 

• A growing trend in the HR industry is using VR to help employees deal with mental health issues. VR offers a way to provide therapeutic programs to employees without leaving their desks. 

• VR can be used to run programs on stress management, mental health awareness, and even employee wellness programs. VR can help employees to reduce their stress levels and improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. 

• VR can help employees deal with issues like isolation, depression, anxiety, and other issues impacting an individual's work performance.

Easy Communication 

• VR can also help HR managers communicate more effectively with employees by giving them a more immersive experience of important company events and company culture from the perspective of the event or culture. 

• This can boost employee engagement and participation, improve morale, and foster teamwork.

Realistic Learning Experience

Using VR for training offers the potential to create highly realistic learning environments that are far more engaging than traditional classroom training or online learning programs.

What Are The Additional Benefits Of Virtual Reality HR Managers?

VR can be a powerful tool for HR managers to improve employee engagement and retention through virtual training programs or employee-swap experiences. VR allows HR managers to connect with remote employees in new ways. 

For example, you can view 360 videos from anywhere in the world. Or, an employee-swap program can engage employees in person—and in real-time—by using VR video telepresence to connect them and the employee being swapped. VR can also help HR managers create more effective onboarding programs by fostering a sense of belonging and connection before employees start work.

• With virtual technology, HR managers can attract and retain talented employees by offering them exciting new career opportunities or unique corporate experiences they won't find anywhere else. They can grab the attention of the complete pool of talent in the industry. 
• HR managers can use VR to train and prepare employees for future roles, provide training in a more realistic setting, or accelerate learning speed. We can also use VR for recruitment, where employees can experience a part before taking up their new position.
• Virtual technology can be used in various contexts, from training in customer service financial, or technical areas to prepare for a promotion or a change in the job title. Training can be more realistic and immersive, with 360° views that allow people to interact with objects and colleagues as if they were there. Virtual reality also allows companies to create virtual job interviews that are far more realistic than traditional Skype interviews.
• VR can also be used in recruitment, where employees can experience a role before taking up their new position. This is useful for candidates who may be reluctant to relocate or feel less connected to the company they are applying to. It aids in saving time and money by eliminating the need for a travel interview or face-to-face interviews with multiple candidates in one location.

Image: VR Pedagogy [Source]

How Is Virtual Reality Changing The HR Vitals?

Virtual workspaces allow employers to create remote offices with all the benefits of an office, such as communications, collaboration, and management tools. Let's check out how changing trends in HR with virtual assistants are impacting the human resource industry:

1. Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings are used to conduct meetings and conferences over a remote data connection. Virtual meetings are ideal for limited access to a physical location like a conference room. 

Flexibility in the setting and environment of meetings can be helpful when dealing with sensitive issues like performance reviews or onboarding new employees. 

Another benefit of virtual meetings is that you can conduct meetings with more than two people. This is especially useful for teams with more than two people that want to work in discussions together. Can conduct virtual meetings via videoconferencing or via online conferencing software.

2. Aiding in the Learning Curve

Training has been a core function of HR departments for a long time. However, with the rise of the cloud and virtual technologies, training has become more accessible and automated. Virtual training platforms like Adobe Connect and WebEx allow HR teams to automate video conferencing with training courses. These courses are secure and can be accessed from any device with internet access. 

With virtual training, you can also create training programs to train your entire organization or specific teams. Virtual training also offers the ability to track progress and provide instructor reviews.

[Image Source: Sage]

3. Slick Talent Acquisition Process

When hiring employees, it is conducive to using virtual recruitment platforms. Virtual recruitment allows you to hire remote employees and conduct interviews via video conferencing software. No matter where employees live, they can work with your organization's team remotely. 

Virtual recruitment platforms can connect you to thousands of remote employees. You can filter them by job title, location, and skills to find the best fit for your organization. Virtual recruitment platforms also allow you to manage your talent pipeline, manage candidate information, and track recruitment results.

4. Virtual Employee Branding and Relationships

Virtual technologies are changing how organizations manage employee branding and relationships. Today, employees can use virtual tools to work remotely to create a virtual brand. This virtual brand can help employees build a persona and make a track record of work. 

With virtual employee branding, you can also create a virtual corporate culture that all employees can use. Virtual employee branding tools allow you to create a corporate culture that everyone in your organization can share. You can also build employee relationships with virtual employee branding and corporate cultures. 

HR Management tools like Lanteria with modern workforce management and HR automation help employees understand company structure and individual roles and responsibilities and efficiently create employee relationships. You can create employee rewards programs, manage vacation policies, and more with employee relationships.

5. Employment Advertising Networks

Virtual technologies are also changing how companies manage job boards and advertising. While many HR departments have used traditional job boards, it is easier to use virtual tools today. 

Virtual job boards allow you to quickly post jobs, manage applications, and manage candidates' reviews. With virtual job boards, you can also create a career center where employees can search for mentorship opportunities and new jobs.

6. Culture Management 

With virtual technologies, companies are even changing culture management. The tools allow you to create a virtual corporate culture that all employees share. Virtual instruments are beneficial for organizations with remote teams. These tools make it easier to create virtual groups, manage their culture, and manage their performance.

What Are VR Best Practices For HR Managers?

There are multiple best practices that HR managers are required to follow when it comes to the implementation of virtual reality in the workplace.

• First and foremost, HR managers should be prepared for the fact that this new technology can have a significant impact on employee engagement. As virtual reality becomes more popular, it can help companies connect with employees personally, allowing them to feel more involved and invested in their work. Also, building a handbook on brand rules and guidelines is vital to keep the process in tune.
• Another critical concern for HR managers is safety and security. Ensure to safely test new products or procedures before putting them into practice.
• Use VR to create practical team-building exercises. By equipping employees with a virtual reality headset, employers can let them explore different environments and learn about their colleagues' challenges regularly. This can help everyone work better as a team and develop a more profound sense of empathy for each other's needs.
• Don't force employees to wear headsets in the office. If they are willing to use them, it would be great if you could ensure that the headsets are good quality and don't cause any health issues. If possible, make sure that VR technology companies provide the headsets. Also, ensure training about what to do and not do with VR technology

Final Thought

Virtual technologies are revolutionizing the way HR functions. Tools like Lanteria offer modules of core HR activities, including time and attendance tracking, performance monitoring, meetings, automated training, and hiring on-site and remote employees. 

Virtual workspace technology allows employees to work on-site or remotely while having all the resources they need, including all their files, calendars, and other tools. Automated benefits enrollment and organizational culture management can reduce operational costs and help employers retain qualified employees, which is essential for compliance. Virtual technologies are changing the way HR functions and is being managed. They are also making remote managing teams and creating a virtual culture easier.