Virtual reality: how to use it for your company

Virtual reality may often be associated with gaming, but these systems are much more innovative than you’d expect. In fact, VR is quickly being implemented into professional training that can help businesses expand at a quicker rate.

Virtual reality systems can work to offer yourself and your employees direct, hands-on experience that can be implemented in various ways. This forward-thinking, technological approach to business will place your company ahead of the game. How exactly? Well, we’re here to tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. 

Here’s how to use virtual reality for your company

There are several advantages to employing virtual reality for your company. The technology is fairly new but has rapidly developed over the last few years to offer user-friendly headsets to the market. Employing VR for business and marketing purposes is a relatively new idea, but has the potential to transmit information and relay experiences in an innovative way. In the corporate setting, there are many advantages and we’re going to list them for you, so read on and enjoy!

Advantages of using virtual reality for your company

Virtual meetings

The ability to simulate real-life situations is the main draw of virtual reality. In a business context, this technology can be employed to simulate meetings as well as conferences, making it accessible to anyone. For employees that are out of town or in another part of the world and unable to physically attend meetings, VR makes it possible to connect them. Unlike Skype, a VR headset will allow these out of town employees to feel as though they’re present, in the room with the rest of your team.

Further, hosting a meeting using VR technology is an excellent way for yourself as an employer to show your consideration and concern for your employees. This is especially true if you’re living in Canada, where the cold and often harsh winters can create conditions that are unsafe for travel.

Instead of employees taking time off due to these unfavourable conditions and being unable to make their way into work, they can virtually clock in and be present in the office while remaining in the comfort of their own home.

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Interviews and interviewing

In a similar method to the aforementioned advantage of virtual reality, interviewing candidates that might be in another city or even another country is an excellent way this tool that can be used in pressing situations. When looking to hire those who are unable to meet in person, whether that means employees, managers, or freelancers, VR technology gives you the option to meet remote candidates.

Not only does this offer a more intimate interview experience, especially when compared with over-the-phone interviewing practices, virtual reality offers the potential to read and understand a potential candidate's body language, helping to better interpret how the person being interviewed responds to your questions. 

Virtual Tours

Potentially, your company is looking for investors that do not live in the same borough or even in the same country. Previewing your business or services to clients or investors alike is made much easier by way of a virtual tour.

Especially with tools such as Google 360 Virtual Tour, prospective as well as current customers can experience the insides of your business without actually visiting it. This can offer both an immersive and engaging experience, offering a sneak peek into the inner workings of what goes on, working to entice investors as well as clients to pay more attention to your business!

Disadvantages to using virtual reality for your company

Costs involved

Depending on the size of your business, you may not have it in your budget to employ the technology needed for virtual reality. For larger companies and corporations, it is completely possible to afford the technologies affiliated with virtual reality.

However, for smaller businesses, employing VR may not be a viable option, as the price of equipment can be costly and may not make sense for the size or infrastructure of your company. In some cases, businesses will benefit from this investment as the integration of technology

Perception versus reality

As is fairly evident, virtual reality is just that, virtual. With this in mind, it is important to remember that VR will never be able to replicate reality. Although it may seem as though we are experiencing everything in real time, the experience of virtual reality cannot fully mimic the realities of everyday life.

Unfortunately, relying on virtual reality to complete daily tasks as well as conducting weekly and monthly meetings or for all staff communications is not conducive to creating meaningful conversations and interactions with your employees. This is especially true for smaller businesses, where creating a strong bond with those around you is often crucial to how well your company performs.