While the recruiting world continues to freak out over how AI will affect the hiring process, there are two other letters synonymous with another new technology that’s creeping up in the world that many have yet to pay attention to: VR, or virtual reality.
Even if you’re familiar with the functionality of VR, you’re probably scratching your head and wondering how in the world it could be used in recruiting. Say it with me now, Employer Branding.
When you think about employer branding from a 30,000 foot view, the whole goal is to give candidates the most transparent look inside inside your company possible. What better way to break down all the barriers than letting them (virtually) step inside your office?
Though virtual reality might seem intense—like the candidate would need to have a super expensive headset to access it or you would need a tech guru to execute it—that’s not quite so. In reality (real reality, not the virtual kind) all the candidate needs is your videos uploaded, and all you need is a camera capable of taking 360 degree shots. It’s just an added bonus for the candidate if they do happen to have a VR headset. Once you’ve got those boxes checked, here are three relatively simple ways that you can use virtual reality to take your employer brand to the next level:
- Give candidates a virtual walkthrough of the office.Use a 360 degree camera to film your office and show all the goings-on of a typical day. Walk through the floor, sit down next to different employees, go into all the different rooms, step into team huddles, and, of course, stop by the water cooler. Essentially, get all the nooks and crannies of the office on camera so candidates can see the place where they would be working.
- Let candidates “join” a happy hour.Or a recognition meeting, or any other company event. Get it on camera, all 360 degrees of it, and let your candidates become immersed in your culture as it comes to life in its most natural state—during a celebration. It’s like a photo album of a company event, but way better because candidates can feel like they’re a part of the action. They’ll see their future coworkers’ personalities on full display and see that your company really is about more than just work.
- Create a virtual desk for candidates.You may not be able to customize the virtual desk for each candidate, but you can still provide them with a general idea of what their home seat would look like in your office. Set up an empty desk with a computer whose screen has a cool, relevant project pulled up on it; put some SWAG around the desk, like a notebook and pen rocking your logo; sip out of a company coffee mug; borrow knick knacks from other employees’ desks to add some personality. Get every piece of it on camera, as well as what the surrounding views look like. Give candidates a chance to “sit” in the hot seat and what could be theirs if they join the team.
Some of these ideas may seem out there, or even downright silly. And you might be right. But, 10 years ago who would have thought that a candidate would want to see a 140 character message from a company they’re thinking about joining? The technology of tomorrow might seem crazy today, but the real innovators are the ones who take a risk and do something—anything—with the latest technology.
Ultimately, as long as you’re experimenting with what’s out there and using trial and error to figure out what works and what doesn’t, you’re ahead of the curve.
So, when planning on how to take your employer brand up a notch in 2018, take a look at VR and see what you might be able to do to give candidates a better look at what life is like inside your company—you’ll be leading the pack rather than following it a few years down the road.