What is augmented reality?

Do you still remember the first time you experienced the effects of virtual reality (VR)? If you do, let me tell you that the world has moved on and now augmented reality (AR) is the tech to put your money on. AR has changed the world by letting people experience living or doing tasks within a digital environment. In addition, this tech has become crucial in hiring new talent and helping old ones specialize in their fields.

One example that actually made AR recognized around the globe was the introduction of the game Pokémon Go. It was like a dream come true for every Pokémon fan! When I was a kid, I always wished for a way I could also catch Pokémon and embark on a journey to become the world’s best Pokémon trainer.

However, that dream came true when John Hanke, the mastermind behind this app, introduced this AR game to the world. In fact, in 2018 Pokémon Go active users are expected to rise up to 379 million.

The underlying purpose of AR is to let you experience a digital environment while living in the real world. Yes, VR also has the same purpose, but in AR you don’t actually need a headset all the time. AR is programmed to work on your smartphone, which you can carry just about anywhere.

Augmented reality in business

Google and Apple have already created apps that can be used by developers to create AR apps. In fact, companies from the retail and manufacturing industries have already started using them for building apps that help enhance customer’s experience and develop designs for specific products.

However, our primary focus today will be on how businesses are utilizing AR technology to train and recruit new talent for their organizations. AR helps learners perform tasks more tactically with practical tips and hints that pop up on their screens to guide them throughout. A human mind is the first thing that needs to be trained, and AR is doing just that.

Due to the fact that AR can be used with most camera-equipped devices, it’s actually a cheaper tech to utilize compared to VR. From augmented reality, gamification came to life and changed how new talent got selected for a job.

What is gamification?

Are you a gamer? If yes, that’s a plus point as now you can show your skills to your future bosses by playing a game. That doesn’t mean you have to kill aliens or save the world from getting taken over by an evil psychopath! These games are created for learning purposes, and to evaluate how you react or behave during specific tasks. It’s a more enjoyable and interactive method, and its designed to consider the fact that modern workers have a thing for gaming. 

Gamification takes all the elements that make a video game fun and attractive and collaborates it with a learning experience. In a gaming training process, employees will be able to clear levels, rank higher, and compare their stats with fellow colleges to evaluate their performance. This process can also be utilized to teach employees something new without making it a dull process of someone standing in front giving lectures.

With gamification, businesses will understand their employees more. You can efficiently analyze where your team is lacking and where they are excelling. After creating a report with all the results, you’ll know which aspects to work on next.

How is gamification used to find talent?

There was a time when getting an interview call was pretty tricky. Either you weren’t qualified enough, or lacked the experience required. Recruiters weren’t bothered to meet anyone who didn’t fit the eligibility criteria. However, with the help of gamification, many hidden talents got a chance to prove their expertise.

Since AR is cheaper and more time-savvy compared to taking one-on-one interviews, many businesses have started adopting this technology. The best aspect about this tech it that applicants can play the game while sitting at home on their smartphone or computers. All gamers who sign up, are required to go through a storyline filled with specific challenges. Each decision the player takes will impact their chances of getting shortlisted.

Since this method is relatively new, businesses still prefer to meet the applicant after shortlisting them on the basis of their gaming performance. However, with gaming becoming recognized as an essential part of our lives, we can predict that there may come a day when employees get directly employed with a gamification test that includes a virtual interview as well. – Imagine what human interviewers will do then?

Wrap up

According to Statista, the global mobile AR market is expected to rise from $60 million in 2013 to $200 million in 2018. If you haven’t finalized on investing in this technology yet, you should think again. Not only can you use AR operated apps for training and recruiting employees, but it can come in handy to enhance customer experience and test designs within a virtual world. So start making plans on how you can utilize this modern technology for your business.