Formula One drivers use virtual reality to simulate a race, Walmart (WMT) employees don the headsets to prepare for unruly customers, and Bank of America (BAC) workers practice sensitive financial conversations on the devices.
But as a labor shortage stifles companies struggling to make hires in the first place, some firms have turned to virtual reality for help attracting and retaining new employees who may never set foot in the office.
Julie Sweet, CEO of the Ireland-based consulting giant Accenture (ACN), tells Yahoo Finance that the company is giving virtual headsets to thousands of hires as part of its remote onboarding process.
The headsets make up part of the company's strategy of replicating the intimacy of an in-person work environment, while preserving the safety and flexibility of working from home, Sweet said.
"When you started a new job, but pre-pandemic, you showed up someplace," she says. "You had the excitement, you went home, and you said, 'This is what the coffee's like, this is who I met.'"
"Well, we have all these people who are shutting their laptops, and then the next day opening their laptop from Accenture, and there is no physical connection," she adds. "So we said, well, how do we solve that?"
Story continues
"Our new employees now get a welcome box. Sure, it has its computer. But it has these little signs that are ... are like the posters they would have seen in the office," she says. "... At the same time, we just ordered thousands of Oculus headsets. Why? Because our onboarding is now going to include virtual reality."
Accenture, which works with more than three-quarters of Fortune Global 500 companies, has seen a surge in business as clients sought their advice ramping up digital operations amid the pandemic. To keep up with growing demand, Accenture has hired 118,000 employees over the past year, Sweet wrote in a letter to shareholders.
Dan Howley, Yahoo Finance's tech editor, tries out the Google Daydream View virtual-reality headset and controller following a product event, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Sweet began her career as an attorney at the high-powered firm Cravath, Swaine, & Moore and later joined Accenture as a general counsel. In 2019, she became CEO.
Speaking to Yahoo Finance, Sweet emphasized the importance of establishing personal relationships and company culture within the remote workplace.
"Really thinking about how you build connections, and you bring the physical and the digital world together differently," she says. "We think is the long term success of how you both engage, attract, and retain employees."
"We do believe it is a permanent experience that all companies will have more people who work remotely," she adds. "We've really rethought that experience."
Read more:
Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.
Continued here:
Why Accenture is giving VR headsets to thousands of new hires - Yahoo Finance
- UNL program using virtual reality to enhance research - KOLN - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- 3D augmented reality with regular glasses | Stanford News - Stanford University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- LG Display's Research Results on OLEDoS for VR Selected as Distinguished Paper at SID Display Week 2024 - PR Newswire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides - Nature.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Future of Onboarding: Inside Serviceplan's VR-Based Employee Integration | LBBOnline - Little Black Book - LBBonline - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality space experience returns to Silver Street Studios - Houston Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Rain Technology to Unveil New Anamorphic-XR Optical Engine at Display Week 2024 - Display Daily - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality used as a tool for brain health at assisted living center - Eyewitness News 3 - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality in Gaming Market to Reach US$75 Billion by 2028 - Analytics Insight - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Disney+ to release VR Marvel series exclusively for Apple Vision Pro - CyberNews.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Startup aimed at VR entertainment in cars files for insolvency - PhoneArena - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- After Decades of Promise, the Virtual Reality Era Has Finally Arrived - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Hahnville senior signs with virtual reality gaming company - St. Charles Herald Guide - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Forges Franchise Partnership with Apparel Group to Pioneer Virtual Reality in the Middle East - Business Wire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Best VR games in 2024 - TechRadar - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Researchers rely on Virtual Reality as a complementary therapy for eating disorders - MIXED Reality News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Beyond therapy: Virtual reality shows promise in fighting depression - Medical Xpress - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Apparel Group And Sandbox VR Announce Partnership - Retail & Leisure International - Retail & Leisure International - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Batman returns to VR - theSun - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality Shows Promise in Treating Depression - Neuroscience News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Augmented And Virtual Reality in Manufacturing Market Size, Share And Growth Analysis For 2024-2033 - EIN News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Announces U.S. Franchise Initiative and International Deal - Franchise Times - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- MINI Mixed Reality Experience: Driving into the Future. - BMW Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality project will allow users to witness October 7 first hand - The Jewish Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Spin Rhythm XD getting PlayStation and VR ports this summer - Niche Gamer - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology use virtual reality headsets in class - Islander News.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- SFU SIAT researcher uses virtual reality to help teen mental health - Simon Fraser University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Navy Brings Training to the Fleet With VR - ATD - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Manchester Airport launches gaming area with virtual reality escape room Business Traveller - Business Traveller - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Can virtual reality help ease the end of life? - Universit de Montral - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Fans still waiting for a virtual reality view of the Buffalo Bills' new ... - Buffalo News - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Immerse yourself in new, augmented worlds - University of Miami: News@theU - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Who are the leading innovators in vehicle digital twins for the ... - just-auto.com - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- How Virtual and Augmented Reality Are Redefining Construction - TimesTech - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Virtualware Appoints VRARA's John A Cunningham to Advisory Board - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- University Project Aims to Dissolve Borders Between Virtual and ... - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Are real cadavers better than virtual ones? - Slate - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Samsung Glasses could be the name of a new pair of Samsung ... - TechRadar - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Best Augmented Reality Accessories for AR Immersion - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The best VR apps for 2022 | Digital Trends - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- What is virtual reality? - TechTarget - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Forget the metaverse, Sony's PlayStation VR2 will make you a virtual reality believer again - British GQ - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Time to play! New virtual reality gaming coming to Northern Virginia - WUSA9.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Virtual reality training content launched for footwear and leather sector - The Hindu - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Texas A&M researchers are using multisensory virtual reality to help NASA astronauts - KAGSTV.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Hollywoods Virtual Reality Guru and American Millionaire Expanded His Soccer Portfolio to Europe With a Deal Worth $940 Million - EssentiallySports - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality inspires students to think about long-term careers - Turn to 10 - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Virtual Reality Arcade with Best VR Game Experiences - Main Event - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality - reddit - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- The Future Of Virtual Reality (VR) - Forbes - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality (VR) For Professional Workflows | NVIDIA - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual reality in fiction - Wikipedia - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Meta will release a new consumer-grade VR headset next year - TechCrunch - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality [VR] Market Size & Share | Forecast Report, 2029 - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Industry - VISUALISE - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality - Intel - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Applications Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- The Global Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality In Manufacturing Market size is expected to reach $27.9 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth... - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- We Met in Virtual Reality Explores the Potential of the Metaverse - Seven Days - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What If the Metaverse Is Better Without Virtual Reality? - WIRED - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- XRHealth and HTC Introduce The First Distraction Therapy Virtual Reality Platform to Improve Patient Experience During Painful or Anxiety Provoking... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Department of Corrections Introduces Virtual Reality Technology to Augment Programming for Incarcerated Parents and Their Children - Pennsylvania... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Arden Bendler Browning conquers virtual reality, Luve More LC + Thinkers Makers Society, and opportunity - theartblog.org - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- How Virtual or Augmented Reality Can Help Your Packaging Line - Packaging Digest - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- A marriage of virtual reality and physical therapy: Immergo Labs emerges from its UCSC roots - Lookout Santa Cruz - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Senior living residents explore the world through virtual reality - Rocky Mountain PBS - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Orthopedic Residency Program and PrecisionOS Team up For Exclusive 3-Year Collaboration: Virtual Reality Development and Curriculum Integration - PR... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- 6 Insightful Construction XR Cases to Read in 2022 - XR Today - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Video footage emerges from an MMA event that put virtual reality users into the thick of the fighting action - Yahoo News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Carmack: Theres a bunch that Im grumpy about in virtual reality - Ars Technica - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The Peripheral Co-Creator on the Shows Line Between Reality & Virtual Reality - TV Insider - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Clarkson's Dr. Dana Barry Gave a Presentation at International Conference in Italy - Clarkson University News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Apple VR glove with finger- and hand-tracking patent hints at companion accessories for the "Reality Pro" headset - Notebookcheck.net - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Virtual reality spectacle of 2010 sockeye run returns to Shuswap Salmon Arm Observer - Salmon Arm Observer - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The virtual reality push brings together Microsoft, Meta and the art of war - Stuff - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality All About? - Oculus VR - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality? | Tech & Learning - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- 10 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Reality (2022) - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Insights on the Tactile Virtual Reality Global Market Research Report to 2027 - Growing Advancements in Virtual Reality Products & Rising... - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]