The outbreak of COVID pandemic have sent HR departments into overdrive. Since then, HR professionals have been working closely with organisations to map out all possibilities and scenarios which the employees would have to face given the pandemic’s uncertainty.
Along with managing remote working and employees’ overall wellbeing to framing policies centred on work from anywhere, companies and their HR are focusing on employee productivity as well. Many forward-thinking enterprises, especially those in tech, are also revisiting and redrawing the blueprint of what the future of work will entail. The industry is in need of creative HR software solutions and is working on devising the same.
To address the rising challenges and cater to the increasing needs, several tech startups have come up with a variety of solutions. They are harnessing the power of technologies like AI, ML, and augmented reality (AR) to significantly enrich the processes of talent recruitment and management, employee training and driving engagement of employees within the organisation.
How AR is maximising employee productivity and skills
Even after the pandemic will run its course, it’s highly likely that companies won’t revert to old methods. In light of this, AR is proving to be an essential new approach for working. There are primarily 3 key areas where it is leaving behind the greatest impact, namely, training, employee engagement, and workflows.
Employee training
Research has shown that employee training is one of the most common use of AR. As compared to conventional training, AR-based training can decrease training time by almost 40 percent and enhance employee performance by 70 percent. AR also helps with visual recognition and guidance. For instance, technicians aren’t required to be trained on parts numbers and other specifications of a machine if they can rely on AR to identify the components for them. AR supports a faster learning curve as it offers immersive demos and step-by-step tutorials.
Moreover, with AR, the best instructors can be easily paired with trainees anywhere in the world.
Productive workflows
For best impact, AR must be made a central part of a business’ operations, and not just be an ancillary application. When effectively integrated to enhance productivity, its utility significantly reduces overhead costs. Research shows that AR can reduce unnecessary service calls and mistakes by as much as 90 percent, thus maximising employee productivity.
Better employee engagement
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are laying emphasis on the need for employees to feel engaged and connected with their colleagues. Though this area is in its nascent stages, yet there are signs of AR filling in the gap. For instance, in response to the urgent need for so many remote employees to find better ways of collaborating, a company launched an AR-based meeting app and subsequently made it available free of cost to its team as part of an open beta program. Conversely, AR technology is also offering employees a private virtual workspace, especially useful to those whose physical locations do not allow them the privacy they need while working.
AR-enabled experiences offer such workplace advantages that have become crucial for attracting and retaining top technical talent. For employees raised on digital technology and smartphone devices, AR in the workplace is rather an extension of the digital engagement that they avail in their personal lives. Finally, AR will emerge as the primary tool that companies will use in future to cultivate a vibrant and productive work culture.
(Kanav Singla is Founder & CEO, Adloid- Augmented Reality Venture)
