If events of the past week have demonstrated one thing, it’s the ability of augmented reality to attract and hold the attention of millions of people around the world. Pokémon Go has become the world’s most downloaded app, prompting concern about its ability to distract users in the workplace. Boeing quickly became the first company to ban its use during working hours. Daily time spent in Pokémon Go by the average IOS user outstrips the most popular apps such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.
Social media, AI, wearables and virtual reality are already driving digital recruitment. Virtual reality allows employers to reach a wider talent pool by offering online assessments and video interviews which reduce both the time and cost of hire. A recent article from Jessica Stillman in Inc magazine also promoted the idea of virtual reality having the potential to reduce bias in hiring in the future. Is augmented reality the next step?
As traditional hiring processes aren’t always effective in attracting top graduate talent, digital technologies have emerged as an alternative recruitment marketing and engagement tool. For example:-
Gamification : Gamification is used by several companies, including Lloyds Banking Group, KPMG and Deloitte, to attract high achieving graduates and is effective in identifying skilled candidates as well as enabling employers to speed up the hiring process in a competitive market. 57% of the UK population is involved in gaming on a regular basis, with companies such as PwC using dedicated online games such as Multipoly across all of its hiring process.
Virtual office tours: The reality of working in most offices is generally mundane and routine. Innovative exceptions come from global brands like Google or Lego, who recently unveiled its new London offices, designed to mimic an environment constructed entirely from Lego blocks. Virtual tours can however, be used to introduce candidates to their potential future employer to provide insight into company culture.
Wearables : Wearables used in the graduate recruitment offer a number of advantages. For instance, they provide insight into the hiring process, when combined with HR analytics. They also help HR to understand behavioural patterns of candidates, including their response to stress during interviews. These come with caveats of course, requiring candidate permission and careful analysis to ensure objective assessments during hiring.
Augmented reality : As digital technology advances rapidly, Pokémon Go may point towards an additional strategy for future talent acquisition and engagement. It allows users to work in teams via their mobile devices, which may have potential for companies assessing the collaboration skills of graduates, for example. For some this can prove problematic when making the transition from an educational environment which discourages team work into their first job. Augmented reality is in the future but should not be ruled out. Google is reportedly already moving ahead with a headset that mixes virtual and augmented reality and doesn’t require the use of a mobile device or computer.
Social media : Away from the potential of augmented reality, employers must also consider social media's role in attracting and retaining graduate talent. Job search app Debut’s Expectations of Work report has found that access to social media was ranked ‘important’ by over two thirds of students when making a career choice. Only an annual pay rise was considered more important. Freedom to use social media is a major attraction for a generation brought up on 24/7 connectivity. That said, pay rises and healthcare were also assumed to be a given. How this sits alongside the distracting use of Pokémon Go is yet another factor to be considered.
Obstacles to digital growth
The principal obstacle to growth lies in the shortage of basic digital skills in the UK workforce. Empowerment: The Barclays Digital Development Index ranks the UK 7th out of 10 countries in content creation and coding skills. Just over a third (38%) of employers train their staff in essential digital skills, leaving the UK outranked by countries such as Estonia and South Korea. To add to the concern, the CBI found that nearly a third of UK businesses are concerned about the lack of basic numeracy and literacy skills among young people.
This will be exacerbated by the shortage of jobseekers entering the workforce. The Government’s 2016 Working Future Report predicted a rise in the total number of jobs of 1.8m between 2014 to 2024. These numbers will not be matched by the graduates and school leavers.
The potential of augmented reality epitomised by Pokémon Go in recruitment is not easy to predict. As concern continues over the impact of Brexit, HR must continue to navigate its way through a hazardous jobs market while embracing digital technologies in all aspects of its talent management processes.
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