Research from Harvard shows that soft skills like communication, empathy, and leadership are responsible for 85% of job success.
However, despite clear evidence of the importance of soft skills, hard skills are typically the focus of corporate training and development programs. Only around 35% of the organizations with training programs include soft skills training.
One major obstacle to implementing soft skills training is the how—the learning objectives typically require interpersonal interaction and hands-on practice. This is where virtual reality (VR) soft skills training can be a game-changer.
In this ArborXR guide, we’ll dive into what VR soft skills training is, its benefits, and how to effectively implement it in your organization.
What Is VR Soft Skills Training?
VR soft skills training uses virtual reality to help employees develop essential interpersonal skills, such as:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Resilience
There isn’t one kind of VR soft skills training, but the process generally involves creating virtual simulation of real-world environments that trainees can access with VR headsets. Then, in these virtual settings, employees can practice their skills without the risks or logistical issues involved with live training.
For example, one of our partners, People Tech Revolution, offers a training module called Equal Reality.
This module helps trainees learn how to handle situations involving inclusion, microaggressions, discrimination, and diversity. Trainees encounter realistic scenarios where they can practice these skills without any real-world consequences.
And PeopleTech Revolution isn’t alone—there are tons of companies doing amazing things with VR soft skills training, including:
- VirtualSpeech: General workplace communication skills (e.g., public speaking).
- Bodyswaps: Healthcare communication topics (e.g., handling angry conversations).
- wondder: Leadership and DEI training (e.g., Living with Disabilities).
…and tons more.
Benefits of Using VR for Soft Skills Training
Increased Confidence
VR soft skills training provides employees with a safe environment to repeatedly practice challenging scenarios until they feel confident and capable. This repeated practice helps them build the confidence they need to handle similar situations when they face them in real life.
Companies using Moth+Flame VR training modules report that 90% of employees who go through their VR training feel much more confident in applying their skills afterward.
Enhanced Engagement
Unlike traditional training methods, VR makes learning soft skills more interactive and immersive. Instead of sitting through hours of presentations, employees can actively engage in realistic scenarios through VR, which keeps them more interested in learning. This active participation helps them stay focused and retain what they learn better.
To confirm this, here’s a comment from Michael Wynn from Bank of America on employee enthusiasm for VR training in an ArborXR podcast episode.
“The reaction to VR was the same regardless of where we ran it — employees were having fun. They were excited about it to the point they were actually talking to their family about it at the dinner table.”
Michael Wynn, SVP Innovations & Learning Technology, Executive for The Academy
Cost-Efficiency and Scalability
VR soft skills training minimizes the need for in-person workshops, travel costs, and external trainers. Once you have the VR setup and modules ready, you can repeat the training as often as needed, making it easy to scale across different departments and locations. This flexibility helps you deliver consistent, high-quality training to many employees without incurring significant additional costs.For example, Advance uses wondder’s soft skills training modules to provide gender equality training in over 130 member organizations (accounting for more than 500,000 employees—or 10% of the Swiss workforce).
5 Tips to Implement a Successful VR Soft Skills Training Program
1. Choose a Reliable XR MDM
Start with the end in mind. Managing multiple VR headsets can be challenging when launching VR soft skills programs. You’ll need to track their locations, install content, and oversee user experiences—all of which can quickly become overwhelming if done one headset at a time.
That’s where a dedicated XR MDM solution like ArborXR comes in handy. With ArborXR, you can control all your headsets from a single, easy-to-use remote dashboard, no matter how many you have. Here’s a quick look at what ArborXR offers:
- Remote Device Management: Track the locations of all devices in your fleet, monitor their battery levels, adjust settings like WiFi and brightness, see what users are seeing in real time, and even remotely erase data if a device is lost or stolen.
- Custom Launcher and Kiosk Mode: Design a fully personalized (2D or 3D) home environment and lock even users to specific apps. Switch to Kiosk Mode to restrict access to a single app—ideal for focused training.
- Content Management Tools: If you partner with an ISV from our directory, they can send content and updates directly through ArborXR. If not, you can easily sideload third-party content and updates efficiently across all your headsets, access a powerful set of version management features, and build a training library.
2. Work With Experienced ISVs & Developers
Successful XR training programs tend to have a few things in common:
- Great content
- Smooth implementations
- Expert guidance and support
And while it’s possible to check all these boxes on your own, it’s much easier when you partner with a trusted independent software vendor (ISV).
A great ISV doesn’t just help you create or locate content that fits your organization and helps you achieve your training goals (although that is a major plus). They also have the technical expertise to guide you through pilot testing, deployment, and ongoing support.
For example, the success of Advance’s soft skills training program is partly due to their amazing ISV partner—wonderr—who supported implementation, monitoring and data analysis, and continuous optimization.
Not sure which developer is right for you? Browse our XR directory for carefully vetted options.
3. Prepare Participants for the Training
Preparing participants for the training helps ensure that they make the most of the experience. When employees understand what to expect, what the goal of the training is, and how it benefits them, they’re more likely to engage fully and focus their attention where it’s needed most.
How exactly can you do this? Here are three things to consider:
- Communicate the Benefits: Explain the purpose of VR soft skills training and how it will improve their key skills, helping with their daily work and career growth.
- Introduce the Technology: Give a basic overview of the VR equipment and how it works. Offer a demonstration or hands-on practice session so participants can get comfortable with the VR headset and controllers, easing any initial concerns.
- Offer a Preview: Show what to expect during the training sessions, including the scenarios they’ll encounter and how they’ll interact with the VR environment. This mental preparation helps them feel even more at ease.
4. Start With a Pilot Program
A pilot program lets you test VR soft skills training on a smaller scale before implementing it company-wide.
This approach helps you:
- Identify and address any issues before a broader rollout
- Assess the effectiveness of the training to get organizational buy-in
Start by selecting a small, diverse group of employees from various departments and roles. This will give you a well-rounded view of how the training might work across the organization. Then, run through the program from start to finish, monitor their progress, and offer support as needed.
During and after the program, focus on these data points:
- Feedback: How do trainees and trainers feel about the program?
- Outcomes: How does trainee performance in the target skills compare pre- and post-training?
- Efficiency: How many trainees completed the program? How long did it take to complete?
After the pilot, review the results and make any necessary adjustments—whether that’s updating scenarios, changing content, improving the user interface, or adding support materials—before launching the training company-wide.
5. Track Training Outcomes
VR soft skills training isn’t a “set it and forget it” process. You need to monitor progress and be ready to adjust as needed.
First, monitor engagement metrics (especially content usage)—how long employees are using the training apps. If users spend more time with the apps, it usually means they’re engaged and find the content valuable. Declining usage might indicate that something isn’t working and needs attention.
ArborXR analytics directly shows you data on usage times for specific VR training apps.
However, if you’re using video content, you can access it from ArborXR home (as long as you’re using our native video playback feature).
Another good idea is to work with your ISV to create assessments that test the skills being trained (within the training module). You can evaluate progress at the training’s start, middle, and end to measure improvement over time.
And finally, collect input from participants and their supervisors about how the VR training impacts their real-world performance. Find out if the skills learned in VR are being applied effectively and if there have been noticeable improvements in job performance or team dynamics.
Elevate Your Soft Skills Training With ArborXR
VR has revolutionized soft skills training in organizations by letting employees practice interpersonal skills in realistic, immersive scenarios within a safe environment.
To launch a successful soft skills training program, you need a robust XR MDM to manage your devices and content. That’s where ArborXR comes in. We help you control your headsets, install and update content, and manage experiences across all your VR devices from a single remote dashboard.Ready for next-level soft skill training? Sign up for a free trial now.
