Offering Immersive Learning Experiences
You’ve put in the effort to hire the best talent in your organization. Now what? You need to retain them! This journey begins by creating an exciting and immersive onboarding experience. The "aha" moment as your new joiners observe and create impressions about the organization.
The result of a survey conducted by BambooHR revealed that 31% of new joiners quit their jobs within the first 6 months. 15% of the people amongst them claimed the lack of a robust onboarding experience.
As much as talent acquisition plays a vital role in finding the right fit, a strong onboarding process is equally imperative in order to retain them. A well-crafted onboarding program familiarizes employees with the performance and cultural aspects of the organization. It allows them to feel at home. This experience goes a long way in securing loyalty from new employees. When employees feel that they have been cared for, there is a decrease in attrition. A survey conducted by Onboard revealed that a strong onboarding program increases employee performance by 11.5% and retaining new hires is 50% higher than what it would be without a structured onboarding process.
A key element in an onboarding program is that it should facilitate engagement. The experience should create an "aha" moment. If they enjoy the first impressions in the program, it is likely they will be inspired to look forward to their job roles. Simulations are an excellent and progressive way to make onboarding programs engaging and interactive. Here are 3 reasons why simulations are a progressive leap in the traditional onboarding drill.
1. Experiences Are Immersive
A Microsoft study revealed the human attention span has reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in a decade due to digital technology. Hence, it is all the more imperative to hook learners through immersive learning experiences as opposed to traditional page-turning modules. If you want to attract and retain their attention, then you need to create a "wow" factor. It gives them an opportunity to experience the company culture and diverse learning methodologies. The more your employees invest their attention in the experience, the more they retain the knowledge they’ve gained.
2. Virtual Networking
Organizations that have a global presence can create virtual platforms for people to sneak into their global offices and connect with a diverse workforce. It boosts collaboration and networking capabilities right at the outset. This proves to be a meaningful investment as opposed to high monetary investments in travel and logistics to get everyone at a single location. It gives them insights into cross-cultural associations.
3. Progressive Learning
Introducing simulation-based experiences is a progressive step in meeting the learning needs of employees. As we evolve in the digital space, our learning experiences also need an overhaul. While certain program methodologies might require traditional methods, a blended approach to learning brings about a breath of fresh air. A blend of classroom learning and simulations can provide employees with a mix of teaching and hands-on experience. It builds the organization’s market reputation as a learning catalyst, offering diverse learning methodologies.
Although simulations may feel like an appropriate way to create immersive onboarding experiences, there are a few things that need to be tackled at the outset:
- The concept of simulations might be novel to a lot of learners. New joiners may be used to traditional methods of learning. It is important to set expectations with them about what they are about to experience. Plan innovative methods to create excitement and forward-looking momentum.
- Design your simulations to be reasonably challenging. Allow learners to struggle and explore through the experience. This will develop business competencies for optimum performance at work.
- The purpose of simulation-based learning is accessibility/anytime learning. Design your programs in such a way that learners are able to access them offline, too. This will allow them to experience anytime learning.
Simulations create experiences. Experiences that learners can immerse themselves into and build competencies in the bargain through meaningful challenges. An innovative and engaging onboarding program creates positive impressions about the culture of the organization. What else could be your first touchpoint to build your organization’s brand other than your people? Give them a worthwhile experience and they will build your brand in return.
