Recruiters, Trainers Find New Uses for Virtual Reality

When recruiting leaders at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were looking to send a message to job candidates that the company was progressive and technology-savvy, they turned to virtual reality (VR). PwC's talent identification leader, Carly Williams, said the company began deploying VR headsets at campus career fairs in 2017 to "show" rather than "tell" students about the PwC culture, give virtual tours of company offices and deliver immersive day-in-the-life experiences. PwC's recruiting teams now use three to five VR headsets at each of the universities where the company recruits, Williams said. "It allows them to feel like they're sitting in one of our meetings, interacting with our employees in the break room or seeing our diversity and inclusion initiatives in action." About 80 percent of students who have one VR experience immediately ask for another, Williams said.