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‘Virtual reality recruitment’ tested in Italy

Thomas Wellburn
June 22, 2016

A top European recruiter has launched the worlds first virtual reality recruitment platform, enabling employees and prospective clients to conduct video interviews in full VR.

The service has been implemented by Metiocracy, a European platform that optimises the recruiting process. The company has partnered with Samsung Italia to offer free Gear VR headsets which will be used to streamline the recruiting process. Currently in beta, it aims to give recruiters a better opportunity of communicating in detail about a new job role and the company itself.

Carlo Barlocco, President of Samsung Italia, says: “VR is destined to become an essential platform for businesses worldwide”.

We’ve already seen VR technology such as this used in increasingly quirky ways. Only recently, we took a trip to Foxtons in Angel, Islington, where they were the first estate agent to test out a system for virtual property tours. With the advent of a virtual recruiter process, it gives international companies more scope for sniffing out potential employers, as it brings the whole process closer to home. While the traditional face-to-face interview is unlikely to be completely phased out, it’s fair to say that a combination of the two could be applied in the future.

Virtual reality recruitment is the future

We spoke to Keith Rosser, head of screening at UK recruiter REED, who agreed that a mix of the two would likely work best. “Some sectors still require face-to-face interviews due to the specific nature of the industry, and some candidates still prefer to meet their recruiter in person and be interviewed face-to-face so a hybrid model will always have its place”.

Rosser also said that while the company didn’t have anything immediate in the pipeline, they were “always keen to explore new and exciting ways to add benefit to candidates and clients, including the potential of VR in future”.

There’s currently no word on if the service will ever get out of beta, but if it turns out to be a success, we wouldn’t be surprised about seeing it down the local recruiter in the near future.

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