Could Quantifiable Training Be A New Ally For HR Heads

Five years ago, when I joined business school, the decision was unexpected for many and, to be honest, a bit perplexing for me as well. The only career path I envisioned at the end of this journey was becoming a corporate trainer. Fast forward three years, and I was being shown a demo on how people could be trained to improve their public speaking and soft skills using virtual reality. I was impressed, but I also had my fair share of apprehensions, doubts, and questions.

According to statistics, the global corporate training market was valued at $361.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $805.6 billion by 2035. Sources indicate that this growth is driven by the constantly evolving corporate landscape, technological advancements, and shifts in work culture, which create an immense need for workforce upskilling and reskilling.

In Pakistan, the enterprise training sector clearly carries no market leader. It relies heavily on instructor-led classroom training sessions, which entail recurring high costs and expenditures such as travel, venue booking, training materials, printing costs, and so on. Even though the sessions are interactive, estimating the ROI is difficult. This is because the evaluation of these training results is done through forms and questionnaires, which is vulnerable to subjectivity and response bias.

Moreover, Professionals agree that while soft skills are an important denominator of employees’ upward mobility, its training appears to be the most complex form of skill transfer. Despite the overall efforts being made, trainees may fail to implement the knowledge being learned. Consequently, the business goals go unrealized. Although heavy investments are made, decision makers are seldom sure about the expanse to which employees’ performance will improve when they return to work. This is because soft skills and the extent to which they have improved are always difficult to measure in comparison to other technical skills in areas like finance.

Another challenge faced by HR and L&D leaders in organizations is the absence of sufficient data and analytics. Although trainings are regularly conducted to enhance the workforce's skills, the lack of training outcomes hampers the ability to make informed business decisions based on these initiatives. Consequently, optimizing business outcomes remains a distant goal.

Could Orbit-Ed be a viable solution, and how does it work in practice?

Suppose the Sales manager in an organization believes that the sales team is falling short of achieving their targets due to their ineffective communication when pitching ideas to potential clients. Therefore, they require training to enhance their communication skills.

Through orbit-ed’s skill enhancement tool, individuals can immerse themselves in lifelike scenarios where an AI-powered avatar acts as a potential client sitting across from them. This allows the sales team to practice their pitches in a safe virtual environment, preparing them for real-world interactions. This approach not only sounds intriguing but also offers the advantage of repetitive learning and instant feedback on performance.

Going back to my own experience, you might wonder about the concerns I initially had when using such technology. My main worry was whether it would entirely remove the human element, and whether objective training solutions are truly effective given the diverse ways people learn and behave.

Having worked on such a training product for two years now, I can confidently address both questions. First, no, the human appeal is not removed. The scenarios, interactions, and conversations are lifelike and can seamlessly integrate into traditional training methods you use for your organization, much like how e-learning has complemented physical classrooms in blended learning solutions.

Secondly, while this training approach is grounded in respected behavioral science research, it allows for significant customization to align with an organization's unique behaviors and culture. This personalization ensures that the training solution is not only effective but also tailored to maximize its impact.

Significant strides have been made in the soft skills training industry in the North American and European markets, with groundwork also underway in Pakistan. We have successfully scaled seeing within PepsiCo Pakistan, aimed at enhancing communication skills within their sales force.

In conclusion, quantifiable training is gaining momentum globally, with diverse applications across various markets and industries, including Pakistan, where it is proving beneficial and constructive for the local workforce.