With a simple helmet on your eyes, become a salesperson in seconds. Franprix, Decathlon, Total or even SNCF… Many companies are turning to immersive training for their employees. The Pitchboy company, which specializes in the development of these offers, currently supports around forty clients.
Virtually immersed in a completely redesigned store, the future Franprix employee can navigate between the fruit and vegetable aisles, put packets of madeleines on the shelves and even chat with a fictitious customer. According to Warren Coopman, manager at Pitchboy, this technology offers a real advantage over face-to-face training. “With a trainer, there is time to do one or two role plays. With a virtual reality headset, this training room is available anytime, anytime. »
To accentuate this immersion, Pitchboy has even added artificial intelligence. “It’s like a flight simulator, but we’ve adapted it to the business world. We can talk, the machine understands what is said, and gives appropriate answers,” adds Warren Coopman. In a bank, for example, the employee can learn how to sell an online payment system to a demanding customer.
Training in management, safety, or even education, everything becomes possible. At the end of the exercise, a personalized skills assessment is presented. On the side of client companies, a new step has been taken. Jonathan Goldfarb, Director of Recruitment and Training at Franprix, highlights this development. “It’s not innovation for innovation’s sake, we’re trying to improve the daily lives of employees. The mixture of these technologies will allow many advances. »
Also useful for employment
In addition to being used for training, these latest technologies are also used to discover jobs. At the Rosny-sous-Bois shopping center (Seine-Saint-Denis), the high-tech Yookan space allows you to test several professions thanks to virtual reality. Installed since November 2021, in collaboration with Pôle emploi, this free space is entirely devoted to professional integration. Since May 18, six new job simulations have been added. Plumbing, mechanics, construction and even chicken cutting, immersion allows you to exercise your skills.
With more than 17,500 recorded visits, Bruno Bastet, deputy director of Yookan, insists on the relevance of the project. “These are essential tools to interest young people, introduce them to professions and give a more precise idea of their practices. Sabrina, 15, came to test the simulation on construction sites. “It’s very realistic, much more than you think, you’re really in the shoes of the employee. Jordan, mediator at the centre, emphasizes his interest in helping people in difficulty.
“A woman with refugee status came to test and discover trades. Even though she didn’t speak French very well, she was able to understand right away how to practice thanks to the headphones. We were then able to accompany and guide him. But Pitchboy’s ambitions go further. The company is already considering developing augmented reality for its immersive training. No more need for a headset: with a simple phone and an application, it will be possible to make a customer appear virtually in his office or in a Franprix department to start the conversation. The opportunity to train, alone, at any time.