Firing workers in Virtual Reality

Published: Feb. 13, 2020, 9:13 a.m.

Virtual Reality is finding a surprising new application - training managers how to handle delicate situations such as dismissing employees or giving presentations. Manuela Saragosa looks at how the technology is being used to play out scenarios such as consoling a sobbing staff member, or responding to a heckler in the audience, all while in the safe space of VR. Plus producer Josh Thorpe tries out Microsoft's latest augmented reality headset, the HoloLens 2. The programme features interviews with Marianne Schmid Mast, professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Lausanne; Alexis Vartanian, chief technical officer at French VR company TechViz; and Microsoft director of communications Greg Sullivan. Producer: Josh Thorpe (Picture: Man wearing virtual reality headset; Credit: xubingruo/Getty Images)