Recent studies have revealed that 59 percent of hiring managers and 89 percent of the executive suite complain about difficulties recruiting talent who have the necessary soft skills to be successful in their roles. “Soft skills” is a particularly large umbrella, but the skills most are looking for include teamwork, communication, and leadership. Unfortunately, these skills are difficult to teach, and as the pandemic has pushed people out of their offices and into remote work environments, access to in-person classroom training has become limited. Some experts feel that virtual reality (VR), a promising technology, can help bridge the soft skills gap during the pandemic and beyond. “The future of VR is being immersed into an environment blending physical and digital worlds, where users interact via a headset, their computer, or their mobile device to role play with an avatar or learn a new skill,” says Christopher Dede, a Harvard School of Education professor whose work focuses on the applications of VR for education. VR simulations can provide low-pressure environments to practice high-stakes conversations, can help users develop their presentation and communications skills, and help managers train to have more effective employee evaluations—particularly if those evaluations include uncomfortable discussions.