After meeting with the internal GE project team, a committee comprised of members of the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program and senior executives from Human Resources and Marketing, Involve set out to build the most technologically pioneering, media-rich environment ever created on the Second Life platform. Our goal was to present the strengths and attraction of GE, a company whose history of invention dates back to Edison’s first light bulbs, movie projectors and x-ray machines, within in a virtual world imbued with that same innovative spirit.

The potential candidate starts his or her exploration of virtual GE not at the standard Second Life download page, but rather at the GE careers web site, where by means of Involve’s proprietary iJoin Reg API services, the candidate can join Second Life, pick an avatar, and begin his or her virtual exploration on GE’s own virtual land. This bypasses the standard entry points and confusing orientation areas and assures that the candidates will never get lost along the way.

Upon arrival in Virtual GE, the candidate enters the Welcome pavilion for an orientation experience that lets them customize the avatar to look like him or herself and teaches the fundamentals of navigating thru the virtual world platform. From there, candidates walk through an innovative interactive time line, involving a series of connected diorama style environments each outlining historic highlights of the specific business units. Rather then present a static, didactic experience, Involve brings the exhibits to life via our ground-breaking Mutable Spaces holo-rezzer technology and clever use of video. Each diorama includes video footage pertaining to the business unit, as well as a pedestal control unit that allows the user via a touch screen menu to change the room setting to reflect the look and product innovations of several specific time periods.

Additionally, candidates can interact with items in the rooms. For instance, if you turn the crank in Edison’s workshop, the early version light bulb lights up. This sort of interactivity deepens the connection between the guest and the experience,
and their potential employer.

Immediately following the timeline walk-thru is the “Ecomagination” area, showcasing GE’s commitment to the environment. Here the candidate is met with more innovation from GE both in terms of material presented and method in which it is presented. Entering what appears to be a small room, the candidate is met with a pedestal similar to the one in the history walk-thru only in the form of a large map, as well as the image of Rob Whittaker of the Ecomagination team who appears to be standing in the room introducing GE’s Ecomagination iniatives.

This effect is accomplished through another Involve innovation, the Video Avatar (see below). Once the video avatar is finished introducing the Ecomagination program, the candidates can, via the map pedestal before them, use mutable spaces technology to travel to locations as widely divergent as a railroad engine plant in Erie, Pennsylvania and a wind farm in Arklow, Ireland. Each immersive environment fills the entire room and becomes a fully contained, fully immersive environment complete with 3D set pieces such as a railroad engine and a working wind turbine, and is accompanied by video detailing the project and accomplishments in each area.

Upon exiting the Ecomagination pavilion the candidate can, via either a sky bridge or teleportation map, access the five business unit pavilions. Each pavilion consists of a showcase area, featuring an unprecedented use of audio and video consisting of unit-specific podcasts, commercials, slide shows, PowerPoint presentations, interactive exhibits, games and videos, intermingled with various seating areas so candidates can mix and mingle with other candidates and with members of the ECLP program who are assigned to the project. Also included is a live presentation area, which affords GE senior executives the ability to enter the virtual world in avatar form and give live presentations to the candidates.

The highlight of each Pavilion is a walkthrough of ECLP “offices” in each business unit and around the world. The candidates come face-to-face with Video Avatars of people currently in the program, who tell their stories and share the experiences and strengths that they have gained along the way. To create the video avatars, we worked with GE to film dozens of people in the program and then integrated them into the setting so that they are “virtually” in the same room with the candidate. This wholly immersive experience provides the candidate with a complete and detailed picture of the benefits of working in the ECLP program.

For those who qualify, the next step is a special mode of transport known as the “Shuttle To Your Future.” Selected candidates travel in a specially built transport resembling an Ecomagination engine to an invitation-only area 500 meters above the sim, consisting of individual offices for one-on-one interviews
Business Challenge

For more images of the GE Recruiting Center, visit our Portfolio...