The Metaverse is a hot topic in Human Resources nowadays. Many are wondering out loud about what kind of impact this new world will have on the future of work. For those who may not know, the Metaverse refers to a virtual world in which humans can create avatars to interact with others and join them in homes, offices, stores, and other places that closely replicate the real world.
Businesses and people have toyed with the Metaverse in the past. Some may remember Second Life and just about anyone with a 12-year-old child knows of Roblox. In the Metaverse, the latest iteration of these virtual worlds, people can use virtual reality headsets to make the place seem all the more real. Yet, the Metaverse can be fantastical because employees could feasibly attend their weekly meeting as a dragon, a Star Wars character, or anything else you could imagine. Certainly, talking budget will never be as much of a bore again!
Recently, HR Exchange Network asked Human Resources and business leaders to share their expectations for the Metaverse by posing the question on Terkel.io. Discover the responses and consider the Metaverse's potential in an increasingly hybrid workforce:
Collaboration for Remote Workers
"With this technology, we expect the workplace to change drastically. The Metaverse could provide a space for remote teams to virtually collaborate, enabling them to communicate and work together as if they were in the same physical space. This would allow for more efficient communication between remote teams, leading to increased productivity...The Metaverse provides a great opportunity to improve the workplace by enabling remote teams to collaborate in a shared digital space, as well as by providing businesses with a more engaging and personalized customer experience." -Brenton Thomas, CEO, Twibi Digital Marketing Agency
Removes Distance
"With Metaverse, employees can now connect with one another as if they're physically present. Instead of only seeing your colleagues and team leaders on the phone or computer screen, you can now view them in person, as if you were standing next to them.
You will no longer postpone work meetings and other job-related social gatherings. This is because distance will no longer be an acceptable excuse, as you can simply attend any event anywhere in the world with no need for your physical presence." -Allan Stolc, Founder, Bankly.dk
Helps Workers Improve Communication
"Metaverse is surely on its way to disrupting the remote working industry and building better and more convenient resources for remote workers to interact with their global colleagues easily.
Our company adopted Oculus VR, and it thrilled us to learn the capabilities it had by connecting the team through virtual and augmented reality. By using Oculus VR, we realized Metaverse will surely bring an amazing transition from the current boring Zoom virtual meetings that remote companies use to communicate. Here, many of the team members would get to interact through their meta-avatars and could build their offices and workspaces solely on these Metaverse platforms like Decentraland.
Initially, accessibility might become an issue for Millennials, [Generation X], and Baby Boomer Meta users. One advancement that Metaverse will bring to our workspace is smooth collaboration and removing barriers to communication while working remotely." -Walter Lappert, CEO, Triad Drones
READ: The Fragility of Informal Interactions with Hybrid Work
Replicates the Real World
"Working from home or in various workplaces, employees of the same company are more distant from one another. We've all come to understand that co-presence, or having someone feel like they're in the same room with you, has several advantages for team culture, morale, communication, and other factors.
The social connections we are accustomed to in real-world gatherings and events could be replicated in new metaverse experiences. Enabling technology may include anything from intense 3D virtual reality experiences to new ways to arrange attendees at huge meetings on a 2D screen. Spatial audio may help place people in a virtual room. -Brian Clark, Founder, United Medical Education
Serves as a Road to Diversity
"The Metaverse will elevate how our teams meet and work by creating virtual environments in which team members can interact and collaborate in real time. This ability can make work arrangements more flexible and decentralized so that geographical location and time are no longer barriers to productivity.
It will allow my business to simplify hiring outside the United States and have a more diversified workforce. This diversity will give my business valuable insights we can apply to running a better business and serving our clients better." -Peter Hoopis, Owner and CEO, Peter Hoopis
Streamlining Hiring
"We expect the Metaverse to streamline our hiring and partnership initiatives. Our business is in the crypto niche, and the Metaverse lets us connect with people who are passionate about the same things we are.
We're already using it to build relationships with potential partners and employees. Essentially, the Metaverse gives us a way to collect first-party data on people who might be a good fit for our brand. The best part is that it all takes place organically, which makes the connections more genuine and increases the chances that they'll come on board." -Jonathan Merry, Co-Founder and CEO, CryptoMonday
Innovative Training and Team-Building
"The Metaverse has the potential to have a wide-ranging influence on enterprises. Companies, for example, might build up virtual stores or exhibit spaces in the Metaverse, allowing people to purchase or learn about items in a virtual environment. Businesses could utilize the Metaverse to hold virtual events or conferences, allowing participants from all over the world to participate.
Companies also use the Metaverse for training or team-building exercises because it provides a unique and immersive setting. Overall, the Metaverse has the potential to transform the way we do business by offering a new platform for communication, cooperation, and trade." -David Reid, Sales Director, VEM Tooling
Brings People Together
"Personally, my prediction is that the Metaverse will provide a new platform for workplace collaboration, especially for remote offices. It will bring an immersive experience for remote employees to interact with each other to foster a sense of community and inclusivity.
It opens up an opportunity for employers to create new and exciting ways to connect with their employees and customers. Because of this, I think the Metaverse will be a huge part of the future of workplaces." -Garrett Smith, Head of Local SEO, GMB Gorilla
The New Office
"We can use Metaverse to virtualize our office and operate meetings with avatars, and integrate AR and VR technologies. Metaverse makes the virtual office concept real.
You won’t have to physically go to the office. Metaverse technology will let you send your avatar online for the office meeting. It's a revolution and a little scary for the reluctant people. Using Metaverse in the workplace is a big step because time and location constraints can't be barriers in office meetings and joining offices online.
Augmented reality and virtual reality help to make it possible. Many big offices have already thought about bringing Metaverse into their workplace and virtualizing office meetings, and it could be a significant move as the beginning of a new digital world." -Yogesh Kumar, Digital Marketing Manager, Technource