In our blog series so far we’ve looked at what the metaverse is (and what it isn’t), the potential for consumers, and what it could mean for brands. This week we’re taking a deep dive into what employers should be considering in the brave new world. Francesca Zanisi, Chief People Officer, looks at how the metaverse could change the world of work forever.
It’s one thing to look ahead at what the metaverse will mean for consumers and the brands they love, as well as cutting through the attendant hype that comes with practically any metaversal announcement. In this blog though, we’re going to look at one of the fundamental questions behind the metaverse – what will it mean for those of us who work in it, both employers and employees?
Mark Zuckerberg has already predicted that “Working together will be one of the main ways people use the metaverse.” Generally, at Webhelp, we see an incredible opportunity for companies to create brand new engagement for their people through new experiences in how they work, as well as once-in-a-generation opportunities to redefine their company’s profile and brand image.
So let’s take a look at what that means. There are four key areas I want to look at in this blog: recruiting, training, collaboration and engagement.
What will it mean for recruitment?
Employers have to ask themselves, what’s the gain beyond the novelty factor and the fame they may get from being early adopters? How could the metaverse actually improve the way they already recruit in the real world? After all, in a post-pandemic world that has already embraced hybrid working, how different could it really be?
Some employers are already choosing to recruit in the metaverse and enjoying the attendant publicity. Brands like Carrefour and LG have already trialled metaversal career fairs, and Hyundai Mobis is using the metaverse to introduce and train new employees.
Recruiting in the metaverse like this might work well for companies who are looking to make skilled hires in the technology sector: a natural fit between industry and would-be employees. For example, PwC uses a metaverse platform called Virtual Park to recruit and interview job candidates and estimates it has used the platform to welcome over 17,000 students.
Equally, some people are more comfortable with meeting people in the metaverse as their avatar-self, than they are on camera via Zoom on their laptop. There is also evidence that it could lead to great diversity in hiring, by making the recruitment process both more color-blind and more accessible to people regardless of location.
Blockchain could also revolutionize the way companies select candidates. If candidates are uploading their CVs to a blockchain, then there will be a complete history of where they have worked and for whom. It means companies hiring can see historically-verified references and be certain of the skills and experience of everyone they interview.
Training your people in the metaverse
If we look at the potential of the metaverse as offering, one day, a virtual continuation of the real world rather than single discrete experiences (as some think it will), imagine what the possibilities for training your people could be.
We’re already seeing some companies placing big bets on the metaverse with just this kind of vision. For example, Accenture recently purchased 60,000 Oculus headsets for training new hires, as part of its move to fill more than 125,000 new roles.
When you consider that it’s estimated that the training industry is worth around $357Bn worldwide, with the average employee experiencing 35 hours of training a year, then it’s no wonder that the digital training market is expected to be worth $35bn in 2025. It’s not restricted to white-collar jobs either: at KFC, new employees head to a virtual training kitchen where they learn how to fry chicken ‘the KFC way’ from none other than The Colonel.
The huge potential of training in the metaverse is its capacity to simulate a variety of real-world environments and conditions quickly and easily. So whether employers are skill-training their people in an airplane cabin, fast food restaurant or at the scene of an emergency, (possibly with the assistance of AI-enabled coaches) they can do this easily, and faster in the metaverse, anywhere in the world.
Collaboration
The question that organizations will have to ask themselves is whether the metaverse is giving them better options than those that currently exist in the post-pandemic 2-D world of Zoom and Teams. When your employees can already gather to talk and collaborate together from anywhere in the world, what can the metaverse offer?
As the metaverse evolves and the technology continues to develop, the metaverse will begin to offer the answers. There is still no substitute for being in the same room as the people you’re swapping ideas with (as anyone knows who has taken part in brainstorming on platforms like Teams).
Social connection should definitely be easier in virtual spaces in real-time where everyone is seeing together. It should also make the collaborative moments happen more quickly and easily, whether it’s those ad hoc conversations or the breakout chats that happen in the margins of collaboration sessions.
For some managers, there may be advantages to working with their teams via their avatars. For example, giving constructive feedback to an avatar in a 1-2-1 may feel less confrontational than doing it in person, both for the giver – and receiver – of that feedback. And there will be opportunities to support employees’ well-being in new ways too – companies like Virti already offer well-being resources like virtual reality guided meditation.
Engagement
The metaverse can – and will – offer an incredible opportunity for employers to recognize the value of their people and what they can do. We think it’s an incredible opportunity for upskilling (and particularly impact hiring), unlocking previously-untapped talent pools for tomorrow.
We’re seeing it for ourselves already at Webhelp. In our work with The Sandbox, we have created metaverse-first CX teams who act as ambassadors to the world for new players (we’re going to look at this in more detail in our next blog).
We find that our teams spend their spare time in the metaverse, creating gaming experiences, competitions and NFT museums because they are so keen to hone their skills and show us (and their fellow employees) what they can do.
In our next blog, we’ll look at how the metaverse will change customer experience offerings, and what it will mean for your CX team. In the meantime, you can talk to us about any aspect of the metaverse by contacting us below.
