Here’s a fact – over the past few years, we have seen more changes in the way industries operate compared to the last couple of decades. The Covid-19 pandemic has sped up the process of digitalization immensely which in turn has opened new and exciting horizons for businesses to explore.
If you’re on the Internet, chances are you have probably stumbled across the latest one – the metaverse. In our previous article, we covered its impact on the future development of key industries. But it doesn’t end there – the metaverse is an all-encompassing opportunity that will transform all aspects of an organization. On the one hand, we will witness product/service transformation and customer experience (CX) optimization, while on the other, work itself will become an entirely new experience.
In reality, remote work – a largely unexplored territory before pandemic, is already here to stay. According to a McKinsey & Company survey, 87% of employees would choose hybrid work if given the option. Meanwhile, Gartner analysis predicts a percentage increase of employees taking part in a 3D virtual work environment from 1% in 2022 to 10% in 2025.
So far, it looks like the metaverse is the next big leap. But what exactly are the benefits of embracing remote work in the context of this cutting-edge technology? Here are 7 things to look forward to.
1. Emulating real-life interaction
It is a no-brainer that Zoom meetings are far from being as close and personal as in-person communication. Even worse, many consider them a tedious experience. In the metaverse, however, this won’t be a concern. Enabling technology could run the gamut of audio as well as 3D space by providing virtual rooms with new possibilities for arrangement. Furthermore, virtual employee avatars will be able to pop in and out in real time and interact with each other, essentially fostering the feeling of physical proximity and closeness.
2. Facilitating collaboration
Co-presence is well known to positively influence on communication and collaboration. Gartner research shows that 75% of workers report higher innovation in companies that are intentional about establishing a collaborative environment. The metaverse is a great way to ensure that employees feel comfortable to express their unique ideas during brainstorming sessions. Furthermore, those collaborative interactions will generate a workforce that are distributed and diverse.
3. Increasing connection
The downside of remote work is the lack of socialization and connection that employees are typically experiencing at the workplace. A 3D environment with multi-sensory interactions could bring back the social connectedness. Virtual happy hours and team buildings can even further the development of trusted work relationships since they have the potential to connect people from different locations and positions.
4. Optimizing training and learning
The metaverse will undoubtedly revolutionize onboarding, training, upskilling, and learning new skills by dramatically decreasing the time spent on such activities. It seems that employees are also stoked about this – Morning Consult survey shows that 2/3 of tech workers are open to the possibility of using AI and virtual technologies for professional development.
Specifically, a combination between AI and human workers will take place, where AI-powered digital coaches will provide assistance. Moreover, every training or learning tool in the metaverse will be interactive, offering 3D displays and “how to” manuals. Exercises and gameplay will also be easier to execute with the help of VR, AR, and mixed reality.
5. Improving individual work
Alongside collaboration, the metaverse will also revamp individual tasks. Working from a sunny beach, a cozy cabin in the woods or anywhere else where workers feel most inspired and productive will be entirely within the realm of possibilities. Meanwhile, the virtual office space will be as true to real life as possible with the option for personalization.
6. Establishing a global marketplace
Within the metaverse, information about workers’ background, skills, accomplishments, and interests will be openly available with their permission. Employee shortages could be avoided as companies could make use the of the virtual space by submitting tenders for projects to different communities of targeted creators. Overall, talent acquisition and recruitment will flourish in the virtual world as a two-way practice.
7. Creating new work opportunities
Lastly but crucially, in the metaverse we will be increasingly joined by virtual colleagues – highly realistic, AI bots that will eventually take over the most routine and technical tasks. This will free up time for human employees to focus on productive and innovative tasks with more added value.
Although the metaverse is yet to be fully realized, we at Pontica already explore the potential of remote work and diversity while focusing on adding value to our partners’ business processes. We have built expert teams from 30+ nationalities, fluent in 20+ languages who are dedicated to delivering high-quality BPO and ITO solutions. Be sure to check our services and contact us so we can grow together into the future!
