How the metaverse will change the workplace

We may think we know what it means to work virtually, but the online workplace is evolving into nothing we’ve ever experienced before. 

The metaverse — a collection of virtual reality experiences people can access online — is becoming more than an elusive buzzword. By 2030, it’s anticipated that 5 billion people will interact on the metaverse, according to a report by Citi. For employers, this is an opportunity to rethink how — and where — we work. 

“The metaverse really is an evolution of how we communicate,” says David Whelan, CEO of Engage XR, a metaverse-building platform. “It's a spatial way of communicating where you feel like you're in the same room with somebody — you can bring in PowerPoint presentations, you can write on the blackboards and it's a more engaging environment.” 

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The use of a metaspace at work could mean employees recreate their in-office experience online, as avatars that move around and interact with others in a virtual office space. Employers may also adopt the use of VR headsets during meetings and conferences to give users a completely immersive experience that goes beyond Zoom meetings and Slack channels.

“If we were inside the metaverse today and you were wearing a VR headset, I could walk over and shake your hand,” Whelan says. “If I put my face really close to your face, you'd feel like I'm invading your personal boundary. If somebody is standing behind you it sounds like they're behind you.” 

Since the start of the pandemic, engagement has been a leading concern for employers — 51% of employees are disengaged at work and 13% are actively disengaged, meaning they are feeling miserable at work and feeling negatively about their environment. But many employees still prefer working from home, making the metaverse a perfect environment for blending virtual work with ‘in-person’ interactions. The metaverse allows employees the freedom to engage with their surroundings, their colleagues and their work, all from the comfort of home, Whalen says. 

And pandemic or not, the metaverse — and the evolution of how people engage with their workspaces — was inevitable, according to Whelan. 

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“Even companies that are still in physical offices are starting to use VR for safety training and development,” he says. “Anybody can watch a video and pass a test at the end of orientation. But if you go back six months later and ask an employee those same questions, they are more likely to fail the test. A virtual reality experience can have a 30-40% increase in the retention level of that knowledge.” 

But despite the many benefits, a fully immersive metaverse can also present its own challenges. Employees may get distracted and work longer hours, or they may use the space for the wrong reasons, like to use the resources for games or entertainment. In the next few years, employers will have to strike the right balance between physical and virtual spaces.

“We're seeing a lot of exciting ways that businesses are using it to keep their employees happy and engaged,” Whelan says. “The days of large offices with hundreds of people in them  are very much numbered.”