The pandemic forced us to work from home, but made us realize that remote work is not only possible but viable and more efficient. The workforce is now aware of the flexibility and autonomy remote work offers.
On a personal note, after working remotely, I don’t want to get stuck in rush hour traffic and spend extra time dressing up anymore. And I am not alone, on average, 60% of women and 49% of men do not want to return to the office, despite the ‘back to office’ push from employers.
However, along with the many benefits of remote working, there are some downsides to remote work as well. Communication and collaboration are some of the biggest challenges companies face with remote teams. Now, in this article, we will understand how The metaverse can eliminate these challenges of remote working and whether it can change the future of how we work.
Well, You must have heard of VR or virtual reality in the gaming world, where people play in a 3D world mimicking real-life experiences by adopting a digital avatar. Similarly, the Metaverse is the virtual reality space where people can connect and collaborate in a corporate environment in the future.
Experts theorize Metaverse is the new evolution of the internet, as it has the potential to change the way we work forever. You need a VR headset to access the software to have an immersive experience. The headsets are now becoming more accessible and affordable, and they might soon become part of your office equipment.
“In simplest terms, the metaverse is the internet, but in 3D.”- Ed Greigg-Deloitte
Let’s check out How The Metaverse will change the future of remote working. And how is it different from zoom, slack or any other virtual work platform?
How The Metaverse will Change the Future of Remote Working?
Enhanced creativity
Imagine being with your colleagues in a stimulating environment through 3D mind-mapping, where you can create designs with your imagination. What a cool way to boost your creativity, right?
The mind gets stimulated according to its environment. Online video conferencing and messaging tools are adequate for connecting, but research suggests they disrupt the creative flow and innovative thoughts. I’m quite sure you must have experienced a lack of creativity at some point while working virtually.
Organizations can invest in creating innovative and fun work environments in VR. They can also imitate their office layout and conference room structure for a better stimulus of creativity and the generation of ideas.
Virtual retreats to avoid burnout
Remote work has blurred the boundaries between work and professional life. There are no water cooler chats and professional bonds to keep you livened. Employees report burnout and exhaustion while working from home, it’s like they are working 24/7.
In order to rejuvenate the employees, companies can organize virtual retreats and wellness programs. Although it might not be as beneficial as actual human connection, it has two benefits. First, employees can have some time off and engage in interactive fun activities. Second, the cost to an organization is much less than conducting onsite programs. Employees can have coffee or lunch breaks in VR and wellness sessions such as meditation and yoga classes. Its a great way to foster virtual team building.
Another factor that comes into play is, signing off from your virtual office or as a virtual avatar will give you the same satisfaction as walking out of your office at the end of a day.
Better collaboration
Remote work causes isolation and loneliness in employees. Virtual reality can give a psychological feeling of togetherness and engagement through its immersive technology.
Though we already have video calls to connect and collaborate, and they do foster communication, there's still a physical barrier to it.
VR bridges the gap between real connection and virtual connection. It gives the employees the same mental benefits as real connections. As a result, workers feel more engaged and focused. Employees can work on tasks and assignments and share their feedback and suggestions in real-time. This experience helps them to stay motivated and creates a sense of togetherness.
Outsourcing repetitive tasks
The most exciting benefit of the Metaverse is that you can assign tedious tasks to AI-powered bots within the metaverse. These ‘digital assistants’ are there to help you with your most dull and repetitive tasks so that you can focus on more valuable and relevant jobs. AI’s can automate tasks and interpret patterns and can work objectively.
Create a fun and engaging work environment
Around 80% of the young generation loves to play video games. Based on these statistics, companies can ‘gamify’ their learning, training, and communication process. Scientific studies also suggest that people respond better to visual guidance than verbal instructions.
In the Metaverse, there is scope to define work practices and procedures. It also enables the traditional idea of ‘learning by experience.’ Engagement and focus are enhanced, as in video games.
3D explanations with guided details enable effective training programs. They also foster better onboarding instructions. AI-powered bots can also guide and encourage employees whenever needed. Companies can also experiment with eclectic real-life situations like presentations, security threats, client meetings, etc. It is indeed a fun and fascinating way to engage remote employees.
Metaverse-centric job roles and companies
With time, job roles and company structure change, new job roles get devised, and new startups emerge as per the demand. Online marketing gave rise to e-commerce websites, and they are a massive success now. Similarly, the advancement of Metaverse has the potential to create new job roles and new enterprises that cater to provide VR-related services to organizations.
Conclusion
The world is evolving at a faster rate than ever before. Metaverse is undoubtedly one of the most powerful technologies to change the course of corporate work. It is a personalized, interactive, 3D experience that can overcome the challenges of working from home. However, it might take a few years before we can realize ‘how remote working will change with the Metaverse.’ Till then, let's hope it turns out to be the ‘one solution’ that can help us to work without giving up on the flexibility and independence of virtual work. After all, remote work is the future of working.
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