Why are employees skeptical about the metaverse workplace?

Even though it's still in its infancy, the virtual world, best known as the metaverse, continues to be one of the most searched terms on Google. In fact, when Facebook changed its name to Meta in late 2021, searches for the term "metaverse" on Google soared by over 900 percent. Many companies worldwide are jumping at the chance to use this emerging technology and turn their business into a metaverse workplace. Experts have also predicted that the metaverse's market size will grow to $5 trillion by 2030.

What is a metaverse workplace?

A metaverse workplace is a workspace that uses virtual reality technology and creates office spaces in virtual environments. For example, offices or meeting rooms that appear in a virtual world. To access this world, employees need to use a headset and attend meetings through them, similar to how we currently use our laptops for virtual meetings. Besides collaborating with their co-workers, the metaverse allows employees to experience different environments, which could make onboarding training and upskilling courses more immersive and exciting.

How can a metaverse workplace affect employees?

One of the positive aspects of working in the metaverse is the flexibility offered. Instead of working out of a traditional office, employees can work virtually anywhere and collaborate with their coworkers worldwide. Below, we highlight some of the benefits and disadvantages of a metaverse workplace.

Pros and cons of a metaverse workplace

However, as with any new technology, the metaverse has its challenges. For starters, privacy and surveillance issues are of particular concern for employees. From a cybersecurity standpoint, password management and the use of different apps simultaneously signify multiple vulnerabilities. In a study by ExpressVPN, the average internet user spends nearly four minutes trying to reset forgotten passwords. Seeing as passwords are the first line of defense in protecting an account, this figure is worrying. Companies need to use password managers to store and create stronger employee passwords to counter this.

Besides security measures, employers will also have to think of setting up training and other resources to educate employees and help them get used to working in the metaverse. In addition, mental health concerns have also been brought up, especially when working remotely removes boundaries for employees wanting to separate work and their personal lives.

The metaverse also removes the need for a physical office space. This could help reduce operational costs for companies in the long run. Plus, working in the metaverse allows companies to hire outside of the countries they're based in, giving potential employees more work opportunities.

Examples of metaverse workplaces

To integrate the metaverse in traditional workplaces, companies must strike a balance and gradually introduce virtual elements. We look at some of the companies worldwide that have successfully integrated the metaverse into their workspaces.

Kawasaki Motors

In 2016, Microsoft launched HoloLens, augmented reality glasses that allow users to interact with visual cues to perform tasks. Motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki also partnered with Microsoft to allow its factory workers to use HoloLens while working on fixing and maintaining motorcycles.

NVIDIA

Global GPU manufacturer NVIDIA created Omniverse, a virtual reality world that facilitates 3D creations. Many other companies, including Adobe, Amazon, and PepsiCo, have used the Omniverse to create digital assets for marketing and virtual environments for consumers.

Accenture

In April 2022, consultancy firm Accenture announced that it had invested in Strivr, a virtual reality-based provider that creates immersive learning and training experiences. Through Strivr, Accenture hopes to create exciting onboarding and upskilling plans for future and current employees.

Should employees be worried about a metaverse workplace?

While the idea of working in the metaverse is inspiring, it's worth noting that issues must be addressed should companies adopt an entirely metaverse-forward workspace. Regulatory frameworks for privacy and security, training, and other sorts of arrangements should be in place to ensure that minimum disruption prevents employees from wanting to adopt working in the metaverse.

(Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)