9 Ways HR Can Prepare For Work In The Metaverse

Navigating communication and collaboration

 

From researching the tools you’ll use in the Metaverse to avoiding wasting time, here are nine answers to the question, "The world of remote work will get even more virtual with the rise in meta-offices. Give tips for how HR can prepare to work in the metaverse?"
 

Think of the Metaverse as Zoom with extra tools. Instead of a flat image with occasional screen-sharing, you'll be in a three-dimensional space with other people, using tools that often can only exist in augmented reality. Imagine not just having a whiteboard, but being able to build 3D models in real-time with a few hand gestures to illustrate your ideas. 

These models can take up the entire room while your team takes a virtual tour of it and adds their nodes. There are no boundaries to productivity in the Metaverse. So, start researching all the tools you can use in this space, and get familiar with them. Then, train your people to use them, too. You need to make it obvious that using the Metaverse for work will bring extra benefits, beyond Zoom, to acceptance from the team.
 

Dennis Consorte, Digital Marketing and Leadership Consultant for Startups, Snackable Solutions

There is one key tip that stands out: proactively managing remote employees' mental health and well-being. Remote work can be a challenge for both employers and employees, as it often involves changes to workplace culture and communication practices. 

To help build an inclusive, productive, and healthy virtual environment, HR teams should focus on initiatives to provide resources that help remote workers learn better emotional management techniques, such as meditation or mindfulness. Employers can provide free subscriptions for meditation apps or organize virtual social events where participants exchange their coping strategies with each other.

This initiative should go hand in hand with regularly checking in on your remote team members and setting up clear expectations for communication protocols. Encourage team members to maintain regular contact with each other through text, audio, or video calls instead of relying solely on emailing.
 

Travis Lindemoen, Managing Director, nexus IT group

We can add excitement to our workplace by transforming everyday tasks into thrilling challenges and rewarding and recognizing accomplishments, big and small, through gamification. This is the power of gamification, and in the metaverse, you can bring this excitement to your virtual teams. 

Adding game elements to work activities allows you to create a dynamic and engaging work experience that keeps your employees motivated, productive, and connected. You can use gamification to track employees' progress and reward them to achieve their goals. Offering badges and virtual rewards for completing tasks or hitting milestones can inspire a sense of accomplishment and drive employee engagement in the metaverse.
 

Piotrek Sosnowski, Chief People and Culture Officer, natu.care

The world of remote work is rapidly developing with the rise of meta-offices, making it increasingly important for HR leaders and consultants to prepare adequately.

Outline the roles and responsibilities associated with virtual workplaces among team members ahead of time. For example, while many applicants may be familiar with standard video interviewing platforms, HR should implement augmented reality (AR) interviews to get an even better picture of their candidates' skill sets. 

AR interviews would allow hiring managers to see how someone works outside of their comfort zone using 3D virtual models or diagrams, helping them make more informed decisions.
 

Grace He, People and Culture Director, teambuilding.com

As we witness the rise of meta offices, we must acknowledge the unique challenges they pose. For example, security policies that address everything from cybersecurity threats to confidential data need careful consideration when developing guidelines.

Considering this, HR professionals should establish comprehensive privacy policies to protect employees' personal information in a shared virtual workspace. Setting up training programs on how these new systems work will help everyone involved stay informed about company policy changes and system updates.

As an HR professional myself, I firmly believe in embracing experimentation with new technologies and processes, as they are essential in adapting to this new way of working. By encouraging a culture of innovation and experimentation, HR professionals can set an example for others who may feel hesitant about change.
 

Samuel Johns, CPRW and Career Counselor, Resume Genius

One of the biggest advantages of the Metaverse will be the ability to train new and existing employees. Adapting to people's different schedules or finding a place to do the training will make a big difference. I would recommend that companies that rely heavily on in-person training do more virtual training to help with future change management.
 

Tim Hiller, Senior Manager, Surety Systems

HR professionals should take an active approach to understand the virtual space—what works best, how different systems connect, and how to maintain employee involvement—as well as knowing how to recognize and reward employee success in the new setup. 

HR should also know meta offices are more flexible and open-ended than physical offices—meaning they have to be prepared to adjust rules, processes, and policies as needed while treating all employees fairly. 

HR will need to be more agile and adaptive and ready to embrace the opportunities presented by the meta office. Finally, HR should take the lead in helping employees get comfortable working in this new environment—providing guidance and education on how to maximize their potential in it.
 

Darren Shafae, Founder, ResumeBlaze

As a former Learning & Development leader, I know "training" is not the answer for everything. The nuances of the metaverse are going to be learned quickly. I believe the area of opportunity and solution for HR to create successful employees in this space is by sticking to old-school practices of ensuring emotional intelligence and providing a succinct way for people to still communicate effectively. 

Be it through a VR headset or an avatar face that speaks like you, we're still going to need to understand human nature. DISC Assessments that help others understand their style and others will help immensely with self-awareness. Your personality is still going to come through that headset. 

The more aware you are of your fears, motivators, preferred tasks, limitations, or stressors, the more you'll have successful collaborative partnerships in a virtual space. Let's not allow tech to dictate how we behave, but let's use the tech to double down on ensuring human behavior doesn't go awry behind a digital face.
 

Ayanna Jackson, Founder and Career Development Leader, AEJ Consulting

A meta-office is more of a pipe dream than anything that HR leaders need to worry about for the next few decades. The entire thing is still in the same realm as the entire blockchain craze—suddenly everyone was talking about it, and no one knew how it was supposed to work or why it would be beneficial. 

The technology wasn't there yet, the work culture wasn't there yet and, frankly, employees weren't there yet for whom this would be any sort of advantage. Maybe 20 years down the line, we can talk about it, but making preparations for a meta-office now is a waste of time.
 

Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms

Brett Farmiloe is the Founder/CEO and currently the CHRO of Terkel.io. Connect Brett Farmiloe