Embracing The Metaverse: A Revolutionary Shift In Business Operations

Employers are actively seeking out metaverse-specific roles

The hype around all things metaverse has opened new possibilities and opportunities in the realm of business operations, going beyond the confines of major tech companies. A recent survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at the end of 2022 reveals a staggering 46% of employers actively seeking metaverse-specific roles. This finding emphasizes the growing significance of this immersive technology and its potential to revolutionize the way businesses operate. 

Leading corporations such as Bank of America and Nestle have already embraced the transformative power of the metaverse by utilizing virtual reality (VR) to onboard employees and provide training within this digital realm. Through VR technology, these organizations have successfully crafted immersive learning experiences that enhance employee engagement, accelerate knowledge acquisition, and foster collaboration.

 

The Rise of the Metaverse

The metaverse, a collective virtual shared space that merges the physical and digital worlds, is steadily gaining traction in various industries. No longer confined to the realms of science fiction, the metaverse now holds the promise of reshaping business operations as we know them. The PwC survey highlights the fact that almost half of employers are actively seeking talent to tap into this uncharted territory, underscoring the growing awareness of its potential benefits.

Enhancing Employee Onboarding

Employee onboarding is a critical process that sets the tone for an individual's journey within an organization. Traditional onboarding methods often lack the engagement and personalization necessary to create a lasting impact on new hires. The metaverse, with its immersive capabilities, has emerged as an ideal platform to address this issue. 

In Nestle’s case, the onboarding of staff at their Nescafé factory in Girona, northern Spain, was an opportunity to teach safety instructions and procedures without needing the employee physically present to do so. The VR experience was designed to help new employees become aware of potentially dangerous areas on the Nestle campus and avoid potential accidents --- like where forklifts and electric pallet trucks are used.

Through 360-degree images and videos of the company premises, employees gain an understanding of the situation at hand. Using control buttons, they can interact with relevant safety instructions or answer questions about appropriate actions to take. The VR experience covers, among other things, safe routes across the premises that are heavily frequented by trucks, hygiene regulations before entering the production halls, the safety check before and when using an electric pallet truck, as well as traffic rules and signals in the warehouse that guide the many forklifts in operation.

The Power of Immersive Training

Employee training is another area where the metaverse shines. Several pioneering corporations have embraced VR training modules to educate their workforce effectively. For example, Bank of America created realistic and interactive simulations that expose new employees to various client-facing scenarios they might encounter in their roles. Through these simulations, newcomers can gain practical experience and develop their skills in a risk-free environment, thereby reducing the learning curve and accelerating their integration into the company culture.

Traditional training sessions can be time-consuming, expensive, and often fail to captivate the audience fully. However, by incorporating virtual reality, companies can deliver training experiences that are both engaging and highly informative. 

For learners who acquire new information by doing, these immersive experiences leave a lasting impression, making the knowledge more memorable and applicable. Moreover, as VR training can be accessed remotely, it offers flexibility and accessibility to employees in various locations, ensuring a consistent learning experience across the organization.

Fostering Collaboration in Virtual Space

The metaverse's ability to transcend physical boundaries opens new possibilities for collaboration among employees, regardless of their geographical locations. Traditional office settings often require employees to be physically present to engage in brainstorming sessions, team meetings, and collaborative projects. However, in a metaverse-enabled world, these interactions can take place seamlessly in a virtual space.

While something like Horizon Workrooms, the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg’s VR quest, has been widely panned. We have seen several aspects of collaborative virtual spaces when it comes to remote work including Slack, Teams, and shared Google Documents. The leap from what’s already out there to a collaborative VR experience isn’t the drastic leap people want to imagine it is. Companies like Mobius are weaving together VR and AR software solutions that promote a sense of unity and camaraderie among employees who might never meet face-to-face otherwise. The metaverse effectively breaks down barriers and fosters an inclusive work environment where everyone's ideas are valued, and contributions are recognized.

Conclusion

The PwC survey's revelation that 46% of employers are actively seeking metaverse-specific roles signifies the growing impact of this immersive technology on businesses beyond the tech industry. Corporations like Bank of America and Nestle already embraced the transformative potential of the metaverse by leveraging VR technology for employee onboarding, training, and collaboration.

As more companies recognize the benefits of the metaverse, it is evident that this digital realm will become an integral part of the future of work. Embracing the metaverse allows businesses to enhance employee engagement, accelerate knowledge acquisition, and foster collaboration, leading to increased productivity, efficiency, and innovation.

However, as with any technological advancement, challenges may arise in implementing and integrating the metaverse into existing business operations. Privacy and security concerns, access to the required infrastructure, and ensuring a smooth user experience are among the considerations that need to be addressed. Nevertheless, the potential rewards of embracing the metaverse make it a worthwhile endeavor for businesses looking to stay ahead in an ever-evolving and competitive landscape. The metaverse is no longer a futuristic concept but a tangible reality that promises to reshape the business world as we know it.

Dr. Rolf Illenberger is the Founder and CEO of VRdirect. VRdirect is the market leader in enterprise VR software providing a software solution for VR projects to companies like Siemens, Nestle and Porsche and building custom white-label VR solutions for companies like Deutsche Telekom.