Erin McDannald of Environments explores how metaverse environments will prove to be a versatile solution in hybrid workplaces.
As the workforce approaches a third year of hybrid work, some businesses find that collaboration and mentorship still suffer. If the office is good for one thing, it’s having easy access to co-workers to discuss ideas or work through challenges. The ROI on collaboration was previously hard to calculate, but it’s estimated that during the pandemic, companies lost an average of ten percent of revenue when their teamwork and collaborative encounters came to a halt.
Ringing in the Workplace of the Future
As employers prepare for 2023, many employees won’t be in the office five-days a week moving forward. With hybrid work here for the long haul, now is the time for businesses to invest in tools that make it easier for employees to collaborate and mentor. While traditional video conferencing and chat tools served their purpose in 2020 and 2021, there is a better way to work. With many companies seeking a balance between flexible work from home policies and much-needed collaboration, metaverse environments will prove to be a versatile solution.
Beyond being an exciting and new technology, the metaverse serves to boost employee engagement and collaboration, improving brand experience and retention. Integrating the metaverse into a company’s infrastructure presents a new way to stay connected on days spent working outside of the office. Now, workers may choose to work in the metaverse: working remotely while maintaining the physical and interpersonal sense of an office. The metaverse creates an inclusive environment where employees of all needs and work styles can interact with the workplace, wherever that may be. Not only does it create a more collaborative environment, but it boosts business as well. Estimates forecast a return on metaverse integration investment in less than one year.
Working through the Onboarding Process
Because the metaverse is relatively new to most employees, most businesses are choosing to have their virtual office completely mirror their physical office to create familiarity and increase buy-in. Having an enhanced digital twin of the physical workspace builds an important psychological connection to a company and its property. Looking to the future, metaverse environments will expand beyond a digital twin of the physical space. Here, businesses will be able to create branded offices specific to the metaverse. When this time comes, it is vital that businesses work with metaverse software companies to involve architects and designers in the creation of their virtual workspace. Architects and designers have a deep understanding of how users interact with the environment around them, a sense that is just as important in digital environments.
Out of the Box Metaverse Business Applications
Development into the metaverse also creates a rich opportunity for companies to expand not only their brand reach, but also the impact of their brand experiences. Through customized experiences and interactions with staff, customers, and visitors, metaverse environments fortify brand identity and equity. Inside their metaverse spaces, companies will ultimately be able to tailor their settings to delight users with immersive events and personalization features. From trainings that help you explore a product to tours that foster connection to a physical location, the metaverse will add new value to businesses and their property.
After employers create a metaverse where their staff feels comfortable, the next step is establishing a community. Having an established community makes team members feel happier and more connected to their jobs. Promoting communication and flexibility, metaverse environments are strong outlets for workplace community. Metaverse offices make for more inclusive workplaces, as well as allow for “water cooler” talk or other serendipitous moments that can’t happen over traditional platforms. Integrating the metaverse into the workplace allows employees and leaders to not only see what’s happening in their offices but enjoy genuine interactions with one another regardless of physical locations or varying needs.
As business leaders weigh the future of their workspaces, it is important that they look beyond just the physical space. The solution for stronger collaboration and mentorship isn’t a full week in the office, but rather a work week spent in collaborative spaces. Expanding business into a metaverse crafted by architects and designers is one of the most innovative ways to adapt within the hybrid work era without sacrificing employee happiness.
