The Metaverse is here, but what does this mean in practice? Beyond the inevitable social media presence of virtual DJ sets and Mark Zuckerberg avatars, this rambling of our digital future. The headings surrounding the corners can often feel a little black mirror-Wind.

The reality is that it will feel like an intangible prospect until we are all more involved in the metaverse and it extends beyond the reach of those directly building it. Widespread applications remain mostly theoretical, so it’s hard to imagine the Metaverse being as fully integrated into everyday life as it has been promised.

In the world of work, offices are becoming more and more digital. The pandemic has accelerated Zoom and Slack’s journey into remote worlds. Media reports often declare that his remote work is on the rise and that the Metaverse has become a middleman between the workplace and the employees, with the office being entirely in the cloud. This is not necessarily the case.

It’s clear that hybrid work is now the new normal. It makes sense why.Beyond the joy of cutting commute times and costs and saying goodbye to soggy pre-cooked sandwiches for lunch, working from home can make us 9% increase in productivity.

For this reason, workers around the world are asking companies for better hybrid policies. This begs the question: Are we heading towards a fully virtualized work culture? And is the metaverse the route to this?

The benefits and pitfalls of VR at work

Clips and soundbites from Meta lead us to believe we’re rapidly moving toward a fully virtual workplace. simsfully immersive through a VR headset.

Case in point, this virtual office has the advantage of improving communication between employees working remotely, offering more space for natural and collaborative interaction than video conferencing platforms and a more concrete community. provide. RemotecCommuter. Perhaps the prospects for VR offices are better or worse, but neither are they set in stone.

VR offices are currently being tried and tested as tools for remote work, with mixed results.experiment in german university Working fully in VR for a full week was found to increase task load by 35%, frustration by 42%, and anxiety by 19%. So imagining a world where we are so focused on the stresses of day-to-day business is probably not the most exciting prospect.

That said, the role technology ultimately plays in our daily work depends on how we integrate it. For example, you can think of the HR and D&I benefits of incorporating AI and VR into your hiring. VR interview Training models allow candidates to test their interviewing skills against AI and reduce the social bias inherent in interviewing avatars.

Getting VR in the workplace right can save employers time and money, allow them to invest more in payroll, benefits and training, and even facilitate a more inclusive hiring process. This balance and integration of these technologies does not necessarily mean that the workplace has to exist in the metaverse. Enterprises can gradually integrate VR to the extent that best suits their needs.

Applications of VR in industry and business

just look a handful of examples See how VR can transform specific areas. Medicine and healthcare, for example, have made revolutionary discoveries using VR technology. Enhanced surgical procedures Devise customized treatments through VR patient digital twins.

We have also seen the beginning of the revolution. Product development, developers can integrate the benefits of VR into their workflows, and the technology provides product samples, tweaks, and alternatives without the need for expensive and time-consuming physical mockups. This is just one example of how a good range of VR integrations can be very beneficial. The products offered are still sold and physically mocked up, but VR can speed up the process and cut costs along the way.

Additionally, companies that offer almost any form of training can enhance this with VR. This means training costs can be up to 11 times lower and trainees can be retained. 70% more information Better than traditional classroom learning methods.

This new training method will benefit a wide variety of workers, from firefighters to retail assistants, making specific jobs and skills easier to achieve and more accessible. In many cases, mixed learning Proven to be the perfect balance between VR and face-to-face training. Face-to-face and remote work.

Greater flexibility and availability

VR innovation is also not a one-size-fits-all solution. The platform allows customers to adapt content and interactivity according to their requirements. This allows training across a variety of disciplines to accommodate many learning styles and needs. Leveraging this flexibility gives staff the opportunity to understand the inner workings of his VR for themselves and see how the technology can solve problems unique to their workflow. Despite some skepticism about the “virtual office,” it will be important for future businesses, not only for the end consumer, but also for processes and communications.

Companies should consider the underlying technologies that will build this metaverse and anticipate incorporating these technologies into their business models. Just like when companies had to adapt to the growth of the Internet, they now need to incorporate common metaverse strategies.

Both the bright new technology and the potential it holds are very exciting, but companies will thrive here most if they have a deliberate and purposeful integration strategy.

Molding old and new work practices

Bring The metaverse to the world of work is a challenge and has to be done the right way. While hardware is evolving rapidly, it’s understandable that many of us approach this issue with some trepidation. To get the most out of the metaverse, you have to find a compromise.

Technology enhancements are obviously very useful. It can improve safety in many areas and make many functions of work more accessible and efficient. These technologies are increasingly being implemented in day-to-day business practices as well. customer service and sales experience and process. There is no doubt that these technologies will revolutionize areas such as fitness and healthcare over the next decade.

However, this does not mean that businesses should ignore the value of human interaction. Even with the Metaverse coming, this doesn’t mean he’ll be seen working eight hours a day in a VR headset, just that all meetings are via avatars around virtual roundtables. nor does it mean The future of the workplace must incorporate immersive technology into training, entertainment and research, and it would be foolish not to make use of such technology to some extent.

The future of work lies somewhere in between. A society that makes the most of innovative technology and does not ignore the value of Zoom calls and face-to-face catch-ups. Similar to hybrid work, VR will assist us in the workplace, whether directly involved in the metaverse or not. No one knows exactly what this will look like, but the future of immersive work is certainly bright with the right parameters and boundaries in place (sometimes wearing VR headsets ).

Emma Ridderstad is CEO. Warpin.