Metaverse workspaces: 2024 predictions

As companies settle into the right workplace setup for them, they will begin to realize that one of the biggest drivers of productivity—even beyond physical presence or the use of the latest technologies—is trust.

Reposted by Kathy Byrnes Article written BY ALEX HOWLAND

4 MINUTE READ

As another year draws to a close, the RTO (return to office) debate continues in a period of uncertainty as employers and employees struggle with a power tug-of-war over what rules will maximize both productivity and culture and what ethical considerations will help guide its direction.

Here are a few of my predictions for the world of work over the next 12 months.

THE RETURN-TO-OFFICE DEBATE?

Remote work has undoubtedly helped keep a deep recession at bay, but tighter RTO demands may upset this balance as talent leaves or companies use it as a way to let go of surplus employees.?

Power is shifting back to employers, but very few companies have reached their perfect setup and it will likely take another 3-4 years to figure out. In the meantime, hybrid working will become the norm by this time next year as employers try to convince themselves that a half-and-half model is the solution to appease both parties. I think this will only confuse things further, but will be a temporary part of the journey towards a remote workspace that maximizes output while making employees feel valued, heard, and accepted.

What is becoming clearer is the gap between companies that are taking the leap of faith to try something different and those resisting change or reverting to old methods for fear of the unknown. This includes adapting to advanced tools and technology that can help promote effective communication, collaboration, recognition, and learning in remote settings—project management tools like Trello, whiteboarding tools like Miro, or diving fully into virtual office spaces like Virbela, where teams can not only collaborate but feel a deeper sense of presence, bumping into people across the business as they move around the virtual environment as if they were on a real office campus.

The difficulty in accurately measuring happiness at work will also slow this transition. But content on the web is moving to immersive and interactive experiences and will help bridge the gap between the benefits of remote and in-person work. Those who can start putting steps in place to figure out the remote model now will be better off in the long run.

METAVERSE MANAGEMENT AND SKILLS

As companies settle into a steadier status quo, it will allow for more productivity and collaboration of teams:

• Management: Managers will need to over-communicate and keep organized with documentation in remote or virtual-first workspaces. Managerial styles that once worked in a physical setting may need to be rethought. But the key will be trust and transparency.
• Hiring: Data supports considerably higher rates of retention, engagement, and speed of onboarding in virtual environments versus video conferences. The pace of change will continue to grow as generations that have grown up on Roblox or Fortnite begin to enter the workforce.
• Training: Training and skill development will undergo a significant transformation in the metaverse, revolutionizing how we acquire knowledge and expertise. Virtual reality simulations will provide immersive and hands-on realistic training experiences, allowing individuals from medical professionals to pilots to engineers to practice complex tasks and scenarios in a safe environment.?
• New Opportunities And Skill Sets: The metaverse and AI will give rise to a host of new job opportunities and demand for specialized skills—virtual architects, experience designers, virtual reality content creators, and virtual event planners will emerge as companies strive to create engaging and immersive metaverse experiences. The ability to navigate and operate within virtual environments will become a valuable skill, and individuals with expertise in AR, VR, and spatial computing will be in high demand. As the metaverse evolves, entirely new industries and business models will emerge, presenting exciting prospects for entrepreneurs and innovators.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS?

As the metaverse grows, so too will privacy, security, bias, and data protection concerns. It will mark an important crossroads for organizations, who will have the opportunity to reset guidelines that ensure responsible use of the metaverse, and set a precedent for the long-running future of a safe and inclusive metaverse.

Another concern with RTO mandates is a threat to working mothers or the disabled, who have been able to enter the workforce that was previously not available to them. Putting an end to remote work also stops the opportunity to attract the best talent and to create diverse and inclusive workplaces and ideas.

IMPORTANCE OF TRUST?

The first step to building or rebuilding trust is transparency. Things change too rapidly in the world of work to continue to believe that a command-and-control environment reliant on monitoring will inspire the speed and focus that organizations need to succeed.?

Inputs like hours worked or emails sent can be easier to measure, but do not generate mutual trust. Instead, leaders should focus on outcomes, where work is done well but in whatever way works best for the worker. This promotes autonomy and accountability and a more flexible workforce that feels psychologically safe, supported, and empowered.?

Trust will become the foundation for effective collaboration, productivity, and team cohesion in a remote-first world. When team members trust one another, they are more likely to openly share ideas, concerns, and feedback, which ultimately leads to better decision-making, problem-solving, and working together towards shared goals.

In a virtual setting, regular check-ins, virtual team-building activities, and fostering a culture of empathy and understanding can all contribute to trust-building efforts.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Global collaboration in virtual-first work will continue to foster diversity, inclusion, cross-cultural exchange, and creativity, all leading to innovative solutions and fresh perspectives. As companies settle into the right workplace setup for them, they will begin to realize that one of the biggest drivers of productivity—even beyond physical presence or the use of the latest technologies—is trust. Trust, transparency, and looking at outcomes all move in tandem. None of them are easy to build or measure, and so may not feel urgent, but they are the foundation of building organizational performance and happiness at work.

Alex Howland, Ph.D., is President and Co-Founder of?Virbela , an immersive virtual world platform for work, events, and education.