Workplace 3.0: working in the metaverse

Impacts: All service businesses will likely be the primary candidates, but the technology will also appeal in education, service roles in manufacturing and many public sector roles

The challenge: Working from home – or, more precisely, flexible working – is here to stay. Recent years have shown it to be more efficient, family friendly and compatible with our lifestyles; it also helps us all save money and reduce our carbon footprint. According to McKinsey, office space managers expect a 36 percent increase in remote working by time after the pandemic. However, people also regularly report feelings of isolation and social disconnection because of sustained periods at home in front of their computers – a new balance retaining the freedom and flexibility of remote working, but recapturing the social aspect of office life, is increasingly in demand. 

Proposed solution: Web3.0 technology like Metaverse is poised to make remote working more enjoyable, productive and immersive, with virtual reality technologies – recreating the experience of face-to- face meetings and teamwork, but with features unique to the digital realm, and a welcome escape from traditional digital conferencing. Relevant information can be shared and manipulated in novel ways, we can do so from the aesthetic setting of our choice, and as the technology develops, we are even gaining the ability to gauge the mood and body language of our fellow participants.

Success measures: Availability of a live proof of concept, results of usability testing, and time spent in the metaverse by trial groups