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Murmurings about the metaverse are cresting into a full-blown scream. As an HR reporter, my inbox is now regularly swarmed with PR pitches that sing the praises of the immersive online platform, which, for the uninitiated, is a series of connected, virtual worlds that allow people to interact (and then some) in cyberspace through 3D avatars and spatial audio.
And it’s coming to the workplace. If the hype blowing up my inbox is any indication, the metaverse could help distributed teams foster a sense of engagement and build the camaraderie that Zoom lacks. It’ll be a “great resource for recruiters to provide a dynamic interview experience,” according to one publicist, and will “eventually be a new watercooler” for employees craving some kind of co-worker connection, according to another.
Certain tech players are throwing their full weight behind the idea. In January, Microsoft announced the acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion, and said “the move will provide building blocks for the metaverse.” The tech giant formerly known as Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc., has a new corporate mission: “To help bring the metaverse to life.”
Of course—and we do hope you’re sitting down—it’s possible the metaverse may not solve all our problems: The surveillance of remote workers, for example, could reach more invasive heights. Brian Kropp, head of HR research at Gartner, recently told the Wall Street Journal that managers could potentially “have a real-time dashboard of who’s paying attention, who’s not paying attention” when attending a meeting in the metaverse. Sexual harassment has also migrated to the metaverse. (Though, Meta has added a “safety bubble” to help.)
Yes, YOU, there in the back: Where does HR fit into this rapidly developing virtual paradigm? Are new corporate codes of conduct necessary to govern workplace behavior in the metaverse? Do you think this new technology will gradually swallow up video chats of old? Join the discussion right here on HR Brew’s LinkedIn page, or reply to this email with your thoughts.