While the digitalisation of industries, processes and exchanges is gradually taking hold in the professional world, the arrival of a new technology called "Metaverse" is once again upsetting the codes, our codes.
But how will this new model impact us, the recruiters and the recruits?
On 17 October 2021, Facebook published a recruitment offer. Classic but nonetheless unconventional, it announced the opening of 10,000 positions across Europe. More surprisingly, this announcement mentioned a little-known project, the Metaverse.
This is how the story began.
What is the Metaverse?
It is the contraction of "meta" and "universe", i.e. a virtual space in which a person is represented by an avatar. This allows one to enter a parallel world, free of all physical laws and geographical constraints.
Roughly speaking, we can be in the Paris metro while having a coffee with our friend who has just moved to Lyon.
At first glance, it looks a lot like certain film scenarios such as the Matrix saga or Spielberg's latest film released on Netflix, Ready Player One, immersing the characters in a parallel virtual universe.
But according to Facebook, this new technology is the future of the internet, the "computing platform of the future".
There would no longer be an experience between a screen and a user but an immersive experience between a world, a user, an avatar and multiple spaces. All this, thanks to 3D and virtual reality.
Since Mark Zuckerberg's announcement last October, most of the major players in the global economy are slowly but surely preparing to enter this world. To adapt the different services of their company to include these new working methods and to respond to this emerging need.
Starting with HR!
The rise of digital technology has already had a major impact on HR teams and companies specialising in recruitment, training and coaching.
New tools created to meet the need for time saving and efficiency in the workplace have been around for a long time, for all types of status and contracts: Welcome to the Jungle, Malt, Payfit, Swile, Spendesk, etc.
These tools, which have become indispensable for simplifying our daily professional lives, will be turned upside down by the arrival of the Metaverse, creating a new dimension to which they too will have to adapt.
Indeed, Gartner predicts that "25% of people will spend at least 1 hour a day in the Metaverse for work, retail, education, social networking and/or entertainment by 2026".
The idea of this new world provides a clear answer for this sector: adapting to the needs and availability of each individual. Teleworking plays a major role in the use of the Metaverse. Reduced travel time, budget savings, gamification of exchanges, reduction of health risks and maybe even ecological impact!
If we take the example of training, we will then very easily have at our fingertips a wide range of choices to develop our skills in an individualised, personalised way, while pushing back the limits of time and travel.
This space could therefore become a tool to decrease physical distance by simplifying collaboration, no matter where we are.
To support Gartner's statistic, the World Economic Forum announces that 58% of companies should integrate and use this new technology in the coming years. This is further evidence of the emergence of what is known as the...
The extension of reality, or how to optimise the immersive experience in companies?
This term hides a multitude of areas in which the Metaverse will have a direct impact. And therefore, some rather concrete examples of applications:
Recruitment: job interviews, case studies, meetings with employees... Companies are redoubling their efforts to make candidates want to apply via funny interviews, surveys, informal meetings, etc. But in the end, what could be better than a virtual 7-day trial period to project yourself?
Integration: on-boarding of new employees, sense of belonging... Here again, the stakes are huge for companies working with fully teleworked employees. The issue of integration and the notion of belonging are key pillars for employee retention. The Metaverse would then become the largest gathering platform for professional events and reduce the risk of having colleagues who feel left out.
La formation : la montée en compétence et les différents apprentissages sont des domaines souvent laissés de côté. Là aussi, ces notions essentielles pour l’épanouissement d’un salarié pourraient connaître une modernisation sans précédent grâce au côté ludique du Metaverse. Imaginez-vous apprendre à coder via un jeu en ligne en rentrant chez vous, plutôt que de regarder une vidéo Youtube et chercher 20 minutes comment rédiger votre balise <href> !
Career development: how to project yourself in 5 or 10 years after only 2 years of active life? And even after 10 years? Once again, the Metaverse will play a major role in anticipation and projection. Trying without pressure is ultimately the best ally for our imagination. If we tell you that you can put yourself in the shoes of your CEO for 2 weeks, without running any risk for the company, that's pretty tempting, isn't it?
In short, as you will have understood, the professional world will most certainly experience a new era. All you have to do is create your avatars and start teleporting!
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