Metaverse technology is poised to take remote and hybrid working to the next level. With companies like the aptly-named Meta investing $10 billion in its metaverse last year, it’s clear the technology is set to play a key role in the coming years. But what will work really feel like in the metaverse? And what opportunities will this new immersive technology bring?

Regus recently commissioned the biggest survey yet of company leaders and office workers to gauge their views on working in the metaverse. Respondents were very enthusiastic, with 71% of business leaders saying that the metaverse will open up new opportunities, and 65% already considering it as part of the next step in the evolution of the virtual world and hybrid working.

So, what’s happening in the metaverse right now?

Major companies across multiple industries are already making developments in this space. Accenture has recruited heavily for its ‘Nth Floor’ corporate metaverse, Nike and Selfridges have delivered interactive metaverse experiences for retail, while the gaming, events and even tourism sectors have also made inroads in this emerging virtual world.

‘A real game changer’

The metaverse enables more immersive virtual conferencing technology, which creates more meaningful and engaging experiences for hybrid workers.

“You get this really amazing sense of presence, which is very difficult to articulate,” says Sammy King who works at Meta. “Over the last two years we’ve got used to talking to people on screens but now suddenly you can feel like you’re in close proximity to people even though you’re all working in different places. It’s a real game changer.”

What can we expect?

Our working lives could be impacted in numerous ways by the metaverse:

● 3D virtualisation

Objects can become virtually twinned in the metaverse.

● Shared experiences

Workers can collaborate in the same place, no matter where they are based in the physical world.

● New products

Boeing plans to build its next plane in the metaverse, using 3D engineering designs, robots and VR headsets.

● Universal translation

Words from avatars can be translated in the moment, helping collaboration between international teams.

● New jobs

Huge numbers of people will be required to plan, build and market the metaverse.

Global teams, intimate collaboration

In the metaverse, hybrid workers can take workplace collaboration to a new level, while office workers are empowered to collaborate in virtual workplaces with colleagues from all over the world.

Our findings:

- 65% of business leaders believe the metaverse will be more transformational than any other videoconferencing technology

- 44% of office workers think communication will be improved by the metaverse

- 35% of workers and business leaders believe onboarding and training will benefit from the metaverse

It’s time to up-skill

The beauty of hybrid working is that it empowers employees to combine home learning with meaningful on-site experiences either at company HQ or a shared workspace. The metaverse, however, has the capacity to take this to the next level.

Enterprises like Accenture have already spotted this opportunity and have onboarded 150,000 hires over the past year in its ‘Nth Floor’ corporate metaverse.

Flexible workspaces: gateway to the metaverse

Our research shows that 54% of workers and 56% of company leaders shared a belief that shared office spaces will provide the key to accessing the metaverse. As our white paper indicates:

“Flex and coworking spaces have always been places where forward-thinking businesses have been able to embrace the latest technology”

Network and physical limitations of the home environment may prohibit employees from accessing the virtual world that transforms them into metaverse workers. A flexible workspace, however, provides access to business-class connectivity and technological availability to facilitate working in the metaverse.

A nail in the 9-to-5 coffin

As Mark Dixon, CEO of IWG says, “The metaverse is yet another nail in the coffin of the outdated nine-to-five concept of work,” adding that, “visionary companies that understand how technology can transform work are likely to grasp this opportunity with both hands.”

The question is, which companies will seize the moment, and which ones will let it pass?

Download our white paper to see how businesses are using metaverse technology and what its implications could be for your operations.