Virtual reality is new, so it cannot be very safe. But just because a particular technology is new doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary or dangerous. Although it is a new concept, people are mostly optimistic about the idea of the metaverse workplace. ExpressVPN conducted a survey on virtual reality, and the results are surprising – it turns out that people are optimistic about virtual reality!
In the ExpressVPN metaverse survey, people were asked about their thoughts on VR and its potential in the workplace. The results showed that people think VR has much potential in the workplace and could help with communication and collaboration.
What Most Employers and Employees Feel About the Metaverse Workplace
The Metaverse is a hot topic nowadays, with many people wondering how it will change their workplaces. However, according to the survey, employers are much more excited about the prospect of a metaverse workplace than employees are.
Employees usually express anxiety and suspicion when it comes to futuristic ideas.
This difference in enthusiasm can also be seen when employees and employers are asked about the positive impacts of the Metaverse on their jobs. Both groups felt that the Metaverse could positively impact creativity, but employers generally seemed more enthusiastic.
According to research by the Center for Advanced Leadership Studies, in 2022, most Americans will either be working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement (working remotely part of the time). Compared with previous studies, this number has declined. However, only 40% of the workforce reported working solely from an office.
In the future, more employees will prepare to shift to a hybrid environment. This means fewer in-office work environments in the years to come.
Employees in remote work environments heavily rely on technology, as both workers and employers agree that it increases productivity. Employers also mention that video conferencing is the key to staying connected at their place of employment.
Concerns over Continuous Surveillance by the Employers
Employees’ most significant concern regarding the Metaverse is monitoring their real-time location and screens. Also, employers are most likely interested in recording workplace meetings and tracking employees’ efficiency and productivity.
Much like their forerunners in the physical workplace, employers use employer monitoring software to watch over employees and ensure they’re working hard. However, with the work-from-home emergence, surveillance may now come from an invisible source. This can lead to top concerns regarding privacy — such as location tracking and screen monitoring.
Why Employees Would Want to be part of the Metaverse Workplace Setup
With advances in virtual reality and other technologies, now is the perfect time to help remove barriers to employment through assistive virtual space environments.
This could be why one-third of Baby Boomers are interested in it because they believe it will help them find work despite their disability or physical limitations.
Some Gen Z respondents said their interest in these environments was tied to a desire to work anytime and anywhere – with older generations expecting this to happen later on.
Generation Z, the youngest generation in the workforce, is also the most eager to enter a Metaverse workplace. When given a chance to enter a fully-immersive online environment designed specifically for work, they say they’re curious and excited to try it out.
From the ExpressVPN metaverse survey, generation Z respondents are also more likely to say that entering the Metaverse would positively impact their work performance and productivity.
A close examination of the role surveillance may play in a future metaverse workplace is necessary because the adoption of this technology could be affected. Likewise, employer monitoring could also impact morale, retention, and recruitment issues.
Although employers may find it comforting to monitor their remote workforce, the reality is that these actions can lead to mistrust for employees in a metaverse environment. Morale could also potentially decrease when staff feels like they are being spied on.
Additionally, some employees will consider monitoring when deciding to work at or with a company. Employers looking to retain top talent or recruit qualified workers may be disadvantaged due to surveillance’s potential threat of information leakage.
To prepare for a metaverse workplace, employers should consider educating their employees about potential benefits, common use cases, and implications.
Many employees are interested in the ExpressVPN metaverse survey and curious about its potential benefits for remote work. However, they don’t know if those drawbacks outweigh the pros.