In practise, the term "metaverse" can be difficult to define, but a brief definition that could serve as a kind of umbrella term is "’any technology concepts that encompass the merging of digital and physical worlds,’ such as those mentioned above: virtual reality, artificial reality, and social and professional digital platforms.

The metaverse, as it is defined, is quickly becoming the standard for the future generation. Millions of people recently created virtual avatars for which they chose virtual clothing and purchased virtual tickets to attend rapper Lil Nas X's virtual Roblox performance. The event was a true social experience for the millions of guests whose avatars sung, danced, and even tossed snowballs in the Roblox-based concert venue, despite the fact that they weren't assembled in actual reality.

Companies throughout the world have transitioned substantially online in the last two years, while work has gotten more digital, gamified, and tech-infused. The metaverse and its enabling technologies are creating new methods for businesses to achieve a variety of goals, ranging from learning and development to asset operational efficiency.

The metaverse is also spawning new digital behaviors. Businesses may now host virtual training sessions utilizing VR and AR headsets to better train, visualize, and interact with remote staff. This brings workers from all around the world together to share their experiences.

Walmart is an example of a corporation that already employs this type of technology. Walmart has been using virtual reality to train associates in low-risk, immersive learning environments for years. This technology not only allows Walmart associates to gain confidence and test the tactics they're learning, but it also assures that millions of Walmart employees receive the same amount and quality of training, allowing the corporation to standardize operations and service.

The metaverse gives new opportunities for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms like my own, Black & Veatch (BV). By emphasizing the importance of building and sustaining a strong safety culture, these new technologies offer virtual training experiences that can be tailored to closely resemble real-world scenarios. Workers can practice safety measures in the metaverse using a game-styled approach, making them better equipped to operate on building sites.

Furthermore, in today's shifting work environment, the metaverse can be a new innovative solution for firms to solve a range of hiring and retention difficulties. Indeed reports that 88% of firms now conduct video interviews with candidates. Most organizations stated that this helps them to engage more leaders in the interview process and offers for greater scheduling flexibility.

Another method the metaverse could influence personnel management is through the use of virtual worlds to evaluate and test abilities and performance. For example, occupations requiring customer service abilities could make use of a virtual environment in which a candidate or worker participates in simulated events and is graded based on their performance. The metaverse can also be a terrific place to put skills and abilities to the test to guarantee you're employing the best candidate.

You may think it's odd that your employees may spend a portion of their day behind virtual reality headsets in a virtual learning session or testing a virtual design concept to determine if a building structure could withstand a hurricane—but it's not. Already, the metaverse is whirling around our work environment like a galaxy of developing technologies and use cases with the potential to become the next great thing.

In the metaverse, the next generation of employees is already learning and creating. We must be prepared as leaders to meet their future work and experience aspirations. The metaverse has all of the potential to become the next iteration of today's internet, as well as the ability to unleash a whole new galaxy of opportunities that will propel us to the next stage of evolution. Companies might consider investing a portion of their company's thought capital in the future to prepare. Remember, if you keep prepared, you won't have to prepare.