The COVID-19 pandemic spurred what we now know as the Great Resignation, making company loyalty more difficult now than at any time in the recent past. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 4.5 million people quit their jobs in March 2022, showing no end to the Great Resignation. Employers everywhere are searching for ways to avoid and slow this turnover plague from hitting their offices. The fear — and reality — of high-performing employees leaving their company for better opportunities is causing desperation to find creative retention solutions.
One solution that has recently come to the fore is the metaverse, encompassing virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality solutions in the workplace.
Boosting Relationships
Christoph Fleischman is CEO and founder of Arthur.
Employers are now able to invest in a 3D virtual office, have their team create their own avatars, and interact much like in a physical office space – irrespective of their work location. Company loyalty comes from building real relationships. Over the last two years, it has become clear how easily a disconnect can happen in a remote environment where teams don't regularly come together and connect. Leadership teams are placing more importance than ever on team bonding due to an increasingly remote or hybrid work setting.
One of the first benefits companies leverage in the metaverse is the ability to bring employees together virtually in the same space, which enables water cooler conversations and team-building activities to create a stronger team and company culture. Teams, for example, can play ice breaker games and host virtual holiday parties or happy hours to boost relationships and cultivate thriving culture. With ample and genuine attention to the team's betterment through bonding, employers have the opportunity to increase their retention rates.
