The “Metaverse” Suddenly Sounds Appealing but Employees Need the Skills to Enter

Businesses already struggling to keep pace with digital change need to focus on workforce skills

The likes of Disney, Epic Games, Microsoft and Facebook may be announcing plans to merge the physical and virtual worlds in the “metaverse”, but successful adoption will depend on individual skills and confidence.

That’s the verdict of leading online assessment provider Questionmark, which is warning employers that simply jumping on the virtual workspace bandwagon without equipping teams with the right skills could end in failure.

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As the adoption of workplace technology accelerates¹, the need for employers to assess skills and identify training needs has grown. Indeed, as the war for talent rages, investing in modern skills has become a competitive necessity for employers.

Referring to a shared virtual world in which people interact using augmented and virtual reality equipment, the term “metaverse” was coined in the late 20th century but has recently gained prominence.

For employees, the sudden credibility of the “metaverse” is a reminder that they must remain open to new ideas and take command of their own digital skills development. According to one study, 67% of businesses are already unable to keep pace with the pace of digital change due to a lack of appropriate skills², a situation likely to be exacerbated as the likes of the “metaverse” increase the complexity of technology needed.

John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “As technology accelerates, ever-more advanced opportunities such as that presented by the ‘metaverse’ become accessible to employers. Making the most of such new tools depends on considerations such as: what skills are needed to make this work and how can we make sure it is offered to all appropriate staff on an equal footing. Assuming an employer identifies the right business case for entering the ‘metaverse’, they need to think about their people’s skills before diving headlong into it.”

To help organizations, Questionmark has produced “Continuous Skills Improvement”, which outlines the six steps employers should follow to develop the right skills in a changing market.

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