Covid-19 has opened the world’s eyes to the benefits of remote and flexible work, and many aren’t looking back — according to a survey by workplace platform Envoy , 71% of employees would choose a hybrid work model, only 12% want to work remotely every day, and just 16% want to work full-time in the office.

Until now, technology hasn’t quite been able to keep up with this change of attitude — we can agree that video conferencing software sucks and a Zoom call doesn’t really cut it as an office party replacement. But conversations around the promises of the metaverse and web3 have businesses and employees excited about the possibilities.

The metaverse promises to solve hybrid workplace obstacles — but is it really the silver bullet solution?

So why are companies so excited about the metaverse?

Working in the metaverse  would allow workers to be 100% remote, while still allowing for social interaction. For employers, this means a limitless talent pool, as workers from Michigan to Mozambique can interact together in a virtual, hyper realistic world. And for employees, this means they would get the freedom and flexibility of working from anywhere they want.

A metaverse workplace could also make for a more equitable workplace helping to level the playing field between the employees managers see every day and those who have to or want to be remote, for example if they’re a single parent, disabled, or just can’t afford to live near the office.

Health and safety also come into play. A recent survey also found 43% of office workers, either hybrid or full-time, are more worried about exposure to and transmission of Covid than remote workers. For employees of color, 21% lose sleep over it compared to just 11% of their white coworkers.

A metaverse office means anyone can come in, whether they’re vaccinated, unvaccinated, immunocompromised, positive or negative.

And then we get to the actual offices themselves. Think of a metaverse office where real estate is cheaper, and you can design it at the top of a skyscraper or inside the belly of a whale — without the hefty price tag (or whale guts).

Desk space in the metaverse is infinitely scalable. Size up or down based on your needs. It’s the ultimate customizable space. Virtual meeting rooms or communal lounge areas will be configured for the type of work people are doing — heads down work or creative team brainstorming.

Metaverse real estate companies like The Sandbox are already cropping up to stake their claim in this new frontier, and businesses like UK media company VCCP and Mediahub have already set up their metaverse offices.

Ultimately, employees want flexibility, freedom and the ability to socialize and easily collaborate — and the metaverse could conceivably offer it all.

The metaverse won’t replace the physical office any time soon

Of course, this is all theoretical at this point. Until we actually have long-term business use cases, we won’t be able to measure the opportunities or understand the potential downsides. Some questions we’ll need to consider for example are: How long can people really wear a headset for? Are there detrimental impacts on physical and/or mental health to spending your 9/5 in ‘The Matrix’?

What’s more, we’ve seen some interesting innovation in metaverse gaming, but adoption is still low and whether this could translate to the world of work is still unproven.

So the question is, when will we get a chance to have a chat around the virtual water cooler?

While the Big Five are already planting their flag in the metaverse, and new startups are cropping up to push the metaverse further, not everyone is convinced we’re as close to a true “meta” metaverse as we think. According to Envoy’s CEO and founder, Larry Gadea:

Gadea founded Envoy to make workplaces work better for employers and employees alike. As the world plunged into lockdown amidst Covid-19, it became more urgent than ever to create workplace products that would help bring people back to the office safely.

During the pandemic the company launched Envoy Protect and Envoy Desks, apps that gives employees an overview of who is working in the office and when so they can sync work schedules and optimize time in the office, reserve work desks and, most importantly, certify their health status — users can upload proof of vaccination, a weekly negative Covid test, or fill out a daily health check.

In January, Envoy raised $111m in a Series C funding round, which Gadea says will be put towards building out its product offering further to help make hybrid workplaces even more flexible, thoughtful, and a better experience for employees. And while the metaverse isn’t a major focus for Envoy yet, they’re keeping a close eye on it.

Bringing people together IRL

Even when we have the technology for a truly realized metaverse, Gadea says, offices will still play a crucial role.

Socializing, for example, will always be a key reason why the metaverse won’t replace an IRL office anytime soon — or even at all. Gadea added: “It’s very hard to have memorable moments that you’re going to be like, oh, yeah, I remember that. That person spilled a drink on this other person… That’s how you remember moments in life. The challenge is figuring out how to recreate human interactions in a virtual environment. Spontaneous conversations in a virtual hallway. Mimicking a real-life meeting where people can have multiple conversations going with folks.”

Besides the obvious mental health benefits, having candid moments with colleagues IRL is proven to increase creativity, productivity and problem-solving. And when it comes to the metaverse, you can’t really have a “water cooler moment” if you can’t actually drink the water.

So what does the future office look like? “I think we’ll get some cool new technologies. We’ll have video conferencing that’s even better. We’ll have meeting rooms that are much more inclusive of remote people than they are today,” Gadea says.

How to inspire creativity from your remote workers

Steve Jobs once said, “ Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.”

This implies creativity is something you’re born with as opposed to something you can learn on the go.

While this may be true to a degree, there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from taking inspiration and ideas and encouraging yourself and others to think outside the box — and let’s face it, being able to do so is often what spells the difference between survival mode and business success.

Why is creativity important?

Creativity is crucial for every company, regardless of the business climate — it fuels change and innovation and it’s a key component in the recipe for long-term growth.

Laura Jordan Bambach, chief creative officer at Grey London , agrees: “Many businesses have failed because of lack of creative vision, and in this moment of uncertainty it’s even more vital. Creativity is what sees opportunity in challenge, and what sparks empathy and connection when there’s so much disconnect.”

Even though it’s important, it’s not always set as a business priority, a mistake that can have a significant impact on performance and morale.

“The conditions for creativity are rarely put center stage when designing a business process or culture. There tends to be a belief that creativity just ‘happens’ — that it’s a magical thing that therefore doesn’t need process or investment,” Jordan Bambach explains.

Some entrepreneurs will argue that process is the enemy of all creativity but there are certain steps and structures that can allow creativity to bloom — and these processes need to be encouraged and invested in.

So, how do you foster it across a remote workforce?

Fostering creativity across a remote workforce can be particularly challenging, but it’s by no means impossible.

By it’s sheer definition, creativity is about bringing together different ideas and points of view to spark something new — and this, my friend, doesn’t need to be restricted to the offline world.

With this in mind, here are some simple tips to help you inspire your employees and colleagues:

Create a safe space for people to share things that aren’t necessarily associated with the problem at hand and can help spark new ideas. This doesn’t have to be a physical space. It can be a Slack channel created to enable idea sharing or problem solving, where people can post things that inspire them or discuss the latest trends in art or innovation. If you want to follow a structured approach, schedule regular online brainstorming sessions or workshops.

Allow time for your logical and resting brain to work on a specific problem. Fostering creativity is great but you can’t force solutions out of people — so don’t pressure them. Acknowledge it’ll take time for things to happen naturally and make sure you’re fully comfortable with letting your colleagues and workers explore this process.

Embrace spontaneity and allow for impromptu catch-ups online or on the phone without the need to share an agenda. Talk to people and make sure they feel comfortable picking up the phone, video chatting, or DM’ing colleagues to chat through things without expecting immediate action. Communication is key and fostering transparent working culture will help breed creativity across teams.

Allow for distractions. Let yourself and others around you get distracted by passion projects. It’s so easy to get caught up in the mundanity of every day life, and even though going off on a tangent may seem like a waste of time you’ll be surprised by how much clarity it can bring. Give people enough breathing room to help them learn and let them inspire others to do the same.

Make diversity a priority. There are countless reasons why you should seek to employ a diverse workforce, and creativity is definitely one of them. People will have different perspectives, backgrounds, ideas, and will all bring something different and wonderfully unique to the table. Make sure you ingrain this principle into the hiring process and encourage different voices to be heard regardless of where they’re from or where they are in the world.

Creativity is a muscle, and while much of the emphasis to be creative will fall on the individual, it’s important to find ways to allow this to trickle down and across an organization.

Having people within close proximity in an office can often make things easier but there’s nothing to stop you inspiring your team online.

The stakes are high so don’t let your business — and your employees and colleagues — down.

How do you motivate your team to be more creative? And why do you foster creativity? Share your experience with the Growth Quarters community .

How to find out if your boss doesn’t like you — and what to do about it

We spend a huge chunk of our lives at work or with people we work with. So, what happens when you and a coworker dislike each other — or worse, what if your boss doesn’t like you?

Here are the tell-tale signs that your boss isn’t all that crazy about you and some useful tips to help you manage the situation.

They’re micromanaging you

Micromanaging isn’t all that uncommon — in fact, most of us are guilty of doing it — but if your boss is checking up on you (and only you) all the time, it could be a sign that they don’t really like or trust you.

Are they asking to check to be CC’ed on all your external emails before they’re sent out? Are you having to submit your work for checking before it’s shared with the rest of the company ?

If this is happening you need to tread lightly and figure out whether this is an issue across the company or if you’re being singled out. Being micromanaged is unpleasant, it can have a huge impact on your confidence — but if it’s happening to everyone it would simply indicate that your boss isn’t a great manager.

If on the contrary, you’re the only one experiencing this, you need to take stock of the situation and ask yourself whether you’ve done anything in the past to warrant this additional surveillance. If this is the case, your boss is probably just trying to help you improve.

You should ask whether anything’s wrong — watch your tone, though. Don’t be combative, be positive, and mindful of how they’ll perceive what you’ve got to say.

Ask if there’s anything you can do to lessen their workload and express your desire to work more independently. The key is to come across as a team player and someone willing to make their life easier.

See if they’re open to weekly reports or meetings as opposed to constant supervision. If your boss seems reluctant to work this way, you may want to ask for a timed experiment: see if they’d let you try this new way of doing things for a week or two. This way, you can try to prove yourself and hopefully get them to change their mind.

They’re ghosting you

If your boss has a tendency to ignore your emails, exclude you from important meetings, or they simply don’t acknowledge your existence and contribution, they may indeed have a problem with you.

Again, it’s important to figure out whether this is their modus operandi or if they’re actively and consciously ignoring you.

In this case, it’s best to let them know how you feel. You need to strike the balance between wanting to be transparent and communicative and appearing needy or seeking a lot of hand-holding.

You’re totally justified in chasing your boss if they’ve failed to respond to your email or canceled several meetings, so don’t feel bad about that. Let them know this is important to you and express the knock-on effect this behavior has on budget, deliverables, and morale.

Don’t make any demands, just let them know it comes from a place of concern and it’s about you wanting to work better and more effectively.

They won’t stop criticizing your work

Getting constructive criticism is not only helpful, but it’s also expected. If your boss is constantly having a go at you, this is certainly a red flag.

You need to think about how much this actually bothers you and how much energy you want to invest in mending the relationship in the short and long term.

To begin with, you may want to start by ensuring your goals and objectives are aligned before you start a specific project. Make sure you’re both on the same page and you understand what’s expected of you.

After you discuss this, follow up in writing. Send a quick note summarizing your discussion and what you agreed on. This way, you’ll lessen the chances of any misunderstandings and your project should run smoothly.

You should always try to be open and transparent about how you feel. Tell your boss that you value their feedback and opinion and that you’d like to work in a more collaborative manner.

Express your concerns clearly and tell them you get the impression that they’re not currently happy with your work, and that you’d like to find out where you might be going wrong or what to improve.

Ultimately, if your boss really dislikes you or if the relationship between you becomes increasingly strained, it may be time to change jobs.

They constantly overlook you

If you get the sense that you’re being constantly overlooked for promotions, it’s important that you act quickly. In this instance, your silence can be interpreted as acceptance, or worse, complacency.

But before you do, find out whether there are other factors that could have influenced your manager’s decision (budget cuts, etc). The fact is, if your boss values you, they’ll have no issue explaining why you didn’t get the promotion or pay rise you expected or deserved.

Ask them what it would take for you to be considered for a pay rise or promotion in the future. If your boss is interested in retaining talent, and if they value you, they should be able to sit down with you and outline a development plan.

If your request is met with ambivalence, you may indeed want to get your CV up to scratch and consider moving on elsewhere.

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