Meta: Four Predictions for the Future of Work

Future of work:
4 predictions that
will define the next
generation of work
Dec 2022
meta.com/work/predictions

1
Future of work: 4 predictions that will define the next generation of work
Businesses not thinking about the metaverse now will
start to fall behind competitively17
Are you ready for the future of work?21
Traditionally competitive brands will increasingly work together
to meet the growing need for immersive, interoperable services13
Businesses will begin investing in VR headsets over
laptop upgrades, in response to employee demand09
With a third of the workforce remote, businesses must
redefine their approach to community and inclusion04
Contents
What will define the next generation of work?02

2
What will define the
next generation of work?
After three tumultuous years, businesses have
learnt invaluable lessons about how to operate
and what their employees expect from them in
a vastly different working world. From the new
working models their people want to adopt, to
the technologies and processes that’ll enable
them to create engaged and productive teams,
there’s no going back from the changes of the
past few years. And from this new platform,
businesses once again look to the future
and the ways in which work will continue to
evolve – either through employee demand or
technological innovation.

With around a third2
of the
workforce remote, businesses
must redefine their approach to
community and inclusion
Businesses will begin investing
in VR headsets over laptop
upgrades, in response to
employee demand
As firms look to put long-term systems in
place in response to the remote working
revolution, how will innovations such as
the metaverse and VR help ensure their
internal cultures remain engaging, equitable
and embracing of all the different ways
employees want to work?
Traditionally competitive brands
will increasingly work together
to meet the growing need for
immersive, interoperable services
Businesses not thinking
about the metaverse
now will start to fall
behind competitively
To build the exceptional employee experience
of the future, the next chapter of the internet
will require new levels of interoperability –
how is this need for deeper collaboration
between the tools and systems businesses
use every evolve has employees come to
expect and demand more joined up ways of
working that foster deeper collaboration?
With new technologies still being
rapidly adopted by businesses – and the
metaverse on the horizon – how can firms
ensure employees are comfortable and
open to exploring these new innovations,
and what will happen to organizations
that fail to act in time?
How will the drive for more immersive
experiences begin to reshape how firms
spend money on hardware? And what
possibilities will these innovations unlock
for employees?
What will define the next generation of work?
To better understand how these changes will impact businesses in 2023 and beyond, we
surveyed 2,000 employees and 400 business leaders across the UK and US1
, to gather data
on the changes they’re expecting to see, and crucially, how they’re preparing. We also asked
experts both within and outside of Meta, to get their take on the future direction of work and
the changes they’re anticipating over the coming years.
The result is four key predictions around the attitudes and innovations Meta believes will
come to dominate and define the workplace. These trends will need to be front of mind for
businesses and their leaders if they’re to succeed in the new future or work.
01.
03.
02.
04.
3

01.
4
With around a third of
the workforce remote,
businesses will have to
redefine their approach to
community and inclusion

01.
5
of employees say video meetings help
them feel more present in meetings
believe they lead to greater collaboration
with colleagues
19%
15%
With around a third2
of the workforce
remote, businesses will have to
redefine their approach to community
and inclusion
We expect the meaning of community
to evolve for organizations, as
remote and hybrid working becomes
ubiquitous. Over time, this will push
companies to look to more creative
and innovative methods of engaging
their increasingly distributed, hybrid
teams, to provide them with the
immersive and inclusive experiences
they expect.
As such, technology will be brought
in to create better opportunities for
employees and lessen the day-to-
day pain points involved in remote
work. For instance, today, only 19%
of employees say video helps them
feel more present in meetings, and an
even smaller 15% agree that it leads to
greater collaboration with colleagues.
And with the next era of the
internet emerging in the form of
the metaverse, a myriad of new
opportunities to do that are already
presenting themselves.

think the metaverse will help replicate
the sense of togetherness that comes
from being in the office
Making everyone feel like they
belong, even if they’re not in the
same physical space
What employees expect from future
work environments:
Top three benefits employers believe
emerging technologies can bring to work:
66%
54%
would like meetings to be more
immersive and engaging
Helping teams connect, engage
and collaborate
69%
54%
think that organizations that create true
presence virtually will be able to create
a sense of belonging in an increasingly
hybrid world of work
Improving work life balance for
employees and reducing presenteeism
68%
53%
Digital inclusion through the metaverse
Much like the internet, the metaverse will
be a platform that enables new kinds of
collaboration and communication. As such,
we believe it should be designed to work
across 2D and 3D surfaces, be interoperable
across devices – from mobile and desktop to
virtual and mixed realities – and suit a range
of different circumstances. If approached this
way, it won’t just be an example of innovation,
it will be a fundamental rethink of how we
connect with each other, and its possible
applications will be endless.
These advancements will finally mean work
opportunities are no longer tied to the
physical location of a firm, and they will truly
be able to consider talent from all around the
world on equal footing to those in their locale.
And as this will transform the way businesses
approach recruitment, it will undoubtedly
have far-reaching benefits for individuals,
society, the economy, and the environment.
The metaverse will also help facilitate
deeper levels of inclusion, as businesses
will be able to empower a diverse mix
of employees to interact in the same
digital environments, in their own way,
no matter where they are – something
62% of employees say they want.

7
Leaders making work, work
The organizations that will flourish in
this new paradigm will be those that can
see a more equitable future is already
within reach – as they will be the ones
attracting the best talent. Indeed, 65%
of employees say they are more likely
to stay in their jobs if their company
gives them access to VR/AR tech. So,
businesses that move early to integrate
these tools into their operations will gain
an advantage when it comes to recruiting
and retaining great employees.
But it won’t just be the technology
driving this change – leadership will also
need to demonstrate flexibility in their
actions. Everything from policy changes
that welcome different work styles, to
ensuring employees feel supported and
included in every environment.
And special care needs to be taken
to ensure equal equity regardless of
the way people choose to work. All
employees must be given the tools they
need to get their jobs done on an equal
footing with their colleagues.
So, now is the time to embrace change
and make work, work for everyone. And
the very last thing leaders should repeat
is cater only to office workers that sit
behind desks – such as those with access
to fancy conference rooms or who are
equipped with VR headsets.
“After several years of enduring
video conferencing fatigue, and with
an increasingly decentralized and
disengaged workforce, the demand
for a more immersive work experience
using the power of VR headsets and
the metaverse will continue to grow.
Companies will have to support both
the overall employee community as
well as subcommunities who may feel
marginalized due to remote or hybrid
working. The metaverse can eliminate
the barriers to belonging by welcoming
all employees wherever they are on
an equal plane. I think the metaverse
will be especially key to engaging and
retaining introverts, who are more
likely to want to work remotely and
enjoy the comfort of using an avatar to
interact with teammates.”
Brynn Harrington
Dan Schawbel
Dan Schawbel
VP, People Experience
Meta
Author and Managing Partner
of Workplace Intelligence
“The metaverse can
eliminate the barriers to
belonging by welcoming
all employees wherever
they are on an equal plane.
I think the metaverse will
be especially key”

Benefits for employees How businesses can get started
8
Gaining the ability to carry
out work across a variety
of screens and dimensions
seamlessly, how and wherever
they choose to work
Most employees agree that with
a more virtual way of working,
businesses no longer need to follow
the traditional 5-day, 9-5 working
week, so leaders need to completely
embrace employee flexibility
Shared digital work
environments can give
employees a feeling of
togetherness and inclusivity
Expand the scope of
communication technology past
video calling and provide workers
with new tools so they can explore
a variety of digital experiences in
more immersive and engaging ways
Easy access to peers,
knowledge and
opportunities that isn’t
limited by location or role
Challenge the traditional approaches
your business has towards
inclusivity. Be open to the new
ways technology can broaden the
possibilities of what a truly inclusive
digital experience can be – one that
positively impacts everyone

02.
9
Businesses will
begin investing in VR
headsets over laptop
upgrades, in response
to employee demand

02.
Businesses will begin investing in VR
headsets over laptop upgrades, in
response to employee demand
Forward-thinking businesses looking to
make work more accessible and inclusive
will start diverting hardware capital
traditionally reserved for laptops, desktops
and landlines towards new and more
innovative devices, such as VR headsets.
There’s already clear appetite for this
technology among workers – 60% of
employees not only want to see VR
headsets introduced to their workforce
within the next two years (by 2024),
but 62% also want to experience virtual
reality spaces with digital avatars for
collaboration.
And once companies start using these
devices in increasingly creative new ways
– from HR teams hosting more engaging
onboarding and training sessions, to
creatives being able to work on physical
concepts or designs together, wherever
they are – they will fast shift from a nice-
to-have into an essential, especially for
new talent.
Employee expectations are driven
by day-to-day usage
of employees want to use work
technology in the future that works fluidly
and helps them onboard new colleagues
62%
of employees are excited to use interactive
digital training tools as a part of their jobs
40%
of employees are keen to adopt virtual
spaces/offices in their working lives
41%
48%
39%
37%
The technologies driving the most
excitement for business leaders include
AR glasses, interactive digital training
tools and virtual spaces/offices
Understanding the use of VR
and AR in the workplace

11
More immersive work
Virtual and mixed reality creates a
stronger feeling of presence because
it simulates 3D environments through
stereoscopic vision – this delivers a more
powerful experience. And in current virtual
workspaces, individuals can spatially hear
where their colleagues are talking from
just as if it were a physical room, their
gestures and expressions are mirrored
through built-in headset sensors, and they
can create dedicated virtual workspaces
equipped with multiple monitors.
Virtual and mixed reality technology has
limitless applications for collaboration –
many of which will continue to surprise us
in the future. And numerous organizations
and individuals are constantly working
to make the innovation more flexible,
equitable and convenient.
So, as these devices continue to mature,
user experiences will become smoother,
more immersive and more realistic. And as
more employees, teams, and even entire
companies transition to these new tools,
the undeniable benefits will prompt even
the most cautious firms to experiment
and adopt – or get left behind.
Ryan Cairns
VP, MetaWorks
Meta
“Over the next few years, various
extended reality (XR)-enabling devices
will increasingly serve as the interaction
layer between millions of users’ digital
and physical lives and the primary
gateways to access 3D worlds. Indeed
96%3
of businesses expressed interest
in XR technologies. Additionally, most
organizations (90%+) interested in
immersive solutions are either using
these technologies today or planning
to use them within the next two years,
with 69% expecting their investments
in these technologies will increase
over the next two years. Workforce
communications and collaboration;
connecting with customers; marketing
and advertising; product design and
development; and workforce education,
training, and onboarding have been cited
as the main use cases for immersive
technologies for the next 24 months.
We expect the commercial market
of XR technologies to experience a
compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 63.0% from 2021 to 2028. For 2023,
specifically, we expect more businesses
to move from proof-of-concepts to
full deployment of XR technologies
to boost work efficiency and enrich
communications and collaboration.”
Alaa Saayed
Senior Program Director of
Digital Content Services
Frost and Sullivan

12
VR headsets won’t only go a long
way towards reducing the high
levels of video fatigue – with
63% saying they would like there
to be fewer video call meetings
– but will offer employees a new
medium to explore more exciting
and engaging kinds of work
interactions
Test the capabilities of
this technology as soon as
possible. Seeing really is
believing and after more than
a generation of screen-based
working, businesses should see
the potential for themselves
AR/VR technology can unlock
new possibilities in how teams
collaborate with one another,
allowing them to work in more
intuitive and immersive ways,
wherever they are
Begin to evaluate where
traditional hardware spend
can be diverted and invested
to make the most difference
to the most people
Devise creative ways to use
new technologies to elevate
employee experience across
a host of business functions
Employees will be able to
create persistent, personalized
workspaces – their very own
optimized virtual offices –
enabling them to always be
their most productive self and
ultimately reducing the need
for expensive home and
office setups
63%

Traditionally
competitive brands
will increasingly
work together to
meet the growing
need for immersive,
interoperable services
03.
13

03.
Traditionally competitive brands will
increasingly work together to meet
the growing need for immersive,
interoperable services
The metaverse will be the next chapter
of the internet. And like the internet,
it won’t be built by any one company
but will serve as an open ecosystem
where partners and companies can build
towards a shared vision. Soon, we’ll live in
a world where workers have better access
to knowledge, peers and opportunity, no
matter where they live, the nature of their
work, or where they’re working from.
This vision will require technology
companies to work closely to ensure the
right capabilities and experiences are
brought together to enable seamless,
best-in-class experiences for employees
– regardless of who built them or what
device they use.
Building a shared vision together
This means that brands that have
historically been competitors will need to
come together in the name of innovation
and experience. This will help ensure the
often-walled gardens of enterprise tech
start to crumble, and make way for the
blank canvas that is the metaverse.
It’ll take a plethora of hardware and
software solutions to create the
truly collaborative environment that
businesses and employees alike need the
metaverse to become.
14
“The current metaverse ecosystems
serve as a testing ground and most
companies are trying to find some
footing in the market. A critical step
towards achieving the intended vision
for the metaverse lies in breaking
down the hyper centralized or the
closed loop ecosystems of the past,
which is dominated by a few platforms
and allow the creation of a more
open and interoperable ecosystem
where the entire experience becomes
decentralized for the end-users. Given
the complexity involved in building the
metaverse, the ecosystem will evolve to
bring in multiple players in the next 24
months, especially new partners from
diverse domains and this means that the
forces in the traditional web ecosystem
will have to work together towards a
shared vision, to build more compelling
content and solutions, and create value
for everyone involved.”
Kiran Kumar Vijaya Kumar
Industry Director,
Digital Content Services
Frost and Sullivan

15
74%
Ash Jhaveri
VP, Reality Labs Partnerships
Meta
And with this level of cross-collaboration at
the vendor level, businesses will no longer
need to rely on countless point solutions
as they have with all other iterations of the
internet. If realized, this vision will deliver
endless productivity and collaboration
benefits as their digital ecosystem works
seamlessly across platforms.
The majority of business leaders have
dedicated some of their tech budget to
investing in VR/AR technology or the
metaverse in the last year
Most business leaders (80%) expect to
spend more on these technologies in
the next two years
£21m/$24m
On average, business leaders have allocated
approximately £21m/$24m for VR/AR
investment or 15% of their tech spend
Employee expectations are
driven by day-to-day usage
Employee expectations for
metaverse deployment
of employees want to see VR headsets
implemented in their workforce within the
next two years
60%
of employees expect a virtual/simulated
version of their company to exist in the
next five years (by 2027)
81%
want to see virtual reality spaces
for collaboration with digital avatars
implemented in the next two years
62%

16
Where and how workers interact
with each other won’t be limited
by a lack of interoperability
between different brands.
Instead, solutions will work
seamlessly together to provide
the maximum opportunity for
productivity and collaboration
Firms should start to evaluate their
service portfolio to identify who’s
making strides in the right direction
and who’s stagnating. This will
help them figure out if they have
the right partners to support their
future of work vision or if they need
to bring new players into the mix
With more access to a variety
of virtual tools and services,
employees will work in ways
that best suit their individual
style, without having to
compromise on experience
Look to vendors and partners who
have already shown a willingness
to collaborate with others and are
already prioritizing the creation of
excellent employee experiences
above all else going into the future
Evaluate how tools are being used
by teams today and build a picture
of how those systems could work
together in the future and identify
the opportunities for synergy

04.
17
Businesses not
thinking about the
metaverse now will
start to fall behind
competitively

04.
18
Businesses not thinking about the
metaverse now will start to fall
behind competitively
The accelerating pace at which technology
is being adopted means businesses
not already plotting these innovations
on their roadmap will start to see their
competitors edge ahead of them.
It takes time to fully integrate new tech
into a businesses’ operations – training is
required to bring employees up to speed
with new digital tools. What’s more, it
also takes time for employees to grow
comfortable with innovations.
As such, companies need to invest the
right amount of time and resources
into training and adoption timelines, so
employees feel both confident and excited
to take advantage of the new possibilities.
So, if approached and executed well,
businesses can gain a significant
advantage over their rivals.
of business leaders already feel like they
are behind their competitors when it
comes to planning for the metaverse
Business leaders are keen to unlock the
benefits of the metaverse
64%
of business leaders cite the ability of
AR/VR to help teams connect, engage,
and collaborate with each other as a top
three cultural benefit
54%
of business leaders think emerging
technologies like AR and VR will
reduce commercial costs
59%
of employees expect the metaverse will
allow companies to hire talent from all
over the world
Business leaders are keen to unlock the
benefits of the metaverse
70%
expect that the metaverse will
encourage their employers to allow
them to relocate
66%
of employees would be excited to
incorporate virtual worlds into their
working lives
76%

19
Time to get the ball rolling
The businesses that wait until these types of
advantages are evident in their competitors
before acting, will already be leagues
behind. And as we move into the future, new
talent will increasingly judge prospective
employers by their ability to offer immersive
experiences that support them and offer
new capabilities – so getting this right early
will be key.
It doesn’t take much to get the ball rolling.
For instance, 76% believe simulated
experiences will help train employees at
scale better than physical (in-person)
training. Immersive training is simple and
cost-efficient and delivers high impact
and immediate value – so it can be a good
place to start for businesses not already
considering investment here.
Similarly, having an internal champion
who not only understands the value of
innovations such as VR but can passionately
advocate for its use among teams, can
also be a powerful way to start to inspire a
mindset shift.
And whether that be enhanced productivity,
more efficient team meetings, or a
heightened sense of community as a result
of a greater sense of presence, 2023 could
be the year that businesses start to realize
the true potential of their investment.
Christine Trodella
VP, B2B Commerical Sales,
Reality Labs
Meta
“It’s very clear that focusing on people
is the #1 business imperative for
organizations around the world. There
is a unique opportunity to leverage
technology like the metaverse to bring
people close together. I have found that
one of the most important mindsets for
current and aspiring leaders is that of
the chef. Meaning, leaders must balance
two crucial ingredients in the right
proportion. These are humanity, making
sure the organization stays human, and
technology, using tools to make sure
the organization can stay efficient,
productive, and connected. Businesses
that can truly practice that mindset and
bring together people and technology
in the most effective way, are going
to have a very unique opportunity and
advantage in the future.”
Jacob Morgan,
Author, Speaker
and Futurist

20
Employees will easily be
able to tell if prospective
employers are invested in the
quality of their experience, and
use that to decide whether to
join those organizations
It’s crucial leaders begin
strategizing how they
plan to introduce more
immersive experiences into
their businesses now, if they
don’t want to be left behind
More immersive training
experiences, onboarding,
team-wide events, and
creative collaboration will
make work more engaging
and satisfying
Deliver a feeling of pride in the
business they work for as one
that refuses to standstill, that
embraces new technologies
and is ultimately building for
ongoing, future success
Start small by investing in low-risk,
high-reward initiatives such as
immersive training. This will help
get the ball rolling by introducing
employees to new innovations in a
non-disruptive way
Build in sizable adoption
timelines so employees can get
up to speed with new tech at
a comfortable pace and grow
excited about its prospects

21
Are you ready for the
future of work?
It’s an exciting time for businesses around
the world, as new technologies and working
practices unleash more and more opportunities.
And while there’s still much uncertainty, one
thing our four predictions make clear is that the
future of work will see the focus on employees
sharpen, with the desire for more immersive
and elevated experiences ramping up.
Our predictions and research findings both
indicate that, with hybrid and remote working
becoming the norm for many businesses,
leaders will need to redefine their approach to
fostering community – with a strong emphasis
on better inclusion.
Achieving this will require businesses to start
investing more in new types of hardware, such
as VR headsets, to enhance the employee
experience and facilitate more effective
collaboration between disparate teams.
Industry leaders will need to adjust to this
shifting paradigm, and many will look to
the metaverse as a way to build a shared
vision – enabling leaders to bring the right
tools together to create the best possible
experiences for employees.
And businesses that refuse to adapt to
change will simply fall behind.
So, now is the time to act. To look internally
and figure out how you use technology to give
employees the immersive, collaborative and
exciting experiences they’re after. Because
the actions taken today will be key to helping
firms continue to improve their productivity,
embrace new business models and ways of
working, and attract the talent they’ll need to
take them into the next generation.
To learn more about the metaverse or the
technologies and solutions that will be
enabling the future of work, click here.

1. Research carried out by Coleman Parkes during October and
November 2022. Please note all % included in this report are an
average of both US and UK data.
2. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-in-
sights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-
more-of-it
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peo-
pleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/ishybrid-
workingheretostay/2022-05-23
3. Frost Sullivan survey of 2,021 global IT decision makers
Appendix

Meta: Four Predictions for the Future of Work

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