IIM ROHTAK P re s e n ts humane.r@iimrohtak.ac.in HUMANE-R CLUB HR BULLETIN VOLUME 110
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Few aspects have captured our imagination recently as much as the Metaverse, in the way that it promises to fundamentally change the way we think, work, interact with others, and go about our lives And one of the most exciting prospects for the Metaverse to be successful in the future workplace is the transformation it can bring about in the employee learning experience. Before delving into that, though, it may be useful to briefly look at some of the learnings from our experience with traditional training models in the workplace. As a practitioner who has participated scores of times on both sides of the training experience, I’ve always felt there were a few practical challenges when it came to running highly effective interventions of behavioural training. First, such interventions, parts of which certainly require in person engagement and real time interaction, are expensive and difficult to scale up Emergent hybrid methods, involving certain sections of the session to be pre recorded and shown Since the earliest days of the Metaverse, though, one set of questions came up repeatedly. Are my experiences in a purely virtual world? Do I feel those sensations or emotions that I seem to experience?
Why the metaverse could be ideal for behavioural training
However, for the large majority of facilitators who conduct such pieces of training, the feedback from participants is often that it is not a lived in experience In others words, not “immersive” or “real” enough It is in this respect, in the realness, the true to life nature of the learning experience, that the Metaverse can make a huge impact Since the earliest days of the Metaverse, though, one set of questions came up repeatedly Are my experiences in a purely virtual world? Do I feel those sensations or emotions that I seem to experience? In Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy, a book published in January 2022, internationally renowned David Chalmers has argued that virtual worlds are not second class worlds and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. He includes not only interactions but also relationships, which, he contends, have real value, even if formed in a purely online, virtual world. This is all the more potent in situations when the physical reality is enhanced virtually Augmented Reality.
The most immediate aspect of any virtual world, including the Metaverse, is its incredible visual appeal. It may be interesting to cast our glance backwards for a moment, into the earliest forms of such production Even a generation after Vermeer of Delft and other Dutch painters of the 17th century used the camera obscura to create paintings of astonishing realism, a standard criticism was still being levelled against the use of all mechanized implements
. The Metaverse would recreate the nuances of a global, multi cultural, über competitive and stressful environment, so much so that it feels like the real thing. Then, the instances of bias begin to kick in, subtly, one by one: gender, age, and given that the large part of the simulation is in an Indian context, aspects of creed, regionality and community all come into play Since the incidents are happening to my digital avatar, or of others, due to a fairly high sense of identification with our respective avatars, we react and emote spontaneously to stressors or provocation The experience is immersive, and the takeaways, therefore, are far more deep rooted Now, we’ll add an interesting layer of complexity to this training experience We are still in the same stressful, globalised, multi cultural environment, and the work scenario, too, is the same The only difference is that my digital avatar is now a young, Black woman. Once I’ve crossed the initial “identity hurdle”, I begin to notice things. A stray, just barely heard comment, about my attire or shade of lipstick, the way the other digital avatars move and behave when mine is in their proximity, or perhaps being instructed by my boss to take notes in a couple of back to back meetings. It is only then that, perhaps for the first time in my life, I may begin to imagine what a young Black woman feels like, as she walks through the front office door.
Regardless of the depth and sophistication of the toolsets, methodology, case studies, and roleplay exercises the effectiveness of behavioural training in the in person world depends, to a considerable extent, upon the energy, passion, expertise and articulation of the participating trainers. An inspired trainer can surely work wonders.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic hr/why the metaverse could be ideal for behavioural training 34880 3 asynchronously, followed by in person interventions, may offer some form of solution to the problem of scalability while tempering costs. However, these training modes do not address another kind of challenge the realness of the learning experience.
Philosophical arguments aside, there is a powerful and tangible reason why experiences in the Metaverse can feel intensely real and this is the use of neuroscience. Certain precise combinations of AR and VR can cause the sensation of being in a particular physical place, by activating the hippocampal place cells through one’s headset the precisely identical “GPS neurons” that inform the brain when one inhabits that same place in the real world Similarly, take the experience of inhabiting one’s own body in the Metaverse through a digital clone, and interacting with others The Metaverse has the power to activate the same brain to brain attunement between individuals that occurs during interactions in the real world, affecting empathy and the recognition of intentions Likewise, VR and AR can also come together, to activate the same brain to brain stimulation or synchrony that occurs when group interactions take place in the physical world. To illustrate this, let us suppose I’m attending an organization wide training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with a special emphasis on “Recognizing Bias”
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Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/talent management/what does it take for employers to attract and retain talent today 34929 4
To win in the war of talent, tech companies globally have announced workplace changes to better meet the needs of young talent, which in return supports their aggressive company growth
What does it take for employers to attract and retain talent today?
It has been an ongoing challenge for employers to attract and retain younger employees who tend to change jobs every few years Since the pandemic, many of these young employees have experienced a more obvious misalignment between what they look for in a job and what their employers offer, which further accelerated the pace of their job switch. According to LinkedIn’s data, Gen Z employees are changing jobs at a rate of more than doubled in 2019. With the number of job vacancies returned to or exceeded the pre covid level in many locations across the Asia Pacific, including Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, young employees are more open to new opportunities. To retain and attract Generation Z, a different strategy is required. A lot of research has shown that young employees are consistent proponents of virtual work and flexibility. To win in the war of talent, tech companies globally have announced workplace changes to better meet the needs of young talent, which in return supports their aggressive company growth In hindsight, workplace flexibility is one of many benefits that is commonly provided to enhance the work life balance of employees and increase staff retention Workplace flexibility is the bottom line In 2020 when the Australian bred tech company Atlassian informed their employees that they can choose wherever they want to work, the level of employee satisfaction and the number of applications increased significantly, which has been crucial to supporting the growth of the company, Atlassian CEO Scott Farquhar shared in an interview
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Breaking Free: HR leaders on a future of work that's free from bias
‘Freedom at work is bringing your best self to work’ For Raman, freedom at work is an opportunity for an individual to bring their best self to work. “One should have the authority to act in line with the organisation's values and demonstrate behaviour that As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, People Matters asked HR leaders about the one thing they would want to change with an independent and free mind to deliver in the future of work and what does freedom at work mean to them.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/culture/breaking free hr leaders-on-a-future-of-work-thats-free-from-bias-34881
The past two years have seen a complete overhaul in the concept, nature, and processes of work and the workplace and the human resources (HR) department is at the heart of this major shift As organisations start to settle, recover and move forward in the new era, the role of HR has become even more crucial, as it goes to outspan its core area As we celebrate 75 years of independence, it is a great opportunity for HR leaders to revisit thoughts on the future of work So, this Independence Day, we asked HR leaders what it is that they would want to change with an independent and free mind to deliver in the new era of work and what does freedom at work mean to them ‘Display 'boundarylessness' in your work’ Our freedom fighters went beyond their respective states, castes, creed and religion to come together to make 'India' independent, and HR leaders say this sentiment has to be replicated at work too “As an HR leader, I'd like people to display 'boundarylessness' in their work by moving beyond their own team, business units and locations to solve customer problems as one organisation. This will enable the future of work to move from inter dependence to independence,” says Raman S R, chief people officer at advanced battery technology and deep technology startup Log9 Materials.
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The power balance has shifted between employers and employees as a more digitally talented workforce feels more empowered to take control of how, where and when they work Business and HR leaders need to acknowledge these trends and change their approach to technology and people if they’re to succeed in attracting and fulfilling the best talent in the country.
To date, most digital transformation has centred around the idea that people should change the way they operate to align themselves to the technology in which business and technology leaders have decided to invest
Achieving this means a fresh look at technology, not just on the tools that are leveraged, but how to build them into an organisation and create a workforce built upon digital muscle.
Agender bias may be creeping into artificial intelligence. What role can men play? Winning the war on talent by building serious digital muscle
The global workforce is changing, becoming more digitally ready despite a long road ahead. A recent report by Salesforce gave India the highest score out of 19 countries on digital readiness. more at: hr/winning the war-on-talent-by-building-serious-digital-muscle-34892
Tech works for us, not the other way around.
The sentiment is usually well intentioned many technology projects are deployed to make staff more productive, reduce time spent on more tedious tasks, and improve their overall workforce experience But how many leaders take the time to make sure that’s how it’s understood at the coal face? The answer is very few from my experience The simple fact is, that we’re creatures of habit and we struggle with change There are many reasons why people don’t quickly adapt to new things: comfort with the old ways, presumption that there will be difficult teething issues that will make the change difficult, fear, or concern it will lead to a clash between the coal face and leadership. What does this innovation mean for my role? Is this the first step in a machine or an application taking over my role?...
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https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic
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Read more at: engagement/rethinkinghttps://www.peoplematters.in/article/employee-mental-health-in-a-hybrid-work-era-34967 7 H U M A N E R | V O L U M E 110
The HR team needs to be attentive to understand what stress employees are managing while at work
Rethinking mental health in a hybrid work era
The COVID 19 pandemic has changed not only business dynamics but also the approach toward wellness Compassion and empathy are no longer just nice to have qualities; they are essential to work Companies across the globe actively participate in community awareness and interest in mental health and well being through awareness campaigns and ‘outreach’ activities However, even talking about mental health issues every year is not enough as employees experiencing challenges tend to feel isolated and are often unable to ask for assistance. The initiatives alone tend to remain static at face value but not in action. Broadly, there are four dimensions to well being physical, social, financial, and emotional. Almost all have been challenged during the pandemic, in varying degrees, across different geographies. Thus, mental health conditions that already existed before are now intensified among employees. With blurring lines between work and home space; burnout, stress, and personal problems are rising, and well being and mental health are now more critical than ever. Organisations must step in and ensure they have a healthy and happy workforce, as that translates into better teamwork, camaraderie, productivity, and overall wellness As remote or hybrid work model is a preferred choice of employees nowadays, businesses need to evolve and adapt to these solutions, whilst providing a secure work environment adequately supporting the workforce Employees around the globe are re assessing their career and life priorities, hence there is a need to have an open and inclusive environment that encourages dialogue about the challenges faced by employees and solutions provided by organisations to ensure mental well being and empower employees in all aspects of their lives
