2019: The Year of New Media at Work

New Media? Yes, but not at work

The digital tsunami has created a hyperconnected world. We live our lives through our phones. The mobile device has become our window to how we communicate, buy, learn and even date. But once you enter the workplace, we step back in time. It is as if the new media has stayed outside the world of work. 

Augmented Reality in Commerce 

“AR view lets you view products in your home before you buy them. You can see how they fit, and test how they look. Curious whether a throw pillow is the right shade of blue, or whether a mixer you like will fit under the counter? Now just pull out your phone to find out.”

That is just how you can shop at Amazon. The Amazon app now lets you pick a product from their store and see how it looks in your home. Does it clash with your décor or does it enhance the look you are comfortable with. 

New Media in Talent Management  

Simulate the job 

Imagine being able to use the same “try before you buy” principle when it comes to your career decisions. The best way to hire someone is to have him/her experience what that job could mean – both in terms of challenges and opportunities. That is the equivalent of having a pilot demonstrate the skills in a low risk environment like a flight simulator before letting the person fly the multi-million-dollar aircraft. What if we could do the same for every job?  

Experience a walk through 

Augmented Reality is being used to help people shop. Why not use the same technology to let people decide whether a particular job is what they expect it to be. Currently, people have to believe the sales-pitch or read reviews on some sites to take a call. AR apps can make that sample experience a vital part of the decision-making process. The scientist who you wish to hire can see the lab equipment even as the hiring decision is being finalized. It is possible to do this without having the person step in to the office.  The talent acquisition process can be an immersive experience for the employer and the candidate. It should simulate what it is like to work together. It should help answer what it would feel like to be part of the team. That experience can be a powerful way to integrate and onboard the new hires. 

Holographic Images – the possibilities 

Recently Imperial College Business School organized an event called Women in tech. They brought in speakers from Los Angeles and New York. What is new, you may ask. These speakers were brought in via holographic images. The speakers who were brought in as holograms could see the audience, speak to the audience and take their questions. https://youtu.be/ziIoUfzsk_QImagine the possibilities that could throw up. The leaders of the organization could do hologram briefings about their vision to students on campus. They could teach a class anywhere in the world. It takes collaboration to the next level. What a fantastic way it could be to run a geographically distributed team.  

New Media is Being Used Already 

When Jaguar Land Rover needed to source talent to fill Graphics Performance, Cyber Systems, Software Development and App Development positions, they partnered with British band Gorillaz to recruit the next generation of world-class electronics and software engineers through the virtual band’s alternate reality app.  They created a free app where candidates can learn more about electric vehicles and play fun but demanding code-breaking puzzles. Those who perform well are then fast-tracked through the recruitment process.  

New Media Adoption in 2019 

A veteran theme park designer said, “The secret sauce of theme parks is that they’re really about the experience they create between people who are visiting.” The way the new theme parks are doing it is to let the visitors not only pose for pictures with the characters, but to go beyond. They can help Mickey Mouse look for Minnie Mouse who is lost somewhere in the theme park.To reimagine the workplace as an experience, one needs to understand the new media. Whether it is AR or VR or Mixed Reality or Holograms or even podcasts, there is lots to choose from. For that the HR teams will need to learn enough about the new media and then layer it with their imagination and creativity to create the experiences. The workplace needs to be a deeper digital experience and instant access to information is one way to create that. The HR teams must work with people who understand web design, user interface design, video production, data visualisation and of course, content creation.  I hope in 2019, new media will let HR truly become employee experience designers. That would be a workplace the employees would want to go to every day. Just how does one design an experience? <READ THIS>Join me on LinkedIn and Twitter @AbhijitBhaduri