Newfangled Collaboration: Its Impact on Recruiting and Finding Work

Collaboration has become the lifeblood of progress and innovation. As we stand on the cusp of a new era of Web 3.0 and the emergence of the Metaverse, collaboration straddles an intersection between the physical workplace and a virtual Wild West. How are these transformative concepts reshaping talent acquisition, project assignments, and the very nature of collaboration itself?

The Promise of Metaverse

The Metaverse offers a unique environment where individuals, companies, and brands are taking ownership of virtual lands that exist in a videogame-like setting. If you join with an avatar, you may use the local currency to purchase things to support your avatar life, like designer Metaverse wearables from Dolce & Gabbana or a virtual reality soda from Coca Cola, (an NFT collectible). In fact, many other name brands are leaping in, scrambling to be among the first to create their own branded virtual workplace reality.

With your lifelike avatar, you can collaborate with global colleagues and vendors, partners, and customers, in an experience that is touted to help people work together “even more closely” using productivity tools and social features.

Web 3.0: Will it Make Us More Collaborative?

Imagine an internet that goes beyond simply connecting people and information. Web 3.0 is the next evolutionary phase of the internet, where decentralized technologies and blockchain-based platforms are set to redefine collaboration. Unlike its predecessors, Web 3.0 emphasizes trust, transparency, and individual empowerment. It leverages blockchain’s immutable nature to create a secure, peer-to-peer ecosystem that allows users to interact directly, cutting out middlemen and enabling more efficient collaboration. But efficiency alone does not necessarily ensure successful collaboration.

Collaboration: Success Takes an Engaged Village

Emerging platforms of today are diving into the essence of what it takes for collaboration to work: the better mousetrap is understanding what makes the better community. For Braintrust, a decentralized talent network, the promise is ownership of the Braintrust network, exclusive training and networking, and the ability to work “for yourself, not by yourself.” Meanwhile, Via, a new On Deck niche hiring network community targeting early-stage tech company founders touts its “connectors” as primary value. Connectors are recruiters/hiring managers who make personal recommendations for job seekers from first- or second-degree relationships to the community.

Collaboration is not solely measured by traditional metrics. Instead, the values and priorities of self-governing communities drive the definition of success and contribution. For example, Via and Braintrust reward individuals based on personal candidate referrals and other community engagement and contributions. By aligning rewards with community values, a shared purpose flourishes, laying the foundation for more meaningful work.

Innovators exploring what makes collaborative communities tick point to the human need for novelty and diversity to drive exploration as well as the need for finding common ground, or similarity to drive trust.

Could Coworking Companies Become Platforms for Collaboration?

Once hailed as collaboration powerhouses, coworking companies have faced challenges, prompting a reevaluation of their value proposition. Today, industry insiders view coworking companies as potential platforms for collaboration if they are prepared to emphasize interactions among members and reward those who contribute value to the community. By incorporating blockchain-powered tokens and incorporating learning, working, and playing, coworking companies can provide a fertile ground for successful collaborations.

Empowered Collaboration is OTW

Collaboration is undergoing a remarkable shift. The Metaverse offers an immersive environment that transcends physical limitations, fostering collaboration on a global scale. Web 3.0 empowers individuals, enabling direct interactions and cutting out intermediaries. We will likely see evolution and expansion of collaborative recruiting, hiring, and candidate community building in the foreseeable future.

Are you Looking Forward?

Coworking companies and others have begun reimagining how to supercharge communities with platforms that hold the potential to cultivate connections and meaningful collaborations. We’d love to chat with you about your vision for a collaborative future, and how we can continue to empower companies and individuals with opportunities for success.