At its creation the Second Life technology was intended to serve as a virtual world for those looking for an opportunity to be part of an online community. The people who partake in these online communities are almost given a chance at living another life. More recently major corporations such as IBM adopted similar technologies to assist the globalization of their company. By using such technologies, companies are able to let workers come together through the virtual world to build a sense of community within companies that often have workers scattered throughout different companies. While many aspects of this plan are new to many companies, many ideas are already showing results. Companies such as Xerox use the actual Second Life technology to host virtual meetings in their offices. At a 2007 conference, Xerox allowed people who could not attend the conference to participate via live cams and text chats to interact with the people who were there. Another company, Cisco actually uses the Second Life virtual community to recruit within their company. Microsystems has chosen to use this technology to assist in connecting all of their user-databases and user-verification systems throughout their entire company. While this has proven to be an effective system in connecting global companies, often times troubles arise when CEOs and officials are not familiar with the system and its technology. Questions still remain as to the cost of this system and whether or not it is cost efficient.
In a world that now relies on the best methods of communication, using technologies such as Second Life can make the task much easier. By deciding to employ such technologies the company is making necessary adaptations in today’s world. With many companies currently globalizing, it is crucial to have an efficient system to allow the people of the company to interact and even “meet” with other people within the company. Ideas such as those used by Unilever, which include letting teams meet globally is an effective idea for any company. By allowing a branch to be made up of people all throughout the world, Unilever is allowing each of its teams to have the best and most qualified people. I do, however, find that recruiting new workers through this system is an idea that is not without its flaws. Recruiting is a crucial part of a company’s operations. Companies should avoid virtual meeting for recruits, as it is still important to be able to interact with the person face to face. Using a website, even if it is a “virtual world,” is a flawed way of recruiting for any company. Perhaps in the future when the system and concept gains more steam, companies can use this as an effective recruiting tool but until then I feel it should not be used. On the whole, the integration of Second Life type technologies into many of today’s biggest corporations should lead to nothing but increased success and effectiveness within the company. If it becomes accepted by many of the major companies today, this concept has the opportunity to spread and become a fixture for all companies.
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3 comments:
I agree with the author of this blog in that virtual recruiting is a method with a great deal of flaws. I feel that we are almost becoming too technologically advanced for our own good. While having the world at our fingertips is a great resource, it seems that we are getting a little ahead of ourselves and old methods are being replaced by what is "easy" or "cheap." I am particularly skeptical to all virtual world activity, especially after the Murder in the Virtual World article that we read a few weeks ago. Will people one day stop wanting to live their own lives and start living in the cyber world? Only time will tell.
I also agree with the author of this blog. I think that for the most part, companies using Second Life to hold meetings and such is a great way to keep their team in contact. But I also feel there is a point at which the use of this technology should stop. I do not think it is harmful to recruit through Second Life, but I think it is necessary to also hold a real life interview where you can get a better feel of who this person is you are considering to hire. Also, I do not really think the use of Second Life in everyday life (outside of companies use) is necessarily a good thing. There are plenty of games out there for people to participate in (like the Sims) that allow you to create new fun lives as an escape. The difference is, you can play a game like the Sims only periodically. It seems that the Second Life is a full time commitment that really takes away from human contact and a healthy life. Overall, I agree that this is a great technology to incorporate into the business world, not necessarily anywhere else.
When I was first introduced to Second Life, I was stunned. I knew technology was advancing, but never did I think our everyday lives would someday be lived through a computer. I think Second Life is great for corporations to hold meetings with employees that are overseas, or even for any type of collaboration between different countries. It could be a safe way to resolve war conflicts without involving real people. But, it is still difficult for me to understand that a real person can be put in jail for an action that an imaginary figure performed over the internet. Our world is becoming more and more money hungry and less interactive. When analyzing the qualities of a good leader, I think of someone who is a good listener, someone who is confident, hardworking, persistent, intelligent, easy to talk to, and has great communication skills. I can't see how these attributes can be fully displayed over the internet.
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