The Potential of Holographic Avatars in the Hybrid Workplace: An Industrial/Organizational Psychology Perspective

Hybrid work, defined as a work arrangement that allows employees to perform work at different locations, will become the most prevalent work model in the next decade. While hybrid work has many benefits, such as the flexibility for employees to work in ways that are most effective for them, it also has drawbacks. Hybrid work is often characterized by ambiguity in work-related information and ineffective communication and may lead to employees feeling disconnected from the rest of the team. Current computer-mediated communication interfaces used in hybrid and fully remote work situations still pose challenges to employees and organizations, such as screen fatigue and lack of non-verbal communication. In this position paper I describe a hypothetical holographic avatar-based two-way communication system that could be used in a variety of hybrid/remote work settings. I discuss how the proposed system could help overcome some of the limitations of current video conferencing tools, fulfill workers’ psychological needs and increase workers’ motivation.