London
CNN
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IKEA has put a brand new spin on distant working, looking for 10 real-life workers to work in its Roblox digital retailer that opens on June 24 and turning into the primary model to supply paid work on the gaming platform.
“This isn’t the everyday IKEA job,” the Swedish flatpack large mentioned within the listing for jobs in its Roblox outlet, known as “The Co-Employee Recreation.”
In a statement, IKEA described its transfer onto the Roblox platform as its “first foray into mainstream gaming,” saying “The Co-Employee Recreation” will give folks “an opportunity to immerse themselves within the working world” of the shop.
Based on the job posting, potential candidates should take into account how they might really feel about being changed into pixels and what they might do if the shop ran out of pixelated hotdogs. The posting additionally asks: “When you have been a (piece of) pixelated IKEA furnishings, which one would you be and why?”
If profitable, candidates, who have to be aged 18 and over and dwell in the UK or Eire to use, will work in numerous sections of the net retailer, serving to folks select their furnishings and serving digital meatballs.
They are going to be paid £13.15 ($16.82) an hour for the absolutely distant job, the identical charge as a typical real-life IKEA worker in London, an analogous wage to that of IKEA staff in the US and greater than double the US federal minimal wage.
They may work alongside unpaid Roblox gamers, who will get the prospect to serve prospects, go to varied showrooms, get promoted and use IKEA merchandise to arrange their digital area.
US-based gaming large Roblox (RBLX) permits customers to play user-created video games and create their very own and likewise blends components of a social media community so folks could make mates and discuss to builders as they discover digital worlds. It has grown in recognition lately and is now used month-to-month by about half of US youth, aged 12 to 17.
IKEA will not be the primary model to enter the digital world, following within the footsteps of Walmart (WMT), amongst others, which created a digital Roblox retailer permitting customers to purchase bodily gadgets and obtain them within the mail.
It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not prospects will be capable to purchase actual IKEA merchandise via its sport. CNN has reached out to IKEA for clarification.
The corporate’s uncommon job itemizing went viral on social media, with customers on X posting memes to precise their disappointment at not getting an interview and American TikTok customers sharing movies of themselves making ready, simply in case IKEA advertises the job in the US as nicely.