USA 
United Kingdom
IKEA is thinking outside of the box with the launch of a new virtual store on the gaming platform Roblox, in an unusual bid to attract talent.
According to Marketing Week, a new campaign called ‘Careers Done Different’ will launch this week.
Having created a store in the virtual universe, IKEA will first invite Roblox players to apply for paid positions.
The furniture company hopes this new approach will demonstrate to younger generations that IKEA could be a fun, exciting, and forward-thinking place to begin a career.
Applications are due in by June 16, with the virtual store set to open on June 24.
During the recruitment process applicants must present an updated resume, complete a questionnaire, and make it through a digital interview. Ten positions are available.
Successful Roblox players will be able to enter the immersive world and wonder between departments, trying out different experiences as a virtual IKEA worker.
Why recruit on Roblox or other virtual platforms?
IKEA hopes that the freedom the workers will have in the virtual world will reflect the real-life “flexible career progression” on offer at the company—and represent a novel angle for attracting talent.
“To bring career progression at Ikea to life, it made sense to demonstrate the co-worker journey in a less traditional way, by ‘recruiting’ people to try it out for themselves at IKEA on Roblox,” Kemi Anthony, a marketing communications manager at IKEA, tells Marketing Week.
“Once Ikea on Roblox opens, they (and we) will be able to appreciate the employee experience in ways that we’ve never been able to do with traditional recruitment marketing,” he adds.
Speaking to Marketing Interactive, Darren Taylor, IKEA’s people and culture manager for the UK says the company is the only company to offer compensation for work on the video gaming platform.
"We're excited to be the first brand to launch paid work on Roblox to showcase how we do careers differently, bringing our unique career philosophy to life," he stated.
The freedom of the experience in the ‘Co-Worker’ world is designed to reflect IKEA’s the flexibility of the career progression on offer at the company. “Our co-workers are able to change roles, switch departments and grow in any direction they choose, both in the game or in the real world,” Taylor continues. “There are many ways to learn and grow at IKEA, and that's what IKEA on Roblox is all about.”
For the time being, candidates must be over 18 years old and live in the UK or Ireland.
While IKEA’s move to offer paid roles in a virtual Roblox store is a first, other companies have launched virtual worlds, stores, and locations on Roblox and other similar platforms.
Virtual and metaverse worlds have become a popular avenue for businesses and brands to meet particularly with a younger audience, offering them an immersive and unique experience.
Roblox itself has previously created a virtual world designed to engage early careers talent.
“We decided to build this experience specifically for candidates who are just starting out their careers, many of whom are already familiar with our platform from when they played on Roblox as they were growing up,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick, Senior Director of Early Career Talent at Roblox, when the company announced the career center in August 2023.
“We think this is a great way to showcase the Roblox platform and help candidates visualize themselves working here.”
