IKEA Will Pay People £13.15 an Hour to Serve Meatballs at Its Virtual Roblox Store

Furniture store IKEA will pay people £13.15 / €14.80 per hour to work in a virtual store it’s opening inside Roblox.

The Co-Worker Game, as it’s called, will let players “experience working in IKEA’s virtual universe”, the company said. “Fans will be able to live their home furnishing dreams and get paid for it, with a limited number of paid roles available,” IKEA continued. Applications run to June 16, with the game itself launching June 24.

“The immersive experience gives players the opportunity to experience IKEA’s unique approach to careers where non-linear career journeys are the norm and lateral moves across departments are commonplace,” IKEA said. It is IKEA’s first foray into mainstream gaming.

There are paid shifts on offer for 10 successful applicants. They’ll help customers and get promoted to move departments, working in different sections of the store like the Showroom and Bistro, helping people choose their furniture, and even serving meatballs.

“We’re excited to be the first brand to launch paid work on Roblox to showcase how we do careers differently, bringing our unique careers philosophy to life,” commented IKEA’s Country People and Culture Manager, Darren Taylor. “At IKEA, there is no set route to career progression. 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. There are many ways to learn and grow at IKEA, and that’s what IKEA on Roblox is all about.”

Digging into the detail, virtual interviews for shortlisted applicants take place for the fully remote virtual role between Thursday, June 14 and Tuesday, June 18. Each successful applicant will be paid an hourly IKEA Co-Worker rate for their time on the game. You have to be 18+ and in the UK or Republic of Ireland to apply. Successful applicants will be paid £13.15 (approx $16.78) per hour, the IKEA hourly rate of pay for a London member of staff. The wage matches the London Living Wage set in the UK, rather than the lower National Living Wage.

Roblox, which has an incredible 77.7 million daily active users, is used by a number of companies to promote their brands with virtual experiences. But the platform and the company behind it has been accused of “exploiting” children who develop many of the experiences available to play. Roblox has denied this.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].