Over the past few years, employees from younger generations have begun to prefer working situations that stray away from conventional desk jobs. No more do stale coffees, long hours & monotony cut it when they look for potential workspaces. In order to cater to this new need, community workspaces have begun to open up all over cities, commonly known as co-working spaces.

What’s coworking?

Coworking is the communal arrangement where employees from different companies come together & share an office space. Smaller organisations & start-ups have found that this sort of set up is more cost-effective since there is no need for infrastructural costs like rent, equipment, utilities, etc. This modern culture of a shared workspace appeals to freelancers as well as those who work from homes. It offers an alternate, work-oriented space for them which frees them from the isolation of working at home.

Why coworking?

Shared workspaces are the obvious choices for both growing & established organizations due to many reasons. The funny thing is that the limitations of traditional workspaces have emerged as the pros of coworking spaces. Let’s take a look at these factors.

• Promotes networking & collaboration

As a coworking culture brings people from different businesses under one roof, it breeds multiple opportunities for networking. Collaboration is a big part of this as different perspectives & ideas can lead to the birth of new avenues in both professional & personal spheres.

• It's cost effective

Most of the coworking spaces have a monthly rental which includes high-speed internet, multiple charging points, a variety of food & beverages, recreational spaces, dedicated spaces to sit & work for extended periods of time. This still is significantly cheaper than paying rent for a space & then paying more to procure these additional facilities. Companies which mostly run through tele-communication & digitally can work in a co-working space for longer periods of time for less money & better facilities overall.

• Boosts creativity

When different people come together, there is a merging of perspectives, culture, socioeconomic backgrounds & interests. This is bound to enrich one’s own outlook & help enhance creativity. Coworking spaces allow for people to spend time not only working but interacting with people from different parts of the city & world which leads to better personal development.

• Separates work from personal life

For freelancers & employees who work from home, it can become difficult to separate work-time from you-time. This happens when you find yourself working longer hours than needed, feeling overwhelmed whilst completing small home tasks or even not being able to focus on work because of external factors at home like a crying baby, loud neighbours, etc. In these situations, a co-working space can serve as a place for you to focus solely on work so that your home continues to be a place of rest & relaxation whilst you continue to be productive on the work-front.

• Balances work & wellness

Many co-working spaces like 2gethr in Bangalore focus on wellness as well as providing places to work. Offering classes for pottery, dance lessons & yoga thus bringing people into the space for more than just work & improving their overall wellbeing & creating a sense of community. Even workshops & seminars are conducted to benefit working professionals. Experts are called in to conduct sessions on boosting productivity, improving team performance, employee wellbeing, etc. Such events help people engage with each other in a fun & de-stressing way while also focussed on improving them.  

The coworking scene has changed with the onset of the pandemic

With the emergence of COVID-19, public & personal safety have become the foremost thoughts in everybody’s minds. Work from home (WFH) situations have become the norm, & yet, employees are always on the look out for COVID-safe places so that they can work from places other than their homes. Rajat Shukla, the co-founder of 2gethr, has identified three trends that have emerged during the pandemic & benefit the co-working culture. The 2gethr team has taken care to study & work on these upcoming trends to provide maximum satisfaction to their members.

The 3 emerging trends promoting coworking spaces are as follows:

1. Employee-first workspaces

This implies that employees are only choosing to work in spaces where they feel safe & comfortable. Contactless temperature monitoring, easy availability of hand sanitizers, regular fumigation, social distancing & contactless deliveries are some of the important conditions necessary to make shared workspaces like 2gethr COVID-ready.

2. Flexibility relating to real-estate

Small businesses & start-ups no longer have an immediate need for permanent office spaces due to the cost build-up & are more than comfortable working from home or occupying a few seats at a co-working space to work face-to-face with their team members. The frequent lockdowns & employee rotations have led to the emergence of this new culture, a hybrid work culture, & coworking spaces are the best fits for this.

3. The importance of community

COVID-19 has normalized isolation & monotony for a lot of people, which has paved the way for conditions like depression & burnout. By providing safe shared workspaces, individuals can form social bubbles & interact safely, which can provide them with a sense of community that they were previously missing. This can improve their mental state & create a community that they can lean on for support.

COVID-ready with a WELL precertification

With everything that is currently happening in the world, the importance of community & personal safety has never been more imperative. Co-working spaces have found a way to incorporate COVID safety & community-building along with their facilities to attract not only millennials but just about anybody who is open to being a part of an engaging community. Bangalore coworking spaces like 2gethr have received a WELL precertification demonstrating how proactive they are with regards to community health & wellness even before the pandemic of 2020 struck. As per the WELL v2 precertification, the 2gethr team has taken care to offer the following to their community members:

• Ergonomic workspaces to reduce body & mental stress
• Mental health support through workshops
• Thermal support
• Clean, filtered air
• RO+ & UV filtered potable water
• Responsible & ethically sourced food

‍Switching to a safe space is mandatory now but your workspace shouldn’t ask you to compromise on your freedom & creativity. That’s why a coworking space is the right choice for employee-first organizations like yours. With the increasing demand for flexible options, more & more leaders & management are opting for hybrid work culture & coworking spaces offer the best hybrid & flexible office solutions. Bangalore-based 2gethr has devised new plans & policies to welcome new members into their community making it easier for everyone to be productive & collaborate with their colleagues without abandoning safety & hygiene. So, don’t procrastinate anymore & hop on the coworking train right away.