A decade ago, coworking spaces were a niche fad that only the startup founders were raving about. Freelancers and work-from-home employees started embracing these places and now, coworking environments have become mainstream.
More and more people in the smallest of cities want to work in vibrant environments connected with the local community. They are looking for flexible and versatile solutions, breaking the constraints of working alone at home or at the local cafes which, in many cases, is isolating and distracting.
Part of the reason for the unprecedented growth of coworking spaces, averaging 23% per year since 2010 in the U.S., has been technology. There has been a steady rise of startups, freelancers and hybrid workers who use technology to automate and streamline their work, doing more in less time.
Another reason, if we look at the surge in the last four years, is the pandemic, which forced people to refrain from going to offices. This broke a decades-old spell, an assumption that work only happens when one goes to the office every morning. As the recent Amazon fiasco demonstrates, a forceful back-to-office mandate isn’t the best way to deal with employees.
We look at some digital tools, automation, and working models that have redefined these spaces in terms of convenience and security.
A desktop or a workstation is just one of the places where work happens. Tools like Slack allow professionals to collaborate instantly even if they only have their smartphones with them.
Google Workspace has revolutionized document work, as it syncs all of our devices, allowing us to pick up work from exactly where we left off, from whatever device we have with us, be it an iPhone or an iPad. Other tools like Notion are handling project management and knowledge bases for large, remote teams.
This flexibility makes coworking spaces a great choice for digital nomads and corporate executives who work in small cities and exotic, far-away places, avoiding the big metros.
Technological tools that most of us take for granted for years have created the coworking space phenomenon. In regions like North Penn, which has seen a steady rise in coworking spaces, new technologies like automated lighting, climate control, HD video conferencing tools, and visitor management systems are in good demand.
As noted by Greetly, coworking spaces are building a community by providing a welcoming shared space where the locals can interact with each other. They can also form lasting connections, something not possible while working from the living room alone.
Visitor management systems, for instance, make coworking spaces highly secure, ensuring only authorized people have access to the premises. A professional environment is maintained without spending on security staff. To know more about this, click here.
Online collaboration, where remote teams work with each other, gets isolating after a while. Professionals working alone are completely devoid of any physical collaboration, and digital fatigue sets in.
Coworking spaces have a set of people working alongside them physically. If they are working together on the same kind of projects, the result is more productivity and an increase in work satisfaction.
Real communities can be paired with virtual ones where everyone can share ideas and network. The result is a win-win for everyone.
Most workers have realized that it’s not easy going to the office and reaching at 8:30 am every day. Covid was the catalyst. Now even regular working professionals are opting for a hybrid model of work, thanks to the technological products and services that enable working away from the office.
Coworking spaces are welcoming this as they are well-equipped to support the hybrid working model by providing office-goers.
The rapid adoption of technology, like video conferencing apps, is another example.
The coworking space phenomenon couldn’t have been possible without technology. People are able to connect in faraway places, collaborate together and are in safe, secure environments. The WFH(work from home) options pale in comparison, as robust networks and professional, secure environments are superior to working alone at home, any day.
Work-life balance is now essential and is known to enhance productivity and happiness, and coworking spaces are great enablers of this.
Freelancers, startup owners, and corporate executives have given their thumbs up to this third option, and the future of work is happening here.
