NearDesk Survey: How to Attract Hot-Desk Workers

Published on March 16, 2016 - By Jo Meunier (née Disney)

When prospective clients set out to find a new serviced office or coworking space, there are usually two factors that vie for top priority: good Wi-Fi and location.

Wi-Fi is the easy part. In today’s digital age, it’s a staple of everyday business and absolutely necessary in a coworking space. No question.

However, location is a little more challenging.

A workspace is either in the right place or it’s not. But as we know, not every business owner or staff member needs a physical office in the same location all of the time. Some work from home, some travel, some split their time between client offices. Location is important to every client for one reason or another, regardless of what they do and how they do it.

So what if we could re-position the question of location, and focus more on circumstance instead?

One company that understands the importance of location more than many is NearDesk (the clue is in the name), a flexible working ‘passport’ that lets people swipe in and out of a network of coworking and hot-desk spaces. NearDesk recently polled 7,000 of its members to find out what they look for in their daily working arrangements, and found some fascinating results.

Rather than focusing specifically on location, NearDesk asked members to rate their most important factors when deciding where to work. Proximity to home was the most important requirement for the majority (42%) of respondents, more so than being in a town or city centre. This, according to the survey, is considered key to a good work/life balance.

Delving deeper into the findings, the survey generated a number of results that could help operators of flexible workspace enhance their marketing approach to attract more coworking and hot-desk users:

• Proximity to public transport is very important, as the majority of respondents (41%) look to travel by bus or train rather than car or bike. So if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Incorporate the names of local stations regularly throughout your online marketing material, including the time it takes to reach your space from those stations on foot.
• A variety of seating and space is essential. Specifically, clients want the space for more than just a desk, citing formal meetings, casual meetings, private phone calls, and concentrated work. Interestingly, members also want desks that can’t be overlooked by other coworking users. As we have reported many times before, the need for a mix of space to reflect certain activities, as well as different personalities, is becoming increasingly apparent.
• The ability to bring guests into the space is important, as is good coffee. In fact, 81% valued good ground coffee as an important part of their workspace (hear, hear!) while the majority also want kitchen facilities. But don’t bother with music, as nearly all respondents refute the need to have music playing in the office.
• As for price, more than 80% of respondents would pay up to £7 per hour to hot-desk. However that percentage quickly declines with the majority not willing to pay more than £10 per hour. The findings suggest that a day rate capped at £25 is acceptable to most, but above £30 will deter the majority.
• And in case you were wondering, 100% of respondents rate fast, inclusive Wi-Fi as “very important”.

Bear in mind that these findings do not reflect the ‘general’ business community; rather it focuses on business owners and workers who already tap into coworking spaces and hot-desks as part of their day-to-day workplace requirements.

It’s worth paying attention to these findings to gain greater understanding of what’s likely to drive hot-desk clients towards your spaces, and away from your competitors. Check out NearDesk’s infographic here