The future of the office has been up in the air since the pandemic forced a mass exodus from these spaces.
Now that companies have explored alternative work solutions, amny are seeking to apply these new strategies in the long-term.
Demand from employees for more flexibility continues to rise, but there is simultaneous need for social interaction in an office and away from the distractions of home.
Trying to meet all these varying needs can be overwhelming, which is leading companies to turn to coworking operators to take care of outfitting workspaces.
“Demand for coworking space is very much driven by people who need a location to work that isn’t their home,” said Ben Munn, global flexible space lead at JLL. “We’ve seen demand increasing in near-to-home, suburban locations or dense residential areas and it tends to be for smaller requirements.”
The uptick in demand for coworking follows a slump the industry experienced last year. This growth is particularly impacting suburban areas as employees look to work closer to their homes and away from dense cities.
Operators were also forced to make major changes to their offices. Typically, coworking has been known to be high-density, with members sharing most amenities.
For Industrious, the company worked with epidemiologists, behavioral psychologists and more to reconfigure their spaces to ensure that employees and members were as safe as possible.
Using feedback from those working from home, Industrious created a new membership called Oasis which offers users a monthly membership with access to any Industrious location.
