Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
- Coworking spaces have established a new benchmark for flexibility with features such as hot desking and adaptable meeting areas that cater to various work styles, and traditional offices can emulate these models to address employee requirements.
- Offering a variety of work environments, including comfortable lounges, ergonomic furniture, and designated quiet zones, can improve employee satisfaction.
- The coworking sector thrives by fostering diverse professional networks and creating valuable business opportunities. Traditional offices can replicate this by encouraging inter-departmental collaboration, collective problem-solving, and co-learning.
Changing employee expectations and new work trends are increasingly challenging the traditional office model.
Successful companies such as Uber, Spotify, and Instagram started in the coworking sector, highlighting the immense potential these environments can provide.
Traditional offices can draw inspiration from these examples to create conditions conducive to entrepreneurialism, productivity, business growth, meaningful relationships, and overall well-being.
Here are some key aspects of coworking that could help a stagnant office attract and retain modern workers and remain competitive:
1. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Innovation
The coworking sector has set a new standard for flexibility with hot desking, adjustable meeting spaces, and flexible membership packages that accommodate diverse needs and preferences, supporting various work styles.
Adopting the “hot desk”’ model and flexible scheduling can help traditional offices respond more effectively to changing business needs.
State-of-the-art technology is prevalent in coworking, with high-tech tools and digital platforms enhancing productivity and collaboration. Traditional offices should invest similarly in robust technology and communication platforms to bridge the divide between onsite and remote work.
Coworking spaces nurture start-ups and innovators, promoting an entrepreneurial spirit. Traditional offices can follow suit by encouraging experimentation, rewarding innovation, and supporting new ideas and risk-taking.
Coworking spaces empower their members by enabling them to choose their own workspace and work schedules. Traditional offices could adopt similar values by offering flexible work options and adaptable workspace layouts, ensuring relevance in a rapidly changing business landscape.
2. Collaboration, Community and Networking
Traditional offices can gain valuable insight into networking and collaboration by examining the successful practices of coworking spaces.
Coworking environments excel at facilitating connections among diverse professionals — leading to valuable connections, knowledge exchange, and potential business opportunities. Traditional offices can emulate this success by encouraging interaction, collective problem-solving, and co-learning.
Active community management is another hallmark of coworking spaces, with staff engaging members, facilitating connections, and organizing community-building activities based on feedback.
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Traditional offices can enhance workplace culture by proactively establishing interpersonal connections and creating a more engaging environment.
Offering professional development opportunities, such as networking events and skill-sharing workshops, is another effective strategy employed by coworking centers.
Strategic workspace design is vital within coworking spaces, which often feature open-plan layouts and communal kitchens to promote social interaction and idea-sharing.
Traditional offices can adopt similar designs by incorporating communal areas such as break rooms or comfortable lounges, which can generate spontaneous discussions.
Additionally, visual prompts such as notice boards keep employees informed about events and opportunities, which can help alleviate isolation and enable more flexible collaboration without rigid corporate hierarchies.
Coworking spaces also excel at organizing cross-disciplinary events that turn casual interactions into strategic opportunities.
Traditional offices can replicate this by rotating employees across departments to encourage collaboration and broaden their perspectives.
3. Investment in State-of-the-Art Features and Amenities
Coworking centers have redefined comfort and functionality by offering top-tier amenities and workspace design.
These amenities range from recreational facilities to ergonomic furniture — all contributing to a more engaging, comfortable, and supportive work environment. Unique perks, nap rooms, quiet spaces, well-equipped kitchen areas, convenient office locations (near public transport), and secure parking and bike storage can also improve the employee experience and enhance the attractiveness of traditional offices.
An advantage of coworking spaces is their ability to offer various work environments. Offering employees a variety of workspaces, such as lounges or designated quiet zones, can cater to different needs and preferences.
Many coworking centers also provide a personalized service, emphasizing small details that significantly impact the member experience. Investing in customized amenities and thoughtful design could also enable offices to achieve higher work satisfaction rates, as employees feel more valued.
In coworking centers, employees often have personalized workspaces, a practice that Gen Z has termed “Yassifying.” These “Yassified” cubicles could attract younger employees back to the office.
The coworking sector strives to combine practicality with aesthetic appeal and is renowned for using vibrant colors, unique art, and contemporary furniture in workspace designs.
Traditional offices could follow this design philosophy to transform bland, uninspiring environments into stimulating workspaces. Involving employees in the workspace design and gathering feedback to ensure the environment meets their needs can give them a sense of ownership.
4. Efficient and Scalable Practices
One of the key lessons traditional offices can learn from coworking spaces is the importance of scalability.
In 17 of the top 20 U.S. cities with the largest price differences, coworking memberships are less than half the cost of traditional office leases. Coworking spaces offer flexible lease terms and various workspace options, such as hot desks and private offices, to accommodate fluctuating workforce sizes and changing business requirements.
Traditional offices could adopt similar flexible leasing options, allowing them to scale operations up or down based on current needs.
This approach accommodates growth and provides the agility required to respond to market changes effectively. The cost-sharing model used in coworking spaces, where premium amenities are shared among multiple users, can also be adopted by traditional work environments.
Sharing resources and facilities among different teams or departments can significantly reduce overhead costs and improve cost efficiencies.
Coworking spaces tend to have higher utilization rates compared to traditional offices. Offices can maximize space efficiency by adopting more flexible layouts that reduce the need for large, underutilized areas.
Traditional offices should identify and repurpose unused or underutilized spaces into creative, functional, or communal areas. For instance, using features such as plants, lighting, and bookcases can create aesthetically pleasing boundaries instead of rigid panels or cubicles.
This approach not only enhances the appeal of the office but also improves space efficiency.
5. Green and Sustainable Approaches
Coworking spaces are at the forefront of implementing green practices to attract eco-conscious members. They utilize energy-efficient lighting, commit to comprehensive recycling programs, and use sustainable materials.
By integrating similar eco-friendly practices — such as switching to LED lighting, establishing office-wide recycling efforts, and choosing sustainably sourced materials for furniture and office supplies — offices can significantly reduce their environmental footprint.
Sustainability expert Sam Pickering highlights how the location of coworking spaces, often close to where people live, contributes to lower carbon emissions by reducing travel pollution.
Traditional offices could adopt this emphasis on sustainability by exploring satellite office options and promoting remote work arrangements.
Coworking spaces achieve higher utilization rates compared to traditional offices. This efficient use of space translates to a reduced carbon footprint per occupant and improved energy efficiency.
Traditional offices could reduce their overall environmental impact by utilizing every square foot of office space. Shorter lease lengths in coworking spaces also minimize the need for frequent renovations, which reduces carbon emissions associated with producing and transporting new materials.
Offices can adopt similar sustainability practices by prioritizing energy efficiency and waste reduction. Implementing energy-efficient HVAC systems, smart thermostats, LED lighting, and maintaining optimal insulation are some ways to enhance energy conservation.
Many coworking spaces focus on achieving green certifications and incorporating sustainability into their design. Traditional offices can follow suit by striving for eco-friendly certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).
Integrating sustainability into office design and core operations benefits the environment and aligns with the growing societal demand for eco-conscious business practices.
6. Prioritizing Holistic Health
Coworking spaces are often designed to meet the diverse needs of their members.
As discussed in an Allwork.Space podcast featuring Executive Director and ESG and sustainability expert Sam Pickering, the coworking sector’s focus on member wellbeing sets a precedent for traditional offices to enhance employee wellness.
Coworking spaces are known for their comprehensive wellbeing programs, including fitness classes, yoga sessions, and quiet spaces or meditation rooms. These supportive and engaging workplace features cater to both physical and mental health.
Traditional offices can benefit from integrating similar wellness amenities. For example, incorporating on-site fitness centers or offering memberships to nearby gyms can significantly enhance employee morale.
Offices could also provide more spaces to encourage social interaction and mental breaks from work, such as game zones or comfortable seating areas for informal discussions.
Additionally, hosting regular events and workshops, as coworking centers often do, covering topics such as mental health and stress management, can further support employee wellbeing.
Adopting the coworking sector’s approach to holistic health involves investing in employee-centric office design. For instance, robust security measures, such as secure entry systems and surveillance cameras, can ensure a safer work environment, preventing unnecessary anxiety.
Strategically located offices can reduce commute times, improving work-life balance. Private spaces or soundproof booths can provide privacy, mitigating noise-related stress. These features, often found in coworking spaces, not only support mental health but can contribute to improved overall wellbeing.
