These days, the term “coworking” is used as a catch-all phrase to cover a wide range of workplace solutions. So, we’ve decided to break down exactly what coworking is, first and foremost, and its benefits.
by Bond Collective
Coworking spaces serve as an alternative to traditional offices or home settings that allow both individuals and companies to work within a common environment, while still keeping connected. In most cases, coworking spaces offer communal amenities, like kitchens, private phone booths, printers, lounges, and conference rooms. They offer beyond what can be found in typical offices, with added perks like greater flexibility, a sense of community, networking opportunities, and even improved overall well-being.
Below, we cover the many benefits of offering your team a coworking option.
1. Coworking provides flexibility
One of the primary benefits that coworking spaces provide is the flexibility for workers to adjust where and how they work. Coworking spaces often have multiple locations and there are typically a variety of buildable office plans and desk layouts to choose from. That is, you can choose to rent a dedicated workspace or have the flexibility to move within an open floor plan of lounges, workspaces, and private rooms. Businesses working in coworking environments can benefit from being able to adjust their workspace to cater to a growing or shrinking team while only paying for what they need.
At Bond Collective, for instance, we offer coworking spaces coast to coast in six major cities, with multiple locations in New York and Chicago. In all our spaces, workers and businesses can choose from a variety of membership options to curate their needs in a thoughtfully designed environment.
2. Coworking spaces strengthen workers’ professional identities
Coworking spaces provide meaningful places for workers to network and make positive impressions. In a recent survey, researchers found that coworking spaces positively shaped workers’ professional identities. In the research, workers in coworking spaces established a sense of belonging amongst other professionals, startups, and businesses that allowed them to take their work seriously. And when meeting with clients, coworking spaces proved to help businesses make positive impressions.
3. Coworking improves employee well-being
Overall, research has found that coworking spaces improve workers’ productivity and serve as alternative spaces for employees to thrive socially. Studies found that 70% of members felt healthier, 68% of members became better focused, and 64% of members completed tasks faster when working in a coworking space.
Lonely employees suffer from poorer well-being and performance, and research shows that hybrid and remote work exacerbate loneliness. However, researchers discovered that more than 60% of respondents in one study found working from third sites, like coworking spaces, more socially fulfilling than working from both the office and home.
4. Coworking spaces allow workers to job-craft
Coworking improves employee well-being by allowing workers to job-craft, which means that they can choose who they engage with during the workday, and build relationships outside of their organization. Further interviews reveal that coworking spaces allow workers to escape pesky coworkers, build relationships with potential partners, remove pressure found in traditional office spaces, and exist within a communal environment with an agreed-upon social code of conduct and community activities to network.
5. Coworking spaces provide a sense of community
With remote work environments as a new norm, building a sense of community can be hard for many employees. Research shows that when people have a sense of community at work, they are more likely to thrive, be more engaged, and stay with their organization. Coworking spaces allow workers to create relationships with people outside of their network, and as hinted above, they often have community managers who provide workshops and networking opportunities for members to interact.
Whether you are a remote employee, startup, small business, or freelancer, coworking spaces have benefits that traditional workspaces and at-home offices cannot provide. At a coworking space like Bond Collective, no request is too big or small, and you choose from a variety of membership options to suit your needs. You can build out a private office space, book a private conference room, rent a dedicated desk, or buy a pass by the day or for the month that allows you access to the space’s luxurious open floor plan of workspaces and amenities.
Visit any one of Bond Collective’s many locations in the United States, including workspaces in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas. Call us today to find out more about everything we have to offer.
While you’re at it, schedule a tour to experience first-hand how Bond Collective can benefit your business.