How Coworking Spaces Have Helped the Shift toward Remote Hybrid Work

The hybrid model has now taken hold. Companies have become aware of the benefits of remote and office-based work. Statistics show, however, that employees want a flexible remote hybrid model.

A recent report from Condeco found that 85% of their 1500 US-based workers desire remote and hybrid work options. Employees increasingly want employers to allow them to function from anywhere and anytime, across whatever time zones. As a result, companies should aim to meet their employees’ desires for remote hybrid work.

While many companies during the pandemic were able to transition to remote hybrid work quickly, an unprecedented shift in traditional workplaces and the way we work is taking shape.

What Is Remote Hybrid Work?

Remote Hybrid work is a combination of working in the office and working remotely. Working remotely can include operating from home, or working for a company without a headquarters. In solely remote companies, employees work from wherever they want, including outside of their home country.

Working remotely can also include shared workplaces or coworking spaces, like coffee shops, lounges, or workspace rentals. These spaces also offer shared housing and hoteling options for individual remote workers, or for teams to gather in a chosen central destination.

Hybrid models require flexibility to accommodate working across time zones while balancing others’ needs. Remote hybrid work combines both models. However, remote hybrid work is more than WFH on MWF and commuting into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s an elastic combination of employees working together, based on location and schedules.

With remote hybrid models, as long as teams can coordinate with each other to complete deliverables, finish projects, and accomplish milestones to complete company objectives, employees can choose where and when they want to work.

Remote Coworking Increases Revenue

For companies adopting a remote hybrid model, remote coworking spaces offer many benefits to companies looking for ways to reduce real estate costs, increase well-being and productivity. It’s also a way for organizations to become central coworking hubs to bring their remote hybrid employees together in exciting places for innovation and collaboration.

Providing remote coworking spaces for the workforce is one way companies can save a bundle, which brings in more revenue. Before the pandemic, coworking spaces such as Mindspace and Office Evolution touted cost savings of 20% to 40% for companies investing in shared workspaces versus traditional leased office space.

Global Workplace Analytics has done extensive research on the benefits of remote and flexible work, which includes insights to the significant real estate savings organizations can save by ditching their long-term lease investments. For example their aggregated research showed:

• IBM slashed real estate costs by $50 million
• Average real estate savings with full-time telework is $10,000/employee/year
• Sun Microsystems saves $68 million a year in real estate costs

Now, coworking spaces are back in demand. Recent reports from the Business Research Company expects the global coworking space market to reach $30 billion in 2026 from $13 billion in 2021.

Flexible Workspaces Create a Productive Culture

Over the past three years, companies have focused even more on providing flexible workspaces that cater to a remote hybrid workforce. The benefits? Enhanced company culture, in-person connection, and promoted well-being among employees.

Atlassian and Salesforce are leading the trend right now. For example, Atlassian recently launched its Team Anywhere office from Austin. And, Salesforce created Trail Blazer Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

In addition to cost savings, organizations providing coworking spaces can benefit from productivity gains. Companies offering subsidized coworking memberships to their employees show they take their workforce needs seriously.

Coworking spaces can help overcome the challenges associated with remote hybrid work significantly. Many employees experience isolation, lack of structure, and blurred boundaries between personal and work time while working from home. When employers offer coworking options, workers can experience increased well-being and quality of life, resulting in greater productivity.

Remote Hybrid Workspaces Provide Community

Even if your workforce has adapted well toward creating private workspaces within their homes, it’s still easy to fall out of balance. The personal needs of household members or the to-do list to manage home life can easily disrupt a workday.

A surefire way to tackle the issues associated with remote hybrid work is for companies to provide the option of a remote shared workspaces. A remote shared workspace can provide employees with the structure and boundaries needed to create more focus, mitigate personal distractions and overcome feelings of isolation.

A shared workspace can immediately reduce the problem of loneliness related to isolation, particularly in spaces with other remote workers. Long before the pandemic coworking hubs became widely popular among freelancers and a growing number corporate teleworkers. The benefits are hard to deny. The following Harvard Business Review research study surveying members of co-working spaces show:

• 79% said co-working expanded their social networks
• 83% reported they are less lonely since joining a co-working space
• 89% reported they are happier since joining a co-working space

Shared Workspaces Offer Focus

In addition to reducing feelings of isolation, becoming a member of a shared workspace can provide the structure needed to focus on work. Shared working environments are excellent sources for technology hubs providing high-speed internet access and plenty of ports to keep your devices charged. Members of co-working hubs surveyed in the Harvard Business Review study reported fewer distractions than working from home or in a coffee shop.

Co-working spaces provide the feeling of working from the office and give workers the structure and the boundaries they need to focus and create a better work-life balance. Shared work environments can provide stronger boundaries between work and home life with the following:

• A focused workplace outside of home to mitigate distractions
• A reason to dress for success and conduct video calls in a professional manner
• An ability to create boundaries for work hours that won’t impede personal time

When workers can concentrate better, they can function more efficiently and proactively. Shared workspaces and options present remote workers the choice of their preferred work environments. When companies provide various workspace options, employees have the chance to perform at their best.

Coworking spaces give companies and their staff more choices in their work-life. It shows employers are willing to take action. It also leverages an opportunity to save money. Ultimately, shared workspaces create win-win scenarios for employers and employees shifting to the remote hybrid model.