Shared workspaces have become the heartbeat of the hybrid economy, becoming a destination for both individuals and corporate employees who want to stay in their own neighborhoods.
When employees were sent home in droves during the pandemic, a dramatic shift evolved. It was awkward and bumpy, but technology allowed many to work from anywhere. Along with that newfound flexibility, though, came a stark realization: Working from home has very real drawbacks, from lack of space and privacy to endless distractions, isolation and loneliness. Not to mention the lack of face-to-face interaction with team members and management, which can stifle creativity, mentorship and advancement possibilities.
Luckily, there is an infrastructure in place to fill the gap between home and corporate headquarters: coworking offices. These shared spaces have become the heartbeat of the hybrid economy, becoming a destination for both individuals and groups of employees who are coming together in branded, satellite offices in their own neighborhoods.
You can read the full story in our white paper, The Power of the Hybrid Economy.
By offering a professional work environment closer to home, these spaces help maintain a healthy work/life balance while still providing opportunities for networking and collaboration. And in the case of THRIVE and its curated events and amenities, it can end up being an even better, more thoughtful work culture than the one employees left behind at HQ.
In an article in The New York Times — “Why Are Remote Corporate Workers Having More Fun? Co-Working Spaces” — researcher Travis Howell, an assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the University of California, Irvine, reports finding an increasing number of “corporate refugees” in coworking spaces. “They could have worked from home,” he says, “but the reason they were self-collecting into the coworking spaces is because of the people.”
And for solopreneurs working from home, shared workspaces have become not just an important, supportive community, but also an escape from often unproductive and distracting environments. Times reporter Roy Furchgott notes in the article that workers “yearn for a bustling office removed from the distractions of the refrigerator, the couch, the TV and preschoolers warbling The Wheels on the Bus.”
Remote work by the numbers:
- 15%–30% of work is done from flexible workspace (IWG/Arup)
- 86% of employees say providing autonomy and flexibility will make their work experience better (Mind Share Partners/Harris Poll)
- 74% of CFOs are moving or actively looking to move to shared office or flex space (IWG/Arup)
You’ll find more stats and research in The Power of the Hybrid Economy.
