After working from home for a few years, no one wants to go back to travel. But home offices come with a unique dilemma: annoying roommates, attention-seeking children, less than ergonomic tools, and family to-do lists can all interfere with employees’ ability to focus.
According to a recent Pew Research survey, 44% of people say working from home makes it easier, but 60% say they feel less connected to coworkers, and some crave office because they don’t have the resources they need at home. This is where a co-worker can save a day.
As the world begins to move back to the office, many technology employers are looking at co-workplaces as an alternative to both home and office work.
“We no longer have a permanent office,” said Andi Mann, CTO of Kumute, an enterprise video technology provider. He says the company has closed or is in the process of closing all its offices outside its headquarters in Minneapolis. As a replacement for those offices, the company raised bills for workers to get office space outside the home for work.
“We support them – with or without co-workers – to go to places like WeWork or other shared workspaces,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. I recently rented a hotel conference room to keep my leaders in the same room for a few days. ”
In addition to just getting out of the house, individual employees can reap many benefits from visiting local co-workers – as employers can when they give the green light to teams to get there.
1. Get a Creativity Boost
Ray Blakney, CEO and co-founder of Live Lingua Online Language School, said, “Changing the environment can be anything you need to increase your creativity and inspiration. When you spend most of your work week in the home office, moving out of that familiar environment can help you get a different perspective.
This can further increase your focus by being surrounded by other people who are working. A 2014 Harvard study found that “creating conflicts” where employees interact with each other inside or outside the organization leads to increased performance.
While this may seem great for productivity while working away from home away from others, in some cases the opposite may be true. “It simply came to our notice then To feel Productive, but it also carries a great risk of making you feel isolated, “said Brian David Crane, founder of Digital Marketing Fund Spread Great Ideas ৷ and, of course, it’s easy to become a non-showering, pantsless monk without human interaction.
“Even if you don’t share the same goals as people who share your workspace, just seeing the faces of other intentions will help you become more focused on the task,” Crane said. “Working around other people reminds you that you’re part of a larger effort to get things done – not just a fleshy component of your computer.”
2. There are meetings
Although a home office reduces travel time, it is not a great place to meet colleagues or clients. But going to a corporate office and sitting with people who are traveling there for the same reason can be a huge waste of everyone’s time. For example, if you live in New Jersey and want to meet with colleagues living in New Jersey – but your office is in Manhattan – finding a local co-worker can save everyone a lot of time and hassle, especially if it’s a weekly or monthly meeting.
“For those who want to keep their schedules flexible, day passes can give you the opportunity to work even on days when you need to be somewhere else, meet people or work,” said Ruth Shin, founder and CEO of Real Estate startup PropertyNest.
A co-working space can also come in handy if you need to have private meetings with people outside the company. Shaun Plumer, CEO of online insurance company The Annuity Expert, says, “Come see me in the co-working space downtown” sounds a lot better than “Let’s meet at Starbucks.”
This is especially true if you are discussing something sensitive or complex and do not want to be interrupted by waiting staff or other sponsors – or if you have met several people and are not sure that there will be a suitable place for a cafe in your area.
Tim Parker, marketing director at Syntax Integration, said: “No-working spaces are conveniently located in the city center, close to public transport and restaurants, and also convenient for members to work with.”, An IT service provider. “Working from home or a cafe may not send the right message to potential clients, but co-workplaces include not only a professional area but also dedicated meeting rooms, cafeterias and coffee zones to help you better network.”
3. Get a remote team together
A co-working space can give an all-remote team the opportunity and space to meet on occasion, either for monthly all-hand meetings or for a few “office” days a week.
“Renting a no-working space can be beneficial for your team, as it gives them an excuse to meet and collaborate despite the remote nature of their work,” said Roy Morgan, president and co-founder of Inventis Partners, a hybrid remote and personal marketing firm. .
“Without a no-working space, there is no professional position to meet employees, which discourages real-life interaction and communication,” he says. “Investing in a meeting room for a few hours a week can sometimes bring your team together while still giving everyone the freedom and flexibility of homework.”
Nick Chernett, CEO of DataForSEO, an SEO data provider, agrees. “It’s easy to collaborate with people and discuss important issues personally,” he said “If you want to test your work, get direct feedback from colleagues, try different options or discuss your choices in real time, this is much easier to do when you are physically in the same room with whom you are working. “
4. Do some networking
Networking opportunities in your home office or couch are fairly limited unless your cat helps you with R&D. Working from a co-working space, even just a few days a month, can open up opportunities to meet other people, do a little networking, enjoy the social interaction of the office environment, and even help you find your next fare.
“You can see great results by hiring from a co-worker,” said Yang Zhang, CEO and co-founder of Plasmic, the web’s visual creator. “Post on the bulletin board, talk to employees, or communicate with other people who are using the space for work. Immediate interviews on-site can also mean that you get a new employee on that day. Alternatively, you Find people to whom you can pitch your belongings and start a new business for yourself. ”
5. Avoid personal confusion
When working from home, it’s easy to get distracted by everything from baby, spouse and family pets to laundry and dishes. All of these things can distract your focus or give you an easy way to delay a challenging task.
When you lose focus or have to brag and get some work done, going to a co-worker can help you temporarily avoid all the distractions that plague you at home so that you can focus better on the task at hand. Scott Lieberman, owner and founder of the financial consulting site Touchdown Money, says, “This can be a very effective way to get a big project done that requires your dedicated concentration.”
6. Get a physical address
If you run your own business or receive invoices as part of your work, you may not want to give your home address to customers, even where you conduct most of your work. A co-working space provides you with an address where you can get mail and it gives an extra layer of legitimacy to your business. “It shows that you are dedicated enough to your work to join somewhere so you can do just that,” Plumer said.
If you accept invoices, a mail person at a co-worker can sign for that delivery. This is great if you want to go to lunch or the gym or just avoid obstacles. And it can save you a lot of hassle if you don’t have a safe place to take shipments in your home. A co-working space is secure, staffed and usually has a mail room.
7. Save some cash
When people think about co-working spaces, they may assume that it is an expense, even if it is a necessity. But you may be surprised at the way it can save you money.
Most co-working spaces offer printers, whiteboards and even expensive office supplies like beer and coffee that you can access for free if you are a member. While buying a day pass may not be the only price for a printer, having a membership allows you to access office equipment – such as fancy ergonomic chairs – without having to purchase it or finding a place for it in your home.
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