Five USPs of Co-working Spaces after the Covid-19 pandemic
Text: Meghna Agarwal, Co-Founder, IndiQube, Bengaluru
The Covid-19 pandemic has revamped the concept of a co-working space, which had boomed in terms of occupancy and profits. Companies that were earlier sceptical about flexible shared workspaces shared moving their spaces to these networking hubs. As per a report by the real estate firm JLL, it is estimated that co-working spaces will constitute 30 per cent of office stock by 2030. With its increasing popularity among the millennial and Gen Z workforce, co-working spaces are happy to provide the best experience, safety and environment for their employees.
- Easy-to-reach location
A convenient location allows easy commuting and builds a workable community, even in the absence of certain facilities. As more members join the hybrid workforce as an alternative to their home office, the proximity to transit lines, restaurants, parking spaces and cafes have increased.
- Modern amenities
Statistics show that people choose spaces with amenities such as gymnasium, gaming zone, creche, boardrooms, wellness rooms, access control system and CCTV. High-speed internet, printing, faxing and mail handling services should be compulsory overgood architecture. They also seek spaces that are women-friendly, designed for those with special needs and offer childcare.
- Emphasis on social distancing
Due to the pandemic, close networking has become an unsafe option and people now prefer solitude. However, work from home can be distracting and hamper work-life balance. Co-working spaces would continue if the authorities take appropriate measures for social distancing, touchpoint sanitisation and workplace sterilisation.
- Touchless technology
Contactless visit management, pre-booked hot desks, remote parking slot allocation, sensor-based sanitisation, on-demand meeting rooms, and contactless food and beverage delivery will motivate employees to work together.
- Flexibility
The employees in a co-working space are usually solopreneurs or from early-age start-ups. Multiple memberships, (hourly, daily and weekly) packages and virtual offices are trending in the co-working space as well.
