Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working has become the new norm. With fewer people attending their normal workplaces, we could be on the brink of a permanent shift in how we view the traditional office.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working has become the new norm. With fewer people attending their normal workplaces, we could be on the brink of a permanent shift in how we view the traditional office. Over the course of the past few months, Co-working spaces have provided great alternatives for small to medium businesses, entrepreneurs, and even larger companies have now experienced the requirement to change the way their teams work and interact.
Naturally, some businesses will always require an on-site presence, but many have adapted quickly to a new model. Let’s take a look at why remote working and co-working spaces are growing in popularity.
The Covid-19 effect
Worldwide, statistics show a staggering 88% of companies encouraged their staff to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s an incredible number, but it does show there is a genuine alternative to the traditional workplace design.
Covid-19 has been far from good for anybody, but for business there may be a silver lining. They’ve been able to let staff work from home, and get a good sample size to measure the results. New software and flexible hours have been trialled, and performance hasn’t been affected.
While businesses are paying for their current premises, many would wonder if the high lease costs are worth it.
An increase in productivity
Each business will need to judge remote work performance for themselves, however it’s interesting to note that 77% of remote workers feel they’re more productive when working from home. This could be caused by a number of factors, such as less distractions or simply a more comfortable environment.
In a traditional office setup, people are always very available, and it can be hard to switch off completely and focus on what they need to do. In fact, Atlassian reports that over three quarters of people prefer to avoid the office completely when working on a project.
Employee satisfaction is reaching new heights
Remote workers, for the most part, seem to be pretty happy with the current arrangements. Naturally there is a social aspect to the workplace that people enjoy, but this perhaps strengthens the case for using smaller co-working spaces rather than a large commercial office building.
Employee engagement is a huge part of running a business, because poor engagement means less productivity and high turnover. To attract the best talent, you need to offer a great environment. In fact, 74% of people say a remote work option would make them less likely to leave their company.
Are co-working spaces and remote working here to stay?
Well, time will tell if remote working and co-working spaces are going to remain popular in the future. Co-working spaces provide the best of both worlds. Engagement and interactivity with others, but on a much smaller scale than a large, busy office full of distractions. This makes them a great option for companies looking to provide more convenient and cost-effective workplaces.
As for remote working, a whopping 99% of people say they’d like to work from home at least part time, for the rest of their career. So, if the people have anything to do with it, remote working is definitely here to stay!
