2022 saw more Companies going remote and attitudes towards a diverse workspace shifting. This caused an uplift in shared coworking spaces up and down the Country, including an expansion here at One Hub.
This is our take on the co-working trends for the coming year.
1. Flexible Hours and Four-Day Weeks.
Working from home cuts the commute, therefore, employees can get more work done in fewer hours. Shared workspaces offer flexible operating hours, opening their doors early in the morning until late, some even 24 hours. While some employees may be fully remote, many companies are offering work from home days, which includes being able to work from a coworking space.
Increasingly, flexibility is one of the most desirable features of a job that employees are looking for.
Lots of companies around the world are starting to practice four-day week trials. According to Forbes, 86% of companies taking part in the UK trial are considering keeping it in place thereafter. Signing up to a Serviced Office rather than signing a property lease gives you and your team the flexibility of when you want to use the space, knowing that the office management is being taken care of.
2. High-end spaces meeting Client demands.
Occupancy rates in high-end shared workspaces are currently the highest in the industry. The gap between quality spaces and cost-effective workspaces is widening.
In a world where employees have the choice of where to work, occupiers are increasingly looking for the very best space available that align with their values. The desire for workspaces with strong sustainability standards for instance is a priority that clients are demanding.
3. Suburban expansion is still taking place.
Across the UK, shared workspace operators are continuing to expand into suburban areas to meet demand for hub locations as for many, the long daily commute is a thing of the past. Not only do business hotspots outside the capital provide an opportunity for cost savings, but they also allow companies to tap into new talent pools.
According to Coworking Insights, IWG announced that 90% of new supply will target the suburbs. Other operators are also growing their portfolios in suburban locations.
“In today’s world, we see companies are moving to where the talent is, or getting a second, third, site based on their recruitment strategy.” said Alexandra Livesey, COO of Clockwise, a multi-site flexible workspace provider throughout the UK.
4.The Rise of Collaborative Tools in the Metaverse.
Offering an alternative to face-to-face meetings, online team collaboration tools are a necessity in the hybrid world of work. Online whiteboard collab tools, instant messaging, shared calendars, and video conferencing tools have all helped keep the team connected, and these workplace tools are now emerging in the metaverse. The metaverse gives workers the ability to interact with their co-workers from the convenience of their own homes.
Mesh for Microsoft Teams for instance, combines the productivity tools of Teams, with the mixed-reality capabilities of Microsoft Mesh. Enabling people in various locations to join in collaborative and shared holographic experiences. User’s avatars can socialize, work together on projects and hold remote meetings that are more immersive then just staring at a screen.
Although we love to see advances in technology here at One Hub, we still believe in the benefits of a face-to-face meeting. Most co-working spaces, including One Hub offer a variety of private Meeting Rooms to suit your business needs and make those all-important IRL connections.