STAY IN TOUCH
Sign up to receive inspirational updates related to product enhancements and the latest workplace trends.
For decades, the modern work environment was an either/or proposition: work on site or work from home. Sure, coffee shops and libraries worked in a pinch, but neither was a permanent alternative.
Then, a decade or so ago, something new started to emerge: the coworking space. Born both locally and nationally (see: the WeWork phenomenon), these stylish shared spaces provided small businesses and freelancers a work space outside the home to call their own. Loaded with amenities and nice furnishings (including lots of HON desks and chairs), these spaces also provided a sense of community with other plucky independents.
“Today, coworking spaces are becoming an appealing third option for traditional workers dividing their time between corporate offices and the home office,” says Harmony Carlberg, Design Services Manager. “It’s no surprise—even before a global pandemic pushed employers to adopt and adapt to remote work virtually overnight, the office environment was already becoming less permanent and more dynamic.”
How do we define “coworking?” These are spaces where workers have comfortable seating, desk space, ample power sources and an expectation of quiet—or, at least, no more ambient volume than a traditional office. While some coworking spaces do offer private offices, we’re talking about the open spaces and meeting rooms that no one individual uses exclusively.
Third-party coworking spaces are now, ironically, influencing corporations in return. So whether workers are choosing an off-site coworking space that offers a shorter commute or using an in-house coworking setup when they do go to the office, it’s a dynamic that’s appealing in several ways.
Featured Products: Coordinate Height Adjustable Base table™, Fuse™, and Ignition 2.0 Task Chair®
Two surveys from Gartner, taken one year apart, were prophetic. In April 2020, half of companies surveyed reported more than 80% of their employees were working from home due to COVID-19. No surprise there. But just a year later, virtually all HR leaders surveyed (99%!) expected hybrid workforces to become the new standard. While there’s no shortage of uncertainty in 2022, some trends are undeniable. The workplace as many know it is ready for reinvention.
Featured Products: Flock®
It’s about more than sharing a space—it’s really about collaboration, cooperation and community—and enabling these essential activities through thoughtful floor plans and furnishings that support them. Communal tables (like Birk) and seating (like Flock) encourage the casual interactions and collaborative relationships that support the kind of employee engagement they just can’t get at home.
Featured Products: Mav™ and Astir™
Where coworking once offered a professional third place that was neither work nor home, contemporary offices are starting to look more like home than work. Enclaves of comfortable seating, such as West Hill and Mav, are becoming the new norm, even at the enterprise level.
Featured Products: West Hill™
Fortunately, this new model isn’t untested. Advertising iconoclast Jay Chiat championed the “college campus” ideology earlier than most, with shared space used for shared purpose and individual contributions completed independently wherever employees were most productive. Steve Jobs embraced the same collegial approach at Pixar and brought it back to Apple, ushering in the most innovative era in the company’s history—from the introduction of the iMac in 1997 to the launch of the iPod, iPhone and iPad in less than a decade.
Quantum Workplace’s annual report on turnover trends found employees who were offered ample flexibility were four times less likely to become a retention risk. Consider established coworking spaces as a resource for what works. As an occasional space or a satellite office, most offer corporate packages that bundle day passes with access to novel amenities like “Zoom Rooms.” They’re a way to try before you buy—see which ideas resonate and generate real returns, then incorporate those solutions into your own environment.
Inspiration is everywhere, and returning employees are also a great resource for insight on challenges they’ve faced trying to collaborate remotely. Creating an office that mitigates those challenges is perhaps the best incentive and invitation to make the new office a home base that feels more like home.
Sign up to receive inspirational updates related to product enhancements and the latest workplace trends.