By 2033 every digital specialist, essays writers, gaming programmers or products, etc., will will be working in these spaces, according to experts.
In the next few years, coworking will become so widespread that the word will no longer exist. So says Ben Nachoom, CEO of the American company OneCoWork, although he acknowledges that “not all companies in the world will work in coworking spaces. Many will continue to have their own offices, although they will be increasingly open to adapting the trends and characteristics of these to maximize productivity”.
In 2033 when someone says they are going to the office, they won’t have to specify that it’s a coworking space because everyone will be working in one. Shared workspaces with common rooms with natural light, kitchens equipped with unlimited coffee and tea, weekly afterworks in which to bond and network, meeting rooms, and even bathrooms designed with every detail. These will be the features of all workspaces in 15 years.
But what will make all offices coworking? There are five main reasons.
Productivity
Coworking has been proven to increase productivity, as not only do people feel more productive, but companies experience an increase in revenue by incorporating this option. A study by the consulting firm CBRE in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Boston and the University of Keio (Japan), has revealed that working in a pleasant environment increases productivity by up to 49%, thanks to the improvements in health that it implies. According to Deskmag’s 2017 Global Coworking Canada Survey, those who work in them experienced fewer backaches and headaches and lower stress levels than those who work in conventional offices.
Aesthetic benefits
The environment affects a human being. One of the big differences between coworking spaces and traditional offices is the attention to design. It can have full-time interior designers on staff whose sole job is to ensure that the interiors of our coworking spaces maximize the experience, comfort, and productivity of our members.
It has been shown that people feel more creative when they work in places with higher ceilings, plants, or other natural elements. This is why coworking spaces research how to make the design and details benefit their members.
Networks and the community
Human beings are social by nature and function best when they feel they are part of a community and interact in a meaningful way with several people throughout the day, which is also enriching. Thus, the bonds between people working in coworking generate new collaborations, new clients, and new ideas. According to Deskmag’s 2017 Global Coworking survey, 71% of members collaborated with others, and 11% of them created a new company or business.
The startup effect
OneCoWork’s CEO does not doubt that large companies will make the transition to coworking in the coming years. In the United States, large technology companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Verizon have already transferred part of their staff to these coworking spaces; while in Europe, firms such as Airbus, Bosch, and KPMG are following the same strategy; and in Spain, others such as IBM, Banco Santander, N26 and Spotify are also starting to bet on coworking. They all pursue the same reason: people become more like the people they spend time with, known as ‘The startup effect.’
Making decisions quickly and effectively or managing a project through a proper division of tasks are some of the characteristics of startups, most of which develop their activity in coworking places. For this reason, if large companies spend more time working and interacting with these startups, they will be able to benefit from this agility when focusing on their work.
Talent
The type of talent found in coworking is unprecedented, as many coworking spaces have agreements with universities. This direct access to the source of talent makes these spaces unique, making them a very attractive factor for both startups and large corporations.
In fact, according to statistics, 43% of the U.S. working population will be freelancers by 2020, so companies should be open to collaborating with freelancers, given their high potential and a large network of contacts.
New collaboration models such as spin-offs or joint ventures are also emerging, often with a limited duration. For this reason, companies need more flexibility in their workspaces, managing positions according to their needs at any given time.
Success stories
You will often find startups, self-employed professionals, and large companies in a coworking space. All of them take advantage of the benefits of working in a shared workspace, and interacting with other professionals, whether from the same sector or a completely different one, which gives rise to ideas or strategies that otherwise would not have been possible in a traditional office.
