The Rush Back to the Office

As the Covid threat diminishes more people are starting to make a return to the office. This has caused a rise in interest in co working spaces, particularly in large cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Co-working spaces are not a new concept and their appearances in city centres was rising well before the lockdown but with many people only working away from home a couple of days each week, hot desking or co-working desks are even more popular now than just a few years ago.

Many workers who have been isolated at home, particularly young single people, are thirsting for human contact and want to mingle with people at work once more. Co-working spaces solve this problem without the need for a large financial commitment of renting a large office space. It also creates a disconnect from the home, particularly if you’ve been working from a small flat for the last year and a half.

Co-working spaces are also reportedly the newest social trends with many young people using them as coffee hangouts beyond the scope of their work time. Along with business networking events many co-working spaces organise socials for their clients and this has also involved speed dating events. Informal chats with other hot deskers can be great for motivation and also spark some great ideas for new projects or initiatives.

Like many other types of social engagements co-working spaces are attracting different demographics and psychographics. There are female only spaces, centres geared to entrepreneurs along with spaces for members of the LGBQ community. Even artists and other creatives are catered for in many cities. Obviously there are facilities that cater for a larger mix of people which may be more desirable if you’re looking to meet and connect with a diverse range of people.

Co-working spaces are often located near main transport hubs to add even more convenience to the commuter. This is even more so post Covid, in order to attract people away from the comfort of working in their own homes. There are large co-working offices in London next to all of the big rail stations such as Victoria, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street. These spaces often have relaxed coffee shops, hang out areas and even bars to allow easier socialising for their communities.

Desks or offices can be rented by the hour or day and longer term deals can be negotiated depending on your needs. Some companies even have locations overseas so for a single membership price you can access their offices all over the world. This can be very handy if your work takes you to many international cities throughout the year.

Nobody knows what the future holds or whether there will be another time people are forced into working from home but as we emerge from this lockdown many people are looking at co-working offices as a solution to their work problems. For many people, particularly the young, these places also offer somewhere to work, rest and play which could see a continuation of the evolution of the flexible work space well into the future.