Around the world, coworking is becoming more and more popular, and this trend is predicted to last for the foreseeable future. The demands of the businesses and professionals who use coworking spaces account for much of this growth, but it’s also critical to take into account the ability of space providers to provide a top-notch coworking experience.
It goes without saying that basic necessities like Wi-Fi and desks must be covered when offering coworking spaces. However, creating a good coworking space involves more than just providing a conducive environment for people to work. It’s important to create a space that can enhance workplace culture and productivity.
Lets see how you can create a positive work culture in coworking spaces.
Coworking Spaces: Building Positive Culture
Here’s how you can build a culture within coworking space.
Define Your Company Culture Accurately
The first duty to support your company culture in a coworking space is to define your vision and mission precisely. If you do not have any set mission and vision for your company, sit with your leadership team and work on it. Your employees should be made aware of the same in every way possible. You can do this by creating relevant posters and sticking them on the walls in the area where your team is working. You could also personalise their desks with accessories that reflect the company’s vision or mission in some manner.
Maintain Smooth Communication With Your Team
Smooth communication within the team helps you define and follow a robust corporate culture. Companies in a coworking environment should be very specific about their company’s mission and vision statement, reinstate it by way of meetings and formal gatherings, and support it by means of various company activities.
Inculcate The Habit Of Regular Meetings
In lieu of the above point of communication, the company managers should develop a healthy habit of conducting periodic meetings. You started your company at this coworking space with three employees, but your employee base has increased to 10 today. Don’t you think conducting regular meetings will keep you aware of the daily activities of your employees and also help you remind them of what the company’s goals are?
Keep The Dialogue Open Always
What we mean by keeping the dialogue open is, even if you are not present physically in the office, the communication must go on with the help of virtual calling, and emails. There are amazing digital tools that let you do so. Develop organisation forums, newsletters, chat boxes and other collaboration tools such as Team Viewer, Skype and more. This is especially useful if you have remote employees working out of a coworking space. Continuous dialogue ensures that they don’t feel disconnected from the company culture.
Encourage Community-Building Events
Apart from working with a diverse set of people, something more exciting about a coworking space is the opportunity to participate and organise team events. It would help if you plan your team events based on the values and traditions of your company. These events are likely to form the base of your unique company culture. These team events will stand you apart from the rest of your neighbour companies and help you build an influential culture for your employees.
Encourage Your Team To Organise Events Outside The Shared Space
Usually, companies are entirely reliant on the coworking culture so much so that they cannot observe what is happening outside their shared company space. To break the shackles, you can organise events based on your company culture outside the coworking space. A simple example could be a monthly lunch planned at a restaurant where employees can simply connect with each other.
Social Recognition
Operating in a coworking community has several benefits for the company owners as well as the employees, especially when it comes to rewards and recognition. There is a sense of positive competition, inspiration and motivation in the environment. Additionally, publicly recognising your star employees in a coworking space can boost your employees’ sense of achievement by leaps and bounds. Make use of technologies like installing a TV monitor to display monthly KPIs that even let your neighbours celebrate the achievements.
Seek Help From The Community Manager
Another way to make sure that your company’s culture is not diluted, is to seek help from the coworking space’s community manager. The community manager is the person who takes care of all the amenities such as tea, coffee and other beverages, 24*7 internet connection and a lively environment for your team so that you can concentrate on culture-building activities. He or she can ensure that you are getting every facility to boost your company’s culture in a coworking space.
Collect Feedback And Ideas From Your Team
Given that the workforce largely comprises of millennials today, feedback forms an important part of a company’s culture. When you are working out of a coworking space, developing a feedback-based culture becomes all the more important. Since your employees could be sharing their space with very diverse people, they may need some help adjusting to the environment, and a feedback-based culture would be the best way to help them.
Choose Comfortable Furniture
When choosing furniture, some coworking spaces’ conference rooms place a strong emphasis on aesthetics, but you must keep in mind that you are furnishing an operational workspace. It’s good to offer a fashionable workplace, but you also need to balance it with practicality. Even something as straightforward as adding pillows to the sofas and chairs can make all the difference in the world. People will be drawn to a space by any small details that highlight its character, make it memorable, and make it a pleasant place to work. Look for ergonomic chairs that offer people a comfortable place to sit while they work. For employees who prefer to work while standing up, you might even want to provide standing desks. Try to offer cozy fixtures for break areas in addition to functional office furniture.
The Perfect Ambience
It’s great to feel at ease in the furniture, but you also want the coworking community to feel at ease there. The right atmosphere can be different depending on the kind of customers you want to draw, but it is generally a good idea to design a space with a welcoming atmosphere. Create designated spaces where people can unwind in addition to desks and chairs for practical purposes. If you want to create a workplace that is a little more enjoyable or informal, you could provide a gathering space where people can socialize and play games. It only makes sense to add little pieces throughout the space to make it feel cozier because coworking spaces are designed to make people feel at home. They also help members get to know one another better. We’ve seen spaces with full bars, collectibles scattered about, and coffee table books available for members to read.
In a nutshell,
Irrespective of the size of your company, a strong culture is a must. With an influential culture, you can create excellent employee experience, attract creative talent and retain them for a longer time. Put positive efforts along with taking help of a community manager to build and maintain a robust company culture in the shared workspace.
ZEMLAR Offices: The Best Coworking Spaces in GTA!
Are you tired of exorbitant costs of renting offices and leasing office space? The sooner you switch to coworking spaces, the better and more likely your chances are of making it big with your startup. ZEMLAR Offices has coworking space solutions designed to shift your business into the next gear, allowing you to utilize all the amenities and features of a conventional office, without the operating costs and financial burden of actually maintaining one. Focus on your business, work towards getting that next big break and leave the office to us: ZEMLAR will make sure that not only your business succeeds, but the coworking space plays a big role in it. Trust ZEMLAR with the best coworking space solutions to help your business go the extra mile.
