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How To Manage Employees And Their Work From A Co-Working Space?
The way people perceive office spaces and work environments have drastically changed over the last few years. Terms like coworking are no longer alien. For those who do not know what it means – A co-working environment is a shared office space where multiple employees from different companies work. The shared space gets rented by different companies, and they set up the place and office desks as their preference. It can be a shared building or a shared floor in a building. It is an economical choice for a small-scale startup or a micro-enterprise.
A lot of research has been done to study the impact of co-working spaces on employees and it was found that people reported higher levels of comfort and employees thrive better in coworking spaces than for employees who do their jobs in regular offices. Also a study conducted by Harvard business review*** suggested that with coworking spaces, employees thrive better due to the following reasons:
- People who use coworking spaces see their work as meaningful.
- Employees have more job control
- People feel they are part of a vibrant community of like minded people.
Does a shared workspace always yield the maximum productivity or output from the employees? Maybe not.
Challenges in co-working spaces
● Disturbances: When you share a workspace, different employees work together. The type of work can be different. So, it creates a disturbance and often distracts employees. They may find it hard to concentrate on their work when someone else is simultaneously operating their workspace. It impacts some of the employees and may result in lowering their performance
● Freedom: Workspace privacy is essential to be able to work freely. A calm working environment goes a long way in helping employees get comfortable and work at their pace. When employees from different companies operate in a shared space, data privacy can be a worrying concern. Increased social interaction is not always good for a workspace and can override the benefits of being in a co-working environment. As human resource personnel, you must focus on creating a policyThe legal document issued to the policyholder that outlines the conditions and terms of the insurance; also called the ‘policy framework that helps mitigate any risks from digital attacks while also reducing the cause for any privacy infringement.
● Less monitoring: Controlling employee activities can get troublesome while working in a shared space. You cannot expect optimal employee engagement for practical challenges. Although networking brings an advantage in a co-working area, the same aspect can be disadvantageous when not controlled tactfully. It is crucial for building an effective performance policyThe legal document issued to the policyholder that outlines the conditions and terms of the insurance; also called the ‘policy to ensure diligence towards service.
Management and planning – Equally essential
These challenges that we discussed above have no definite solution. The challenges can be diverse, depending on the operational domain of the company. Though it is quite arduous to tackle these challenges, policymakers need to look for solutions. The solution needs to be tailor-made for your company and employees and aim at resolving their problems. Plan well and then execute to manage the employees better in a co-working space. Here are some tips to help you recognize efficient management solutions for employees in a co-working space
- Community building: Reach out to every employee in the company and encourage community building. Communication is indispensable to building a powerful professional community where every employee feels valued in the team. Build a professional team rather than focusing on creating a workforce. It can be made better through team activities, team discussions, and co-interactions. Plan policies carefully to build a strong team that stays dedicated to the growth of the company. Also, arranging workshops for employees to ease their transition into a co-working environment will be a booster for your efforts.
- The right team: Working in a co-working area can be troublesome if all the employees do not cooperate. You cannot expect employees of other companies to manage their schedules as per the requirements of your company and task. So, shift the focus to making your team apt for any situation. Encourage team members to help each other if there are any issues. This way, you can build the right team with members that motivate each other to be more productive.
- Personalized workstations: An employee needs to feel comfortable at their desks and workspace to deliver their 100% effort. Allow the team to personalize their workstations or desks to make the place comfortable for working. It enhances the work mood and spreads a positive vibe among other team members in the company.
Motivate employees for better productivity
Irrespective of the performance of the employees, never forget to encourage them to perform better. Pressurizing them will only lead to further degradation in their outputs. Instead, communicate to understand the gap and focus on making effective changes. You can also motivate them by offering service benefits like insurance, remote-working facility, flexible working hours, etc. This way, even if they have a hard time coping with the situation, they will not leave the company and work harder to enjoy the perks.
Can you build an efficient workforce in a co-working space?
Yes, you can build a loyal and efficient employee base, even while operating in a shared office environment. All you require is to plan well and execute accordingly to look meet the requirements of the employees. Encourage them to work better and make them feel essential for the company’s growth.
- Meaningful offerings: Offer service benefits that reflect appreciation towards the hard work of the employees. Consider offering workers compensationA system of providing for the cost of medical care and weekly payments to injured employees or to dependants of insurance or group healthcare plans to grow a sense of gratitude among the employees. These are meaningful and essential service benefits that any employee expects to ensure job security.
- Better communication: Hold interactive sessions and community outreach events to connect with the employees at a personal level. It will help you identify if they are content in the co-working environment. Recognize the shortcomings of the existing set-up through better communication. You can also ask for their suggestions and develop a responsible community.
- Shared data and progress: Bring every employee on the same page by disclosing progress evaluation. It will make them aware of the existing competition in the team and cope with their shortfalls. Also, by sharing relevant and crucial information, you grow a communal feeling among all the employees in the company, even while operating in a co-workspace.
Plan, execute and alter – Build better workspace policies.
The ultimate way of managing employees in a co-working space is by experimenting. No tried-and-tested method can work in such cases as the practical challenges vary at large! Understand what the employees in your company necessitate and analyze the industrial requirements to build effective policies. If needed, modify the plans often to keep the pace upwards and onwards.
PlanCover, a leading insurance broker, has been working with coworking spaces in structuring customized, affordable and convenient medical, and disability coverages to members and employees of member companies in coworking spaces. The insurance was customizable for each participant and available for individuals, employees and their families. Insurance benefits for members was a major benefit of coworking spaces.
*** : https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces
