6 Ways Coworking Will Change When People Return to the Office

2020 was arguably the most disruptive year in history. We learnt unthinkable new levels of communication, collaboration and flexibility in a very short period of time. We had a taste of what can be achieved with an open mind and at Yardi, we don’t expect the pace of innovation to slow down. 

Here are six predictions for how we expect the world to change when office doors open once more. 

1. Working habits have changed for good  

The count of daily Zoom users rocketed to 300 million by December 2020, an increase of 200% over December 2019. Coworking operators can’t ignore this jump. As we approach the new normal, telephone and conference phone revenues will decline as Zoom and Microsoft Teams videos calls take precedence. Take action now to ensure your infrastructure can facilitate new, increased bandwidth demands. 

• ​Meeting room bookings via an App or online 

Your members will expect to be able to book meeting rooms online or via an app moving forward, instead of visiting your reception desk. Facilitating safe levels of contact will be a priority for your members and your staff so offering a digitally enhanced experience could prove to be a competitive safety measure. 

• Provide tech for you corporate clients to book their own spaces  

Corporate clients will likely look to stagger the return of their workforce. Empower them to be able to keep their staff safe by monitoring which staff are in the office on which days. 

• ​Increase communal space and meeting room space

Get innovative with the layout of your space. Your clients have had a long period of time missing the face-to-face interaction with their colleagues and therefore we anticipate in-person meetings will increase.  Your meeting rooms will be busy… start to think about how to optimise your space to cater for social distancing but without losing out on opportunities. 

• Encourage community interaction  

Community will be more important than ever before. Find new ways to connect your members, take advantage of online directories and ensure you hold creative virtual and on-site events that spark engagement. 

• ​Keep your spaces safe and clean 

The management and transparency of regular cleans and inspections will be more important than ever. Make sure you have the technology to log and record what cleans and checks have taken place during a given day and week. Your prospects and clients will want to know the procedures you have in place to keep them safe.