Teleworking, Why a Coworking space?

After confinement we are searching for some normality and some certainty. The virus forced teleworking in most companies and this, which seemed to have come to stay, now no longer seems so. It is seen, and heard, that many companies, as soon as possible, will back down and require all their employees to be in offices. “A bugle call.”

If this return to the old normality is confirmed, it will be a great missed opportunity because the advantages of working remotely outweigh the disadvantages. We are not only referring to the benefits for each worker but also in terms of society.

There are people who prefer to spend as little time as possible at home, others prefer not to be seen in the office. Beyond these extreme cases, the pandemic has promoted teleworking. It is said and commented that in six months we have made more progress in digitalization than in six years. It won’t be that bad either, but now, after months of forced testing, it’s time for a first analysis of this new work normality.

• Saving time and money on travel. In big cities you can spend between 1 and 2 hours a day.
• More hours available to your boss but greater flexibility to reconcile.
• Nutrition improvement by eating at home. Also economic savings.
• Creation of a space and personalized work routines.
• Finding a routine and a productive work rhythm can take time.
• An “office environment” helps you focus.
• Loss of social relationship with colleagues.
• Alienation from the company as a community or group of belonging.

• Savings in infrastructure management.
• Less office space needs. Lower fixed assets costs.
• Access to a larger market of workers, the geographical barrier disappears. This is an inconvenience or not for workers. Competition for jobs is global, as is access to work for any company anywhere in the world from anywhere.
• Depending on how teleworking is implemented, greater or lesser control over workers by their managers.
• IT security problems.

So far the advantages and disadvantages for each part. Let’s go one step further and take into account the global benefits that remote work offers:

• Increase in commerce and neighborhood life.
• Reduction of CO2 emissions and noise due to reduction in daily trips.
• Decongestion of cities.
• Relocation. Increase in population in towns and depopulated areas.

Surely you can think of more pros and cons and even more will surely arise that we cannot foresee now. In any case, it seems clear that the advantages largely outweigh the disadvantages. Perhaps, above all, the workers’ flexibility, both in terms of time and geography, stands out. Hence, a few lines above, we pointed to the lost opportunity that will be not taking advantage of this pandemic to improve everyone’s daily lives.

Thus we arrive at the polarized approach that began the post. It is wrong to approach this situation from that approach, from duality:  either you work in the office or you work from home . However, there is an alternative. Which allows you to work remotely in a professional environment and without the distractions of home. This alternative is the use of shared offices or  coworking spaces .

Separating the work space from the place of leisure and family rest is not only necessary, but essential. It seems simple, but this physical separation, this daily commute to work helps to change the chip, to disconnect. In addition to the need to maintain those social relationships so necessary for human beings. We need a “work environment” and with some exceptions, the ideal is for that place to be outside the home.

Coworking is not new. They began to be mentioned in Spain back in 2015 and in the last two years they have begun to consolidate. They are that intermediate solution that combines the best of working remotely but without giving up a suitable work environment. Employees can choose the one they like best due to location, atmosphere, design, service, costs, etc. It provides the company with image, ease of management and evaluation as well as worker satisfaction.

It must be taken into account that, although there are many types of rates, the usual rate for a coworking space is a monthly fixed rate that includes all services (Internet, water, electricity, coffee, meeting room, etc.). With this, the company goes from having to worry about its offices with their respective maintenance and management costs to simply paying a transfer to the employee as a “coworking” concept.

Challenges also arise, not everything is rosy. For example, the economic allocation that each company grants to such concept. Logically, it should be the same for all employees. However, a coworking in a big city does not cost the same as in a small one, or a coworking in the center as it does on the outskirts. Another challenge for coworkings arises when it comes to meeting the standards that important companies require to guarantee the security of communications, equipment and information.

Summarizing. Teleworking yes, home office no but coworking yes. The advantages for employees: workspace of their choice, close (or not) to home, social interaction and professional environment. The benefits for the company: simple management, cost savings and employee satisfaction.

If you liked it, share.
Thanks for reading us. The Jobquire Team

PS: Here we leave you a short podcast that we have found where they deal very well with the good and bad of teleworking. mixx.io kernel – The reality of remote work.