As workers start heading back to the office, some companies and entrepreneurs are rethinking the traditional business model as industries move beyond fluorescent lights.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and business owners worked from home out of necessity. Now it seems that employees and employers prefer a more flexible work environment, turning to co-working spaces for day-to-day operations.
Thomson Reuters, a global publishing and media firm, proved the industry is changing last month when it announced it would sell most of its Eagan campus and move more than 4,000 workers after a survey found workers would prefer to participate in a hybrid job. the model divides her time between the office and home. President of Thomson Reuters Legal Specialists and the company’s Minneapolis-St. Paul campus, in email.
“Not everyone is going to need a desk five days a week,” said Emma Burns, St. Paul director of operations for the Downtown Alliance. “In general, people are rethinking how they work differently, and maybe more people are doing remote work,” he said.
St. Employees at Paul benefit from community and co-working spaces like Wellworth and The Coven, which offer distraction-free workspace for employees far removed from office-style cubicles.
The audience for co-working spaces is diverse, says Alex Steinman, co-founder of The Coven, St. Paul in downtown Western Ave. N, said at 165. The Coven noted that half of its members are self-employed.
Jamie Rissi, Wellworth’s operations manager, said that in some cases, companies with satellite offices will pay a membership fee to allow their employees to work from a co-working space. “They want their employees to meet in a space that isn’t someone’s living room,” Rissi said.
Wellworth, Minnesota St. At 428 St. Paul, covers 7,500 square feet and offers different membership levels depending on what the employee is looking for, Rissi said. There are part-time memberships, dedicated desks or private offices to choose from.
Burns, who has been a member of Wellworth since 2018, said that despite being an introvert, she loves working in a co-working space because of the community it offers. “They’re not my coworkers,” he said, “but I see them every day, we bounce ideas off each other, and I get real-time feedback.”
In addition to co-working environments, co-working spaces can offer amenities for their members. At Wellworth, members have access to a gym, conference rooms, printing and office supplies in the building next door, Rissi said, noting that the facility’s manager is also a notary public.
At The Coven, Steinman said leadership development programs allow members to learn from experts in their fields and take action. Coven also has a digital platform that allows teams to work together, and according to Steinman, it gained a lot of interest in the early months of the pandemic.
Co-working spaces have become so popular that The Coven is working on franchising and expanding into “underserved markets,” Steinman said. Currently, The Coven is in both Minneapolis and St. It’s the only co-op space that offers seats in Paul, Steinman said.
Rissi said one of the best things about working in a space with people outside of your company is the diversity in the community. “No matter where you are in your job or career, in a co-working space, someone has been there and can tell you about their experience.”