There were many highlights of the 2016 Social Workplace Conference, ranging from the ‘Uberisation’ of flexible workspace to the value of events for members and operators. One particular highlight was a presentation by JLL, delivered by senior researcher Karen Williamson and workplace strategist Maciej Markowski, during which they explored the growth of coworking and its impact on corporate real estate. The duo discussed how JLL’s corporate clients are “very much embracing coworking as a real estate strategy”, citing their own research that predicts more growth for the sector as it continues to open new ways of working for the complete organisational spectrum, ranging from startups and independents to SMEs, corporates and multi-nationals. They explained that part of this growth is driven by a rise in freelancing and flexible working practices. Yet it’s also down to a wider acceptance by corporates who wish to bring coworking into their organisations and tap into a ready-made pool of talent, innovation, and new ideas. This “talent agenda” opens up new opportunities for large companies as well as users of the space, whether they provide the space internally or open it out to external organisations. Before we explore the different ways that coworking is currently being used by corporates, here are some of the key highlights from the 2016 report issued by JLL – ‘A New Era of Coworking’: According to JLL, “With four million new businesses being registered worldwide just in one year, coworking spaces are witnessing increased demand.” But with corporates keen to get in on the collaborative action, it’s not just independent operators witnessing this influx. JLL identifies four core models of coworking that are making their way into the corporate workplace, which become increasingly complex from an operational standpoint (1 > 4): As with all business decisions, there is a balance between risk and reward. Yet while the more complex models may carry more risk in terms of confidentiality and cultural clash, these can be offset with careful workspace design, a mix of spaces and an intelligent choice of furniture. The reward is a more collaborative workspace that’s conducive to higher levels of innovation. Ultimately, regardless of which model corporate firms choose to work with, the sheer choice on offer demonstrates the fantastic diversity of coworking and its agility to confirm with a vast array of corporate requirements. With this in mind, it’s no wonder JLL concludes: “With a growing number of companies looking to tap into these benefits, it is only a matter of time before coworking becomes an integral part of the corporate real estate toolkit.” Read more in the report, here Photo courtesy of Carsten Foertsch, Deskmag Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Messenger
An increase in freelancing and flexible working practices is driving growth in the co-working sector according to a new report by JLL, written by Karen Williamson and Maciej Markowski who drew on their own research. The report, which was commissioned for the Co-Working Institute at London Metropolitan University, found that there are now more than 10,000 companies offering workspaces where people can work from home, telecommute, or even take The report identifies a number of ways that companies are adopting coworking strategies, ranging in complexity from internal collaborations to coworking spaces that are open to external organisations as well as internal staff. The authors believe that collaborative workspaces will inevitably become part of the "corporate real estate toolkit."