Five top trends in coworking: what’s next for flexible space?

What are the biggest trends in coworking right now? And how will they impact the corporate workspace sector? This report by workplace management software company Zapfloor and WORKTECH Academy, titled ‘Five top trends in coworking: the implications for corporate space’ takes a closer look at how the coworking sector is developing and how corporate office spaces need to catch-up.

The report identifies five key areas where coworking is leading the way: curation, technology, space, experience and flexibility. These key trends are arranged in a ‘diamond’ format and they all fall under one main aim – to provide the best value for money for members and this is the driving force behind change in the sector.

Image: Courtesy of Zapfloor

What do these five key trends mean?

• Curation: This highlights the shift from the simple provision of events to a carefully considered curation of a programme of activities that are thematically linked to the interests of members.
• Flexibility: This trend acknowledges the demand from members for increased flexibility in terms of where and when they can access space, with more workers wanting access when abroad or during alternative working hours.
• Experience: Here we see a shift from coworking spaces which traditionally lagged behind in terms of amenity provision to leading the pack, with more options for childcare, state-of-the-art gym memberships and massage therapy to name a few.
• Technology: Underpinning other trends is the adoption of cutting-edge technology to support a streamlined experience. Technology to provide seamless entry, the booking of spaces and collect data on space usage is becoming the norm.
• Space: The spatial dimensions of coworking are also changing, with a shift toward private offices as well as a move towards the suburbs as companies look to provide ready-made social spaces and employees look to stay closer to home.

Implications for corporate space?

These trends in coworking show the points of differentiation that corporate space has traditionally relied upon – such as greater amenity provision and more opportunity for career growth – being eroded. Corporate spaces will have to try harder to keep up with developments in the coworking sector or risk their employees asking why coworking space is more engaging and better attended than their offices.

Through listening to the needs and wants of members and centring them in the coworking experience, the sector has made giant strides and embraced ideas such as flexibility that the corporate sector has treated with more suspicion. And as it continues to grow, the sector will increasingly position itself as a hotbed for innovation and collaboration.

Read the full Zapfloor report ‘Five top trends in coworking: the implications for corporate space’ here.