Have you noticed the overall productivity or motivation of your staff members dropping? This could be due to many factors, including small areas you might not have even contemplated. Traditional office spaces are filled with harsh florescent lighting which can irritate and distract staff. However, if you hire an office space from a coworking space provider instead, you and your staff will instantly notice a positive change. Here is why:

Increased productivity

Traditional office spaces are more likely to discourage collaboration and encourage separation due to staff working out of individual rooms or cubicles. This can create an isolating effect which can make employees feel disconnected, resulting in decreased levels of productivity if not addressed.

The Harvard Business Review in 2015 highlighted that employees who worked in serviced coworking spaces showed increased levels of productivity and were more likely to thrive in their role. This was attributed to coworking spaces having a helpful culture and a sense of community. When staff are working in this type of environment, it increases the likelihood of them succeeding due to higher levels of productivity.

Access to more business opportunities

In a coworking space, you and your staff are working alongside other like-minded professionals. This creates the perfect opportunity to network and expand your industry contacts. In 2017, the Harvard Business Review showed that around 82% of people that worked in coworking spaces said that they had greatly expanded their professional network.

Unlike a traditional office space, coworking spaces provide a greater amount of opportunities to meet like-minded professionals working in a variety of different industries. For example, maybe you are in need of designing a business logo and someone on your floor is a graphic designer? Or maybe you are struggling to rank on the first page of Google and there is an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) agency working in the building?

Coworking spaces also hold monthly events to encourage networking. This can include charity events, workshops with talks from professionals in various industries and even weekly social events each Friday where staff can mingle and network with other workers.

Motivated and happier staff

As mentioned before, coworking spaces feature a supportive community, which means that your employees will naturally be happier from working in this environment. Apart from increased productivity, having happy staff also provides additional benefits.

In 2014, a study conducted by the University of Warwick showed that staff who felt positive and happy had experienced a 12% increase in overall productivity and motivation. However, those who reported that they were unhappy experienced a 10% drop in their overall motivation and productivity.

If this isn’t enough to convince you to hire office space from a coworking space provider, there have been many studies conducted which have shown that happy staff members actually take fewer sick days off from work. This is because when someone is happy, they have a better immune system and feel more motivated to come into to work rather than ‘chucking a sickie’.

Working in natural lighting

It may not sound that important, but natural lighting plays a large role in the office. Working in dimly lit and gloomy rooms that have intrusive fluorescent lighting is not ideal. In fact, working in this type of lighting can lead to increased eye strain, drowsiness, more mistakes being made, decreased mood and headaches.

Sleep is also very important for employees being alert and productive. In 2017, the National Sleep Foundation published a study which showed that the people exposed to higher levels of natural light in their office actually reported experiencing a higher quality of sleep than those who didn’t have natural lighting in their office.

Reduced costs

Reducing costs and expenses is a priority for any business, which can be made very difficult when leasing a traditional office space. With renting a coworking space on a month-to-month basis instead, businesses can greatly reduce their overheads.

Coworking spaces are fully serviced, which means a business won’t have to spend money on buying all their equipment or installing and configuring their existing equipment when they first move in. They will have everything they need at their fingertips such as high-speed internet, corporate meeting and training rooms, a business-grade IT infrastructure, printers, scanners, desktop monitors, ergonomic office furniture and much more.

Businesses won’t have to worry about spending additional costs on reception staff as coworking spaces offer access to their professional trained admin staff. They will answer all their important business calls, handle their mail and even greet their clients under their business name. This is all included on a flexible monthly rental plan, eliminating the risk of surprise fees catching businesses off-guard.

Whether it is happier and more productive staff, reduced overheads, access to professional services or more, there are many reasons to hire an office space rather than leasing a traditional office space. Search online for a coworking space provider in your area and explore your options today.