If coworking spaces wish to keep doing business as usual and attract more corporates, they will need to establish stricter safety procedures than a regular workplace.
Since the coronavirus outbreak in India, we've all been living lives beyond our wildest dreams. The three-month shutdown compelled us all to stay at home and accept work from home as the new normal. Though some businesses were technologically ready to operate well while employees were at home, a significant portion had to make numerous adaptations - both technologically and mentally - to adjust to the uncertain scenario.
Now that the lockdown has ended and states are gradually resuming diverse operations with restrictions, the corporate sector faces a significant problem in resuming normal operations because work from home cannot last forever. To reduce the risk of viral propagation, several new rules must be applied throughout all work environments. Coworking spaces play an important role in this regard.
Given the current situation, when many start-ups and large corporations are struggling to restart their operations, they may opt for coworking space to meet their limited needs and save money. If coworking spaces wish to keep doing business as usual and attract more corporates, they will need to establish stricter safety procedures than a regular workplace.
A New Business Strategy
The coworking industry's bet on businesses and enclosed private offices may have given them a minor advantage in weathering the current storm. However, in order to recover, people must make long-term changes. As the one-of-a-kind shift from several lockout extensions to unlock occurs, more operators may choose for a revenue-share model with landlords to safeguard themselves.
As part of their business continuity efforts, coworking sector enterprises are primarily focused on guaranteeing the safety of members and the highest level of hygiene of premises. Moving forward, there is also a need to redesign workspaces with a greater emphasis on activity-based working environments and collaboration zones. The sector has always had a competitive advantage in terms of cost-efficiency, and given the current financial condition that affects practically every organisation, the community anticipates the fastest revival during unlock. As the coronavirus concern subsides and many businesses resume normal operations, coworking spaces are expected to be the first choice for many because of their low cost and flexibility in renting arrangements.
Unprecedented Evolution
In contrast to the pre-COVID era, when optimising the use of office space was a priority, large-scale behavioural and physical space alterations are unavoidable in the current scenario - seating at offices according to social distancing norms, shift-based work, virtual meetings and conferences, strict hygiene protocol with regular sanitization of premises and sanitization of every member entering the premises.
The adoption of safety protocols is not as tough as previously imagined, as the often impolite public is now surprisingly obedient. People are aware that they are under attack, and nearly everyone is adhering to social distancing standards and donning masks for good measure. Other significant methods include providing appropriate space between workstations, staggered meal schedules with seating demarcation, restricting meetings in common areas, increasing seat spacing in conference rooms, and so on.
To Sum It All Up
As risk management becomes a more significant component of organisational strategy, particularly as organisations develop their business continuity plans, there will be more opportunities for flexible workspaces in Tier 2 and Tier 3 locations. The coworking industry is constantly re-strategizing their strategies as they prepare for the different eventualities whenever normalcy returns. While the scenario remains unpredictable, coworking companies are well poised to make a smooth recovery.
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