Employee Engagement: How Coworking Spaces are Filling the Gap
Employee engagement has become a critical component for businesses to ensure high levels of motivation, morale, and productivity of their employees. With the increasing stressors of modern lifestyles and competing priorities, it is more important than ever for businesses to invest in the mental health and general well-being of their employees. Unfortunately, small and distributed businesses often fail to prioritize such functions, as they do not seem core to their businesses. However, this gap is being addressed by coworking spaces, which are conducting and performing employee engagement activities for their members.
What started as community engagement in the early days of the coworking industry has evolved into a complete function that ensures the well-being, motivation, and happiness of their members. Coworking spaces are filling a critical gap in employee engagement by providing a sense of community and belonging, which is often lacking in traditional office environments.
Coworking spaces have a unique advantage in providing a collaborative and supportive environment for their members. They can offer a range of activities and services that small businesses may not be able to afford or have the expertise to provide. Coworking spaces offer employee engagement activities that cater to the diverse needs of their members. These activities range from simple celebrations of cultural events such as Diwali and Holi, to conducting events that equip their members with practical tools to deal with the stresses of their professional lives.
One example of coworking spaces filling the gap in employee engagement is the annual “Happy Hour Day” organized by Innov8 Coworking. Innov8 Coworking is one of India’s largest coworking providers, with locations across major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Happy Hour Day is a day-long celebration of work-life balance and mental well-being, featuring yoga sessions, meditation, and other stress-relieving activities. The event aims to help members develop healthy habits that they can carry into their professional and personal lives.
Another example is the “Wellness Wednesdays” initiative by The Hive. The Hive is a coworking space provider with locations across India and other parts of the world. Wellness Wednesdays is a weekly event that focuses on the mental and physical health of their members. The event includes activities such as mindfulness and meditation sessions, healthy food workshops, and fitness classes.
Coworking spaces are also leveraging technology to provide virtual employee engagement activities. For example, BHIVE Workspace, a coworking space provider with locations in Bangalore, conducts virtual events such as online fitness classes and virtual cultural celebrations. This enables members who are unable to physically attend events to still feel connected to their community.
In conclusion, coworking spaces are filling a critical gap in employee engagement. By providing a sense of community and offering a range of activities and services, coworking spaces are helping small businesses ensure the well-being, motivation, and happiness of their employees. Small companies should definitely consider taking up offices with coworking spaces to see their employees grow and develop holistically in both their professional and personal lives. As the coworking industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see more innovative employee engagement activities that cater to the diverse needs of their members.