In a bid to revitalize downtown San Francisco, Mayor London Breed has partnered with a host of large area businesses to bring office workers back on-site, a process that should be complete by the end of spring.
The mayor's notion is these companies will lead by example. But after two years of remote work, local startups and other smaller outfits and their employees feel uncertain about taking similar steps.
Nationally, a similar story is unfolding as many workers resist the return to their traditional working arrangements. Many feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, choosing between long commutes to the office and the inevitable difficulties of trying to do a full-time job from home.
In this context, hybrid workspace providers like Werqwise, which offers a wide spectrum of co-working solutions for individuals and teams in the Bay Area, are gaining traction as flexible alternatives.
Even before the pandemic, hybrid workspaces were in demand. But the uncertainty introduced by COVID-19 has triggered a fundamental shift in the ways that employees and employers alike conceptualize the workplace.
Over the last few years, the downsides of keeping up traditional office space – including costly long-term leases, on-site maintenance staff, and more – have become more pronounced for employers. Many companies have been forced to pay for spaces that they haven't been able to use, and the uncertainty around how and when the pandemic will end makes it risky (and expensive) to lock in new arrangements.
In sharp contrast, Werqwise offers flexible options, such as on-demand bookings for offices and meeting rooms. Terms include month-to-month and long-term memberships, allowing employers to better navigate volatile conditions. Werqwise’s menu of customizable options has proven attractive to both startups and Fortune 500 companies, including Alchemist Accelerator, Innowise and Color.
They also offer carefully appointed and rigorously maintained spaces and amenities that workers often can't replicate at home, including meeting areas, lounges, break out rooms, and more. Secure hardware and software such as video conferencing tools from Logitech and Zoom help support seamless collaboration in these tech-enabled spaces.
Werqwise's downtown location is convenient for a wide variety of members, including Instaread (a book-summary service available via text and audio), Sendbird, Goodcover, and Fluence Energy.
With its innovation-first mindset, Werqwise has developed an ecosystem that drives networking opportunities. It serves as a central hub for Bay area innovators who find more opportunities to collaborate formally and informally.
Unlike its traditional counterpart, hybrid workspaces are designed around providing a positive and safe experience for workers, empowering them to move fluidly between different environments and situations (at home, on-site, alone, with team members, and with clients). Hybrid workspaces promote lively engagement among workers who may feel isolated when they work from home, and easily scale up or down to maximize cost efficiency as needs change.
It's clear that employers and workers alike crave more flexibility and less responsibility for maintaining shared professional spaces. With cost-efficient options, thoughtful perks, and low risks, the hybrid workspace trend is likely here to stay. To experience it yourself, Werqwise is currently offering a three-day trial for all tours visits, book a tour here. Watch for more innovation in this space as more and more people try to find their way back to work.