Written by: Gugu Mthimkhulu
It has been nearly two years since the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Even though the world has quickly adapted to the changes brought about by the pandemic, there are still some notable and unavoidable shifts and changes that are still visible within society.
To highlight these changes and shifts in the coworking community specifically, we have Caterina Maiolini, Community and Partnerships Manager of SALTO Systems and Elena Giroli, Change and Communications Manager of Creative Works, who will also give insight on how they have been handling these shifts and changes.
What changed in coworking communities?
Community Managers started seeing a lot of change in their members, following the pandemic. When working from home became a government mandate, it became a case of if you can’t work from home, work somewhere else. This change proved to be difficult for some people because living in London has its difficulties, including living in small, restricted spaces.
The other challenge that this protocol brought about was the blurred lines between personal and professional lives as they were constantly working in their confined spaces and couldn’t have the liberty of separating the two.
How did Community Managers cope with the pandemic?
Coworking space managers were forced to restructure and adapt their offers slightly. This, however, was not an easy task because it was a trial-and-error procedure.
Things were added, some things are taken away, and this also called for the revamping of the entire onboarding process. This was also a time to test and see how people responded to these alterations because customer expectations and satisfaction are always at the heart of everything.
What Community Managers are expecting from their members
There is no particular framework, but a person entering the space must respect the space’s ideas of community, openness, and all beliefs and sexualities. If you meet those criteria, simply walk in.
You can determine almost right away if a member wants to get to know other members by chatting with them. So, it’s simply the personality and the attitude. Members should also be open and willing to adhere to the guidelines highlighted by an existing code of conduct that outlines how members are expected to behave in the coworking space.