Flexibility in the Age of COVID & the Future of the Workplace: A Conversation with WeWork

The work we do is important and as entrepreneurs we need spaces that provide a collaborative, inspiring environment to get it all done. This week we caught up with the WeWork team! They gave us a look into how the organization has reimagined coworking during COVID, as well as their thoughts on the future of the workplace.

Given the current pandemic, how has WeWork reimagined the workplace to support its clients?

As soon as the pandemic hit, WeWork put our energy into understanding the science and spread of COVID-19. We looked to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) for health and safety recommendations and invested a lot of capital to implement these health efforts across every single WeWork space around the globe.

We restructured our spaces to de-densify each layout  —creating buffer zones so that people could work alone or collaborate. We enhanced our cleaning and sanitization efforts with more frequent cleaning. We updated our HVAC systems to circulate clean air more often. And we implemented social distancing protocols and strategically placed signage to encourage safe behavior.

We also began offering more flexibility and options to our clients. With over 800 locations in desirable areas, WeWork has the inventory and ability to offer short-term contracts, space on-demand, and shorter commutes for distributed teams. And with WeWork All Access, members can access any WeWork in their country for the rest of the year.

What advice do you have for companies looking to create a connection and community with their remote teams?

WeWork actually commissioned a study about the impact of working from home and discovered that the lack of connection has a negative impact on creativity and innovation. This being said, it’s really important to create a sense of community for employees and the business—even if teams are remote.

Technology like Zoom and Slack can help colleagues feel more connected to one another and their projects. We’ve seen many successful virtual team-building events like happy hours or wine tastings take place over conferencing platforms too. 

WeWork also offers a place for teams to gather socially or collaborate professionally. We prioritize health and safety through heightened sanitization and spacing protocols. And with multiple locations across single cities, people can pop into locations that are close to home, reducing their commute and potential exposure to COVID-19.

We are so happy to have WeWork as our community partner by providing us with a great office space! Why is it important to you to support the DC startup community?

Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses are core to the WeWork founding mission. We have always strived to provide energizing spaces for entrepreneurs and startups to experiment, collaborate, and grow—both professionally and personally.

It’s important for us to support DC startups with vibrant spaces and a collaborative community to help inspire these ambitious people with big ideas to do their best work and reach their potential.

What makes WeWork unique?

Unlike other office spaces, WeWork adapts to the needs of our clients and communities.

Rather than lock companies into long-term leases, WeWork offers flexible leasing structures designed to accommodate businesses of any size, budget, and timeline. 

Rather than restrict our layouts or offerings, our spaces and configurations can be optimized to fit ever-changing needs—and fast. For example, we quickly enhanced our health and safety standards during COVID-19. We worked to de-densify our spaces across cities to accommodate the distributed workforce. And we offered up our spaces to colleges—helping them extend their campuses and giving students and faculty a safe space to work and learn.

Why do you think flexible workspaces will be the future of office?

As we saw this year, the world can change drastically, quickly.

Today’s employees and employers require flexibility and agility to adapt to evolving needs. That’s why WeWork has designed our product with flexibility and optionality top of mind. Whether you’re looking for a private office, a collaborative community space, or the ability to access WeWork throughout the country through WeWork All Access, we have tailored our solutions to fit the ever-changing personal and professional needs of our clients.

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Thank you to WeWork and their team for being our exclusive coworking sponsor of DC Startup Week 2020! They provided the space for the DCSW team to execute our 2020 conference. We are so grateful for your partnership and could not put on this conference without you.