We’ve come a long way from the standard 9–5 office job of the 20th century. Coworking spaces now allow employees to work anywhere, anytime, at any pace. Like minded individuals can manage to get their work done in their selected hub of productivity. Finland has also seen a rise in coworking spaces, which is no surprise as they’ve long been regarded as having the most flexible working hours on the planet. With their new Working Hours Act, the majority of full-time employees have the right to decide when and where they work for at least half of their working hours.
Last time, we talked about the 4 Ways to Improve Employee Experience for Startups in 2020 and emphasised the importance of the employee experience. Modern startup culture prioritises their employees’ needs, and in effect, their customer experience and quality of outputs will likewise be enhanced. The coworking space industry can fulfil this dream and will be able to measure their customer experience by improving member experience and retention.
Here’s how:
Make Them the Faces of Your Marketing Campaigns
For your blog, website, or social media channels, let your members act as guest contributors or simply feature them. This changes the marketing approach to one that is centered on member-first marketing. If they tag your account, repost their content and even engage with it. As they’re supporting your company, help promote theirs as well.
Establish a Member Loyalty Reward System
Statista reports that 55% of people still work at their first coworking space. Incentivise their loyalty by implementing a loyalty rewards system to make them feel that staying with your company is a no brainer. After a year of membership, offer freebies or other benefits like discounted rates. Show them that you care about having them around.
Go the Extra Mile
Put a premium on offering the best amenities. Furniture should be ergonomic for maximum efficiency and functionality. Offer free services for printing and office supplies as well. Industrious explains how creating a beautiful and professional space will help you impress even the toughest of clients. The better you present the working environment, the more professional your coworking space will appear. This in turn will attract more businesses and workers to use it. Coworking spaces have everything members need, and excellent ones can take it one step further and augment retention by convincing employees they don’t need to go anywhere else.
Be More Personal
Remaining personal may seem difficult to achieve when everyone is glued to their computers. However, coworking spaces are ultimately also places for networking. Encourage your members to interact, both with your staff and with one another by approaching them and initiating a conversation. This will introduce members to the faces behind the company, and also show that it need not be stiff and quiet. Editor of Coworking FTW Alex Hillman says that the real value of a coworking space comes from the community of people looking after one another while achieving their goals.
If you remember why you started your coworking space in the first place, improving member experience and retention will come naturally. Get on board now.
