There’s no negating it at this point, millennials are part and parcel of the country’s workforce. While baby boomers may groan at the “lazy” work ethic they perceive of millennials, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Millennials are revolutionizing the workplace as we recognize it, introducing office solutions that are cost-efficient, space-efficient, and ascribe by a cheeky millennial motto: “Work smart, not hard.” A seasoned professional need look no further than rental conference rooms as evidence that office times are changing. Even the concept of office space is expanding to encompass (gasp) the internet. Here are some ways millennials are choosing an office at the edge of the 21st century.
Two Heads are Better than One
The concept of cooperatives are, in execution, cutting edge, but in spirit, as old as the human race. Hunting and gathering, building civilizations, even potluck dinners are a cherished spin-off of cooperative living. Enter coop office space. Millennials, having grown so accustomed to sharing space in most aspects of their lives, see no reason rental conference rooms shouldn’t be the same. Coop work spaces often have a variety of different industries working under a shared roof. Tech, education, community outreach, disciplines which on their own already seek to integrate aspects of each other into their work. By converting rental conference rooms into coop work spaces, millennials seek to saturate themselves not just in their field, but to surround themselves with the work of others. An office solution that is unique and answers the conundrum of over-saturation and office monotony, all wrapped into one.
Authentic Work in Simulated Spaces
Having grown up alongside the internet and its integration into modern society, virtual space is as navigable as the seven seas for millennials. Thus the virtual office solution to diminishing and expensive physical space emerged as the natural next step. Not only does cheap virtual office space circumvent all additional costs like office furniture, it’s becoming preferable to modern professionals. The best virtual office is one unbridled by the constraints of geography, which is to say, no one is showing up late to the meeting with an iced coffee in their hand when all it takes to get to the meeting is a quick log-in from any place with internet access. And now that virtual offices spaces for rent are as easily found as rental conference rooms, the opportunity to work flexibly and remotely has never been higher.
All For One and One for All
Coworking spaces have taken the professional world by storm, and are a rapidly growing evolution of coop office space. Why choose an office day when working remotely has never been so cool. Coworking spaces, aside from offering exactly what they advertise, space to work alongside others, they often include perks offices don’t typically include. They’re multi-purpose, functioning not just as a work space but a networking space to connect with professionals in other fields. Coworking space staff have one job, creating a good work environment. Be this setting up a meeting space, providing rental conference rooms, or making you tea, coworking offers a unique office experience. Not to mention that much of the time, they have snacks. We’re talking full-sized chocolate bars and organic trail mix, folks.
Working Remotely or Remotely Working?
Though some managers fear that all the opportunities to work remotely means a dip in productivity, two-thirds of managers say nothing is further from the truth, and employees who work remotely actually are more productive. In fact, 68% of millennial job seekers claim that the ability to work remotely greatly augments their interest in a potential employer. Thus the rise in rental conference room availability, and the variety of their uses. While this may appear to be detrimental to work flow, the ability to work remotely creates a unique office hour dynamic; by eliminating the rigidity of commuting and office-centric productivity, work can happen at any time, anywhere. Work smart, not hard, although it would appear that millennials have no trouble working hard too, and for more time than standard work hours.
