Corpoworking: the corporate coworking space that breaks office codes
Put a coworking space in a company, and you get... corpoworking!
Far removed from the sometimes strict confines of traditional offices, which leave little room for novelty, these spaces aim to create diversity by mixing individuals, so that innovative ideas can emerge. A real breath of fresh air for employees.
But what exactly is corpoworking? What are the good reasons for implementing it? Find out all about this new work organization, which has a bright future ahead of it.
What is corpoworking? Definition
Corpoworking refers to the creation of a coworking space within a company, where employees can work freely. It is also open to people from outside the company, such as :
- freelancers, freelance workers or start-ups looking for a place to work,
- customers who can be received in an original setting,
- service providers with whom you can work on a joint project.
With its codes borrowed from coworking spaces, this structure offers a layout and decoration designed to stimulate creativity, encourage spontaneous exchanges and the emergence of new ideas.
This free, open and convivial space, which fosters innovation, is often initiated on an experimental basis to create a dynamic ecosystem around a more or less extended community focused on a particular issue.
Corporate coworking promotes :
- flexibility,
- everyone is free to come and go, subject to opening hours,
- there's no assigned office (as with flex office).
- diversity,
- company teams working together, as with corpoworking, there is no dedicated office,
- company teams with external people (partners, customers, other companies, etc.).
- user-friendliness
- pleasant layout, decoration and equipment to stimulate creativity,
- the organization of events, workshops, challenges, etc,
- the inclusion of areas dedicated to relaxation.
The animation of the place is an essential point. It is sometimes managed by a person dedicated to bringing these spaces to life, by organizing formal or informal events, and by creating connections between people.
One of his or her missions is to ensure that participants develop a sense of belonging and attachment to the space, and are keen to get involved in its animation.
Why open a corpoworking space? The benefits
There are a number of positive effects to be gained from opening a corpoworking space.
👩💻 Benefits for employees
- Increased motivation through greater autonomy,
- creates social ties,
- breaks the daily routine,
- an environment that stimulates creativity,
- provides learning opportunities.
🏢 Benefits for the company
- more productive employees with a work environment that sometimes better suits their needs,
- bring unused space to life,
- encourage collective intelligence and innovation,
- an ideal place to launch projects,
- improve the employer brand,
- generate revenue.
🧑💻 Benefits for outsiders :
- a place with all amenities (printer, coffee machine, etc.),
- lower cost than office space,
- exchanges and sharing with other professionals,
- opportunities to receive advice,
- the chance to expand your network,
- potential new customers.
Corpoworking: what are the obstacles?
Setting up a corpoworking space involves a certain number of measures, which sometimes slow down some companies from getting started.
For example, you need to :
- a space to devote to it and to fit it out,
- provide a lively environment,
- manage confidentiality and the protection of sensitive data and information,
- comply with legislation applicable to workspaces.
What's more, it's very difficult to measure the return on investment of such an initiative.
Examples of corpoworking in France
Corpoworking is not yet widespread in France. Some initiatives have been developed on an experimental basis, but are not necessarily intended to remain in place permanently.
But there are places that have become real institutions. Here are just a few of the best-known corpoworking spaces in France:
- the Orange Group's Villa Bonne Nouvelle, located in the heart of Paris, offers 50 workstations open to all, free of charge.
- Spintank's Tank, 2700 m2 in the heart of Paris, with a wide range of spaces, including a recording studio for radio broadcasts.
- the Digitaleo Enterprise Factory in Rennes, which also offers meeting rooms and a garden in which to relax.
💡La bonne idée: Action Logement is to open 4 corpoworking spaces in Toulouse, with the aim of reducing inequalities when it comes to teleworking, and then continue its development in Montpellier and the whole of France.
Corpoworking: a new way of working with a future?
As a new way of organizing work, corpoworking is emerging as an alternative solution to traditional offices, which seems to correspond to the needs and expectations of individuals, and particularly those of the younger generations, who are asking for :
- more autonomy,
- more flexibility,
- more conviviality,
- and greater well-being at work.
In fact, a McKinsey study reveals that 70% of employees who have experienced corpoworking have a positive opinion of the concept.
As the study on corpoworking published in 2015 by HR&D concludes, if corpoworking is built around a solid project with real values, it offers real opportunities to innovate, and can go beyond the status of a trend to become a real way of working for the future.
So, are you tempted to open a corpoworking space in your company?
Article translated from French