Jen SchillerIf you’re a small startup looking to cut costs, you may be overlooking an option that will both cut costs and help you draw top talent to your burgeoning startup: coworking spaces. It may seem counter-intuitive to those who have grown up in the world of Dilbert and Office Space, but coworking spaces are increasingly popular locations for startups, providing unique, creative, and often centrally located spaces that help attract bright talent. Could coworking spaces be the answer to some of your startup hiring questions?
So what are coworking spaces exactly? Basically a coworking space is an open, or semi-open, concept shared office space which individuals and companies rent for business purposes. Often, they can help take the home out of home office and act as an intermediary between a home office and full-blown corporate space.
Now you may be asking how a space, that isn’t technically defined as your company’s own, can help your startup’s hiring. Don’t worry, we’re getting there.
First, coworking spaces save you money over other leased options. That gives you more money to invest in the hiring process and your employees. The money you save on space can be put toward hiring bonuses, salaries, or even benefits and extras. These small differences may be a huge game changer for candidates.
Next, many young workers enjoy coworking spaces. Mind you, not everyone will love the idea of sharing a table with co-workers, let alone a giant room with strangers, but not everyone is keen on cubicle life either. If you are an untraditional startup, or in a tech field, cubicles may feel stifling, and certainly won’t add a new dimension for you to show off when hiring.
Finally, coworking spaces are often creative hotspots. It takes a little bit of creativity to set up shop in a coworking space to begin with, so you’ll likely be amongst like minds. It may spark brainstorming sessions with other companies, possible collaborations, and simply friendships for employees to make at the office, but with people they aren’t competing against.
You may not have thought about using a coworking space for your startup, but there are a number of positives of coworking spaces, including possibly a boost to your hiring. Many top candidates are looking for something a little bit different with lots of potential, and right now coworking spaces provide just that.
Think you might be interested in a coworking space? Inc. compiled a list of 16 of the coolest spaces across the country.
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by ehon
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