Business Fit Magazine October 2019 Issue 1 | Page 42

Interview
working out ways to enhance collaboration in our
spaces, whether this be through architecture and
layout, or interior design and placing furniture in
specific ways so people can connect more easily.
We’re designing for the future of work, and I
believe that more and more companies will start
to adapt this flexible workspace environment and
integrate more collaborative design elements to
bring more people together.
Do you think flexible
workspaces are a trend or is the
way forward?
Over the years, more and more people are moving
to cities in search for a community, purpose
and the opportunity to be a part of something
greater than themselves – to create their life’s
work. The shift that we have seen towards
flexible workspaces is profound; we don’t see it
as a trend. Over 527,000 members collaborate
every day in our spaces around the world, and
businesses are moving towards inspired and
innovative flexible spaces to help build a sense of
community as well as encourage productivity for
their employees. However, at WeWork, providing
flexible workspaces is really just one aspect of
what we do; we consider ourselves to be much
more than just a workspace. We are actively
bringing an already burgeoning community
of local entrepreneurs, start-ups and bigger
companies together with like-minded people
all over the world who are connecting on-site
in the physical location, but also with the global
WeWork network via our member app. I think
this is a unique combination that makes WeWork
the leading force that is changing the future of
work.
How do you expect Work/Life
integration to change?
Maintaining a work-life balance is really
important; not only does it help you perform
better in your role by having a break and being
able to switch off, but it is vital for your quality
of life. WeWork provides a unique sweet spot
in the balance between work and life outside of
the office through flexible working style, homey
interiors and community-driven initiatives. From
lunch and learn sessions to yoga classes and
meditation, WeWork is dedicated to the welfare
of its employees and members, recognising the
importance of taking time for yourself to relax
and unwind, as well as having time out of your
working day to engage and socialise with other
like-minded individuals. We can spend as much
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time at work as we do at home, so at WeWork,
we feel passionately about creating an inspired
and productive work environment that also
lends itself as a space that embodies comfort
and relaxation.
What impact will WeWork have
in the future of cities?
WeWork is best known for innovative and flexible
workspaces occupied by businesses of all sizes,
however our impact in the cities in which we
operate aims to go far beyond a well-designed
communal space. At WeWork, we champion
business growth and innovation by offering our
members mentorship, programming and the
opportunity to be a part of a global network.
Not only do we help our members grow through
collaboration and creativity, we also have an
impact on local surrounding communities. In a
recent report, we found that establishing a new
WeWork building in a new city brings a significant
amount of new people, businesses and economic
activity to the local area.
The report shows that 70 percent of WeWork
members around the world are new to the
neighbourhood, and one in ten members
have moved closer to their WeWork locations
since joining, resulting in more business in the
surrounding area. In London for example, WeWork
members spend nearly three times as much as
the average Londoner on pubs, restaurants and
cafes, ultimately injecting more than £75 million
per year into local neighbourhood business. We
are incredibly proud of the initiatives we have put
in place as well as the positive impact we achieve
on both a local and global scale, and we look
forward to continuing expansion into new cities,
and into new cultures.
We don’t design
for WeWork,
we design for
humans
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