The Changeup
The days of worker bees filling desks in a downtown skyscraper from 9–5, Monday through Friday, seem fleeting. Now, employees post up wherever makes sense for them: the office, sure, or a coffee shop, a co-working space, their home, or anywhere else with solid Wi-Fi and seating. Even spots like the Minneapolis Bouldering Project have become impromptu offices for community members who like to flex their workdays. “It’s really nice that people can climb, work out, or do yoga, and then jump on a call to get work done,” says MBP general manager Katie Schultz, who notes MBP has adjusted seating spaces, improved its Wi-Fi, and added outlets to become a sort of co-working space.
The Growth Pattern
Speaking of which, local co-working spaces have also seen an increase in members recently. The Coven’s Twin Cities spaces, which focus on providing spots and networking opportunities to women, trans, and nonbinary people, will even franchise across the country this year, according to co-founder Alex West Steinman. She attributes a large portion of the growth to the friendships and professional networks people make at The Coven. “People are craving that deeper connection, but they’re not necessarily looking for it from their employer,” she says.
The Culture
As West Steinman alludes to, workplace culture can take a hit with remote and hybrid work. According to University of St. Thomas management professor Ernie Owens, it’s up to company leadership to make sure employees are getting what they need—especially because these ways of working aren’t going away. “Officing is going to become more of a relational space than a physical space,” he says. “It’s less about brick-and-mortar than the groupings of people and the tools you have.” No matter where workers are, the office needs to work for them—and with them.
