They have been acclaimed as the next frontier in remote employment. Virtual coworking spaces claim to offer many of the same benefits that in-person coworking spaces like WeWork tout, but can they deliver? How much of the hype is true?
The Growing Popularity of Coworking
More people than ever are working remotely, both in the United States and around the world. The proportion of the workforce that now works from home with little more than a computer and wireless connection has continued to grow.
That development has coincided with another trend: the increasing popularity of physical coworking spaces, where members can go to meet and network with other professionals, achieve some separation between their work and home life, and ease the social isolation of full-time remote work. (Loneliness is a leading cause of depression and other mental health issues, and experts have dubbed it a major public health “epidemic.”)
The Benefits of Virtual vs. In-Person Coworking
Of course, not every person who works remotely is able to find an in-person workspace in their area. Many rural areas may accommodate a wireless connection but not a coworking provider, and the nearest option may be too long of a commute. In other instances, the drive may be doable—just not the cost of membership, which can be pricey.
In contrast, the touted advantages of a virtual coworking membership are its:
- Affordability, with monthly pricing often averaging easily more than half of the average monthly cost of an in-person membership
- Accessibility from anywhere in the world 24/7 (or at least that is a frequent claim)
- Greater productivity, thanks to the unique features of an online platform (versus an in-person office)
Examples of Virtual Coworking Spaces
What options does virtual coworking afford, and how do they create a community for their members? A closer look at these three online coworking examples provides some insight into these questions….
1) Flown offers silent “drop-in” sessions that allow visitors to “set an intention” that they would like to accomplish during a specified period. These live sessions can be joined at any time. Users also have the option to participate in a one-hour “power hour” session. The session is led by another member (or “facilitator”) who invites visitors from around the world to share their intention for the next 50 minutes of distraction-free “deep work.” In each case, a grid interface, familiar to anyone who has used Zoom, reveals others (by full name) who are also silently working. Flown is accessible for free and with paid subscriptions that add perks like individual and group coaching sessions.
2) Cofocus allows users to schedule 50-minute sessions with other remote workers, only this time the sessions are one-on-one. This enables the two participants to chat briefly about what they are working on at the start of the session and to reconnect at the end of the session for a short debriefing. A shared calendar for the week lists what sessions are available for scheduling at what times. Cofocus operates via a paid subscription, but users reportedly are allotted three free 50-minute sessions per week
3) Focusmate describes itself as a “global community of friendly, supportive people who can help you get anything done.” Users can choose between 25-minute, 50-minute, and 75-minute bookable work sessions, available 24/7. As with Cofocus, the session is a one-on-one pairing, only with even more versatility. You can specify your “task” as either “desk,” “moving,” or “anything” and then be matched with someone whose task is in the same general category.
These and other virtual coworking apps claim to do many of the same things that an in-person coworking space can, if not more, but to what extent they really do succeed at building social connections remains to be seen.
If your main reason for considering a coworking space is the added sense of community that it provides, a shared in-person workspace may be the best route. If that is not possible, a virtual coworking app that offers one-on-one work sessions may be the next best thing.