IT’S A “WE” WORLD...
... YOU AND I JUST TOIL INSIDE OT. HOW WE WORK IS BECOMING THE GO-TO OFFICE FIXER.
A New York City office opens into a big lounge with employees draped across plush furniture. A neon sign blares HELLO NYC! A man in a black tee cuts grapefruit for infused water in the open kitchen. Though it has all the distinctive signs of a Wework, this office actually belongs to the wireless carrier Sprint (the black-and-yellow color scheme gives it away), but Wework reconstructed and maintains the space.
Over the past 18 months, 30 major companies have signed up for Wework’s office makeover, called Powered by We. Wework seeks to solve business problems with physical space and uses a combination of beacons and analytics to iterate on its solutions. More than 1,000 large businesses use Wework services to create flexible work arrangements for their global employees, and firms with at least 1,000 people now constitute 25% of its membership. Wework’s school and spalike gym capture headlines, but its take on the corporate office may be what justifies its $20 billion valuation.
UBS PROBLEM INEFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF SPACE
UBS’S Weehawken, New Jersey, offices feature cafeteria seating that is only used for 60 to 90 minutes a day. Wework is converting the area into an all-day space, complete with an espresso and juice bar and the ability to handle lunch, casual meetings, and town halls. In the same building, Wework is opening up UBS’S training facilities by removing walls and making the Manhattan-skyline view more visible to the rest of the office.
Sprint PROBLEM POOR COLLABORATION
With its high-walled cubicles and private offices, the wireless carrier’s Midtown Manhattan space had no vitality and employees rarely saw one another. To inspire people to meet each other more frequently and informally, Wework opened up the entire office and transformed reception into a lounge, developing adjoining areas into an open kitchen and a game room. When workers need privacy, there are desk nooks and phone booths.
Expedia PROBLEM POOR SENSE OF COMMUNITY
The travel booking giant acquired Orbitz—and its Chicago office—in 2015. To unify the Expedians and Orbitzers working there, Wework brought them physically closer together, shrinking the office from three floors to two while introducing a fresh look. It also added yoga classes, workshops, and other community events to get workers to connect organically beyond office hours.
Pinterest PROBLEM ATTRACTING TALENT IN SATELLITE OFFICES
The image-based search platform need- ed to find high-quality engineers outside of Silicon Valley, so it enlisted Powered by We to design and build a custom office in Seattle.
It’s set within a Wework outpost, but Pinterest has its own entrance and an aesthetic to match its San Francisco HQ. The company can expand or reduce the square footage as needed.
Microsoft PROBLEM MOBILE WORKERS WITH NO PLACE TO PERCH
Microsoft’s Manhattanbased salespeople spend their days running from client to client, and it’s often impractical for them to return to their office near Times Square in between. To give them remote work spaces, Wework created smaller, custom offices within three Weworks around town. They’re separate from the general coworking areas and have open plans and conference rooms to accommodate meetings and events.