Coworker Confessions: Great coffee, fast wifi, and a quiet place to work – what more could you ask for?
Over the past few weeks we’ve been busy conducting an enormous survey of our members across our spaces in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin.
We’ve learnt what makes our members love our spaces, how they enhance productivity, and the lovely, inspiring ways our community interacts with one another within them. We even discovered whether or not love is in the air among our members (⅕ admitted to having a coworker crush!).
From the top unspoken rules of shared workspace environments, to the best ways to stay focused, here are just some of our findings.
Setting the scene
Over 35% of our members have been with us for longer than 1 year, with 10.4% being members for 2 years or more. The majority are aged 25 and above, with only 7.5% aged 18 to 24, and their work life is incredibly varied. Startups (30.2%) and SMEs (32.2%) make up the largest segments of our community, followed by enterprise remote employees (11.6%) and creative professionals (10.6%), reflecting a broad mix of industries, team sizes, and ways of working
We also discovered how many days per week our members attend beyond flexible workspaces. Only 16.4% attend for a single day, while over 50% attend at least two or three days per week. Interestingly, over 15% of our members attend our spaces five days a week - we must be doing something right!
What motivates our members?
In what may come as no surprise to our beyond members reading this, almost half agreed that being around other people is what motivates them to come to the office. 30.5% found that they were more focused in the office, and 15% came for the office perks like massages, free coffee, and snacks.
While they’re working, our members revealed the top three things they value most. 55.2% of respondents voted for “Quiet zones and private phone booths”, while “Good Coffee” came close behind at 45.2%. Coming in third was “Fast WiFi” with 42.3%, with “Natural light” close behind with 42.3%.
But it didn’t stop there. When we opened the floor to anything we might have missed, here’s what they told us:
- “Good kitchen facilities and nice places to sit and take time out on my lunch break”
- “Comfy seats and music/vibe (you guys are doing great!)”
- “Beer!!”
- “Cost, location (e.g. ease of access and commute), comfort and space (e.g. decent desks and chairs, plenty of power outlets)”
A productivity booster
The vast majority (61.6%) of our members are at least slightly more productive when working in one of our workspaces compared to working from home. 30.3% of members feel they are much more productive in a beyond workspace, while less than 5% feel much less productive compared to home working.
But when is flexible workspace productivity at its peak? Nearly half of our members say their sweet spot falls between 10am and 12pm, while 30% believe the early morning (before 10am) is when they’re at their best. That’s why we partnered with Elusis to introduce the Neuroacoustic wellness lounger in Amsterdam to help kick that afternoon slump.
As for what consistently boosts that productivity, there’s no single answer. From “seeing other people work” and “fewer distractions compared to home” to “routine and structure” and “access to amenities” (coffee, quiet booths, wellness rooms, meeting spaces), the drivers vary – proving that exactly what makes a workspace effective is deeply personal.
We also asked if there was anything that helps members produce their best work that wasn’t listed. Here are their responses:
- “Peer pressure lol (being observed helps!)”
- “Having a short distraction in form of conversation with co-workers to free the mind before jumping into the next task”
- “Friendly staff who make the space feel like a home from home”
H2: The top workspace unspoken ‘rules’
Of course, there are some things in the workspace that go unsaid and so we asked our members about the top three unspoken rules they follow within our spaces. 59% affirmed that calls should be taken in designated spaces without being asked, 52.8% said that headphones = focus, and 46.2% made sure to keep their interactions friendly, but time aware.
Others shared some rules that hadn't been listed in the survey:
- “Ask people to join us for lunch! It's not nice if someone gets excluded.”
- “Always ask if anyone wants a free beer from the beer tap”
- “A friendly smile/nod to your fellow co-working buddies outside the office who you recognise but have never spoken to…”
Interestingly, many of the respondents were keen to stress that fish in the microwave should be kept to a minimum…
The confessions vault
Now for the part you’ve been waiting for, the confessions vault. From the funniest, most memorable, and completely unexpected moments our members have witnessed, to the nicest things they have seen or done for each other.
And a big shout out to “morning coffee” absolutely sweeping away the competition for “One ritual or routine that makes your day better”.
H3: Funniest and most memorable:
- “A colleague accidentally found himself at a different lunch table with a group of people he didn't know at all. But he decided to stay and get to know them instead of moving to the table with all his colleagues.”
- “A colleague once had a full conversation before realising their mic was off the whole time.”
- “I once saw someone heat up an entire Shephard's pie ready meal, which they ate with an entire can of beans and half a packet of pre-grated cheddar. No judgement of course, but it was 9.00 am.”
- “A father on the phone to his children trying to broker a peace agreement between his two children at home during school holidays. An absolutely classic one sided conversation to be privy to! It took me a while to work out he was not talking to a customer or colleague!”
H3: The most unexpected:
- “A colleague offered me a kebab”
- “Just people being friendly, which in London isn't a given!”
- “My colleague brought me a beer on a tough day. Love that the taps go on at 3pm”
- “Someone once ordered extra of my favourite milk alternative :)”
H3: The nicest thing:
- “A colleague always brings in sweets/ little gifts for my children at Christmas which is so kind”
- “It's not something they've done for me but the person who used to use their working space for their tailoring business always brightened my day, it just looked so lovely and colourful in there!”
- “Once I got locked inside because I didn't have a dedicated key. A colleague went to save me after working hours”
- “I must've had a frown on my face. Somebody said to me “Hang in there, you’ve got this.” It was such a small gesture, but it made my day and made the space feel more human.”
We’re not saying our members are the best in the world – but they’re certainly the best you’ll find in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin.
Ready to leave home distractions behind and step into a workspace built for focus, energy, and connection? Come and see what your most productive days could look like with a free coworking day.
