1. Hello Mona. Thank you for taking the time to share your impressions from coworking space.
You told me that you spent last 18 months on the route Serbia-Brazil-Republic of South Africa. Is this change of work enriched your life for two countries? Is it true that you work on the beach?
Hello Jovana, thanks for the invitation!
Remote work has definitely changed my life for the better, gave a completely new dimension to it as well as an incredible feeling of freedom. The very fact that I can explore new countries without using one single vacation day is for me dream come true.
Is it true that I work on the beach? Well, not really (laughs). In the countries I chose to work in, this is certainly not possible due to security.
But in general, I think that working on the beach is a little more Instagram than a real-life story, unless it is only an occasional work in a beach bar for a couple of hours. I believe that there are those who will really make an effort to achieve that pleasure, but if you really need to work full-time, the sun glare on the screen, the heat, the lack of office comfort and a good internet connection will make this "work on the beach" significantly more difficult. I choose developed cities on the coast, where I can find good coworking spaces, and where I can spend breaks on the beach or to enjoy sunsets after work.
2. Given that coworking spaces are visited by a large number of people, does the number of people affect your focus? How efficient are you at work? Is it true that there is an intense exchange of ideas among coworking space visitors?
Even though I do not have to go to the office and I can work from home, I always choose to work from a coworking space, whether I amin Belgrade or in another part of the world where I spent a lot of time in the past 2 years.
Coworking really offers a large number of benefits, for me the most important are professional working environment and the productivity it brings. I believe that the majority of people will now think - well, all of that is provided in your company's office, and that is true, but work in the office also carries other things - the rule to spend 8 hours there even though it is often not necessary, the feeling that someone is supervising you all the time, and taking care if we spent a bit longer on a lunch break then allowed; often a bad work atmosphere in the work environment, i.e. with colleagues.
Coworking is much more than a workspace. It is a space for ideas and self-development in a professional sense. An opportunity to get to know people from the industry and the projects they work on, which can often be an inspiration for our work. Unlike working in a company building where workers are internally oriented, coworking also brings together external information from the market, which helps us to get a big picture. I get the best from my "colleagues" there. We spent our break together, great working atmosphere, professional advice, a broth circle of friends, and all this with focus and efficiency in work.
3. Do you think it is it important for companies to offer this option during the hiring process? To what extent can companies have benefits if they provide their employees with work from a coworking space?
Absolutely! The labor market has changed significantly in the last few years. People not only understood the importance of the balance between private and business life, but also experienced it completely. The Covid period proved that employees can really be productive even when they are not in the company space, that it is possible to plan their day and do some private things, and that the work does not suffer.
A large number of companies have adopted this way of working, more abroad than here, and certainly more in the creative and IT industry than in the corporate world.
I really think that employers who in the future will not offer the possibility of working from home, at least for a few days during the working week, will have a big problem in finding and retaining quality staff. The power is on the candidate's side, and a good candidate will certainly want that feeling of freedom. It is up to the company to respect and to trust theiremployees, as long as the results achieved by the employee are at the high level.
4. In what way did this change affect you as a person professionally and privately?Are you satisfied now?
I'm a new person (laughs). For me, letting go the office meant the beginning of coworking, as well as the beginning of working in remote destinations. Coworking brought me a new professional perspective, strength and motivation, put me on the source of information and new ideas. On the other hand, the time spent in Brazil and the Republic of South Africa enriched me privately with countless new experiences, gave me confidence, and enabled to me a different view of the world.
Freedom empowers me and gives me pleasure to live as I want, and the main goal of every company should be a satisfied employee. I still work every day, but I feel that I am in line with my true self, and that gives me exactly that healthy distance between the company, or in my case the client, and my private life. I am very sure that returning back to the office is not possible in the near future.
