How to Find New Employees Through Coworking

Is your business hiring? If so, it’s time to consider an unconventional source of new employees: coworking communities.

These environments are full of enthusiastic people who are looking for new connections and new opportunities. They’re also attracting employers who are hoping to snag the best employees in the area.

In fact, Entrepreneur recently did a study of hiring within coworking communities and found that three-fourths of coworking companies and one-third of coworking individuals were planning to hire that year. About 40% expected to hire 1 or 2 people, 27% expected to hire 3 to 5 people, and 10% planned to add 6 or more people.

That’s a lot of hiring! If you’re looking to hire, here’s how to find new employees through coworking.

Join & Network

The first step is to become a member of a coworking community and start networking with other members of the community. You’ll quickly meet people of diverse backgrounds who might be a good fit for your organization.

One great way to connect with other community members is to explore coworking events that are happening. For example, if your business is related to publishing, attend a writing workshop or marketing event to meet other like-minded people.

The key is to network, while simply being friendly and professional. If you’re hiring, be open about it and you may find that potential employees flock to you.

Spend Money With Colleagues

Another good way to seek out employees at a coworking community is by buying from, and partnering with, other coworking companies. This gives you a chance to see how the company operates.

If you get great service from a competitor, you could propose forming a business partnership. Or if you encounter excellent service from a particular employee, you could try to make them a tempting offer and hire them into your company.

Coworking communities encourage professional give-and-take, as long as it’s handled in a fair and positive manner. Supporting other coworking companies is a good thing for everyone in the community.

Host an Event

Here’s a terrific way to find new employees: Host a coworking event. Offer a free session in something you specialize in, and there’s the dual benefit of helping the community and keeping an eye out for potential new employees.

The key to hosting a successful event is to focus on the needs of the audience, not your needs. Coworking often attracts people who are trying to start or expand businesses, find new opportunities, work more productively, and become more social. Keep those qualities in mind.

Don’t make it a sales pitch. Offer something truly valuable, like free lessons, tutoring, business consulting, training, or a roundtable discussion.

Create & Collaborate

Does your business need a burst of creativity? Would some extra collaboration bring fresh insights? Chat with coworking community members to re-energize your business.

The communal space is a great place to start up a conversation. Maybe you work in a creative field, like design, writing, fashion, web development, advertising, music, or film. Or perhaps you’re looking for employees in sales, customer service, reception, and other service-focused industries.

When you have some downtime, head for the communal seating area and strike up a conversation. Talk about what you do, and ask what they do. It’s almost like a mini-interview, where you can see who might be a great fit for your company.

Matt Miller, of Miller Media, found his first hire through his coworking community. “The second employee of the company is a great programmer who was in the same boat as me,” Miller said.

Choose a Coworking Community

If all of these ideas are starting to appeal to you, it’s time to select a coworking community and find your next superstar employee.

 

Victory Workspace serves professionals in the Walnut Creek, California area. To learn more, contact Victory Workspace for more information.