The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to ditch our daily routines, especially with so many now working remotely.
And as restrictions slowly lift, many companies are working to negotiate a path forward while keeping their employees safe, Shelly Slater explained.
Slater is the co-founder of The Slate, a boutique co-working space featuring a video and photography studio along with a podcast booth.
Fortunately, she said, their business model was never meant to be crowded, so clients are already moving back into their building.
Slater said she's had a lot of inquiries about renting an office for only one or two days a week, and she thinks that will become more common as people look for ways to work outside their homes.
While she believes people will still have to gather for work, she said she expects the amount of time people work in proximity with others will shift.
She also expects mid-size companies to begin offering more access to co-working spaces wherever their workers are concentrated rather than have the majority of their workforce at one central office all the time.
"There's a lot of subletting going on," she said. "And then those other groups are going to be looking for some type of flex space or home space.... a place where this is where we meet, this is where we keep X,Y & Z. 'Amy you get Mondays & Tuesdays, Bob you get Tuesdays and Wednesdays,' so they're separating it out."
Slater added there's potential for an increase in off-site conference rooms and companies with high stakes meetings will need locations where you can safely hold virtual meetings meaning there's a strong, secure internet connection.
To help professionals continue to develop their business presence during the pandemic, Slater has created virtual content like interview training for those forced to pivot due to COVID-19. The training consists of a one-hour workshop that focuses on how to build a story that stands out in an interview.
She's also created content more geared for everyone, including young adults, that goes further in depth to help build strong interview skills and strengthen self-confidence in any setting.
Slater is offering 50% off the two courses through May with the code KARACARES.