Selina, the fast-growing lifestyle and experiential hospitality brand targeting Millennial and Gen Z travellers, and non-profit, global advocacy movement WorkAnywhere announced the results from their first-of-its-kind Social Connection in Remote Work SCRW study.
The study was conducted to understand the factors that contribute to social fulfilment at work and identify drivers of loneliness for remote workers, finding that coworking spaces are the most socially fulfilling work locations for the modern workforce. Developed in partnership with world-class researchers, Dr Constance Hadley of Boston University and Dr Sarah Wright of the University of Canterbury, the SCRW study collected and analysed data focused on feelings towards remote work and loneliness from 1,057 remote workers who had experienced co-working spaces to effectively compare them against home and the office.
Key findings were There is a link between working from home and loneliness most lonely employees spend more time working from home 77.2% than least lonely employees 64.1% Home ranks lowest when employees rate how socially fulfilling they find their primary work location & co-working spaces were reported as the most socially fulfilling work locations even more than offices 42% of all respondents said they feel most socially fulfilled and connected to other people in third spaces compared to 33% in office and 26% at home When asked which third space they feel most socially fulfilled and connected to other people, an overwhelming majority of 60.7% said co-working spaces.
Workers yearn to make social connections throughout the workday 68 of respondents believe making social connections during the workday is important 59.7 of respondents want to make stronger personal connections with neighbours and people in the community. Organisations are struggling with how to create a sense of belonging to combat employee loneliness and disconnection. This research examines what steps organisations, policymakers, and workers can take post-pandemic to bolster social connectivity and wellbeing at work, no matter where it is conducted, said Dr Hadley.
She continued, Importantly, the results pertain to not just organisational employees but also to the large numbers of contractors and freelancers who contribute to our global economy. In a separate guest survey conducted by Selina, results indicated that approximately 65 of its surveyed guests are hybrid or remote workers, with a majority travelling alone. To ensure guests feel socially fulfilled throughout their stay, Selina offers a variety of unique features that foster connection and promote networking, including multiple open floor workspaces and private meeting rooms, restaurants and bars, pop-up events, tours and seminars, rentable artist studios, common kitchens, onsite wellness studios and more.
It is due to this commitment to building engaging remote worker communities that WorkAnywhere approached Selina to partner on this research study. Since our founding, Selina has designed its accommodations to foster connections between adventurous professionals and create unique and collaborative spaces for today’s digital nomads. We partnered with WorkAnywhere on the SCRW survey to shed light on the important issue of loneliness amongst remote workers and reinforce the importance of having dedicated environments and programs that promote togetherness, said Rafi Museri, CEO of Selina.
Remote work does not have to be isolating, and the results of our WorkAnywhere survey reinforce the benefits to health, wellbeing, and overall mood that can result from working alongside others in alternative environments. According to the Campaign to End Loneliness website, loneliness is estimated to shorten one’s lifespan by up to 15 years and may cause serious ailments including strokes, heart disease, dementia and more.
Written by: Jill Walsh
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