How WeWork

Redefining the Future of Work

What does work look like in 2024?

“COVID-19 has significantly changed what the modern workplace looks like for Americans, including where and how they effectively work.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way people work. Employees no longer feel the need to be physically present in an office space five days a week.

WeWork provides shared workspaces and offices outfitted with amenities such as pool tables, juice bars and beer on tap. Clients range from tech startups and entrepreneurs to more traditional small and large businesses looking to outsource or diversify office space . Founded in New York in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, at its peak in 2019 had 758 global locations, 590k physical memberships and was valued at $47 Billion.

Who is WeWork Talking To?

To better understand the profound changes brought forth by the pandemic, let’s survey the work force to unravel the new realities of work habits in the post-pandemic era.

  • Target audience: Workers age 21-45

    Survey completed by 32 workers

    In-depth Interviews with 12 workers

  • Age
    21-26 (18%) 27-32 (58%) 33-37 (10%) 38-42 (4%)


    Gender
    Male (28%) Female (68%) Non-binary (3%)


    Race
    White/Caucasian (31%) Black/African-American (28%) Asian (6%) Other (25%)


    Ethnicity
    Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish Origin (65%)


    Education Level Diploma/GED (6%) Associates (6%) Bachelors (48%) Masters (28%)


    Years of Work Experience 1-5 (14%)
    6-10 (29%)
    11-15 (27%)
    16+ (21%)

    • Prior to March 2020, how often were you able to work out of your home?

    • How do you look for new work?

    • What is your impression of shared workspaces?

    • Are there particular coworking companies that you’re familiar with?

    • Have you ever used a coworking company’s services?

    • Which character from The Office are you?

    • Where do you normally work? At home or the office?

    • What are the pros and cons of working in an office?

    • What hours do you prefer to work?/ What is your ideal work schedule?

    • Are you familiar with any co-working spaces? If so, how do you feel about them?

    • If your job provided you the option, for free, would you take advantage of a co-working space?

    • What are the top 3-5 essential items needed for your work environment?

    • What is the one thing you’ve learned about yourself and your relationship to work during the pandemic?

When respondents spoke about the benefits of working in an office, their responses were focused less on productivity, and more on interpersonal relationships. They listed:

  • Socializing with peers

  • Networking with different colleagues

  • Mentorship and face-to-face time with supervisors/executives

Face Time vs. FaceTime

“I learned that I really enjoy work
and I really do enjoy my job, probably more so than some of my friends. I realized the pride I have working with my company.’”

— Anna, 28

Insight

The workplace is not a place to do work. It’s a place for professionals to make connections and establish relationships that will shape their careers.

Let’s Bring WeWork to the Kitchen Table

  • Speak with an earned point of view and perspective rooted in experience and authority.

    With the future of work in flux, the ideals that WeWork was founded on, such as building community and its core offerings - shared and coworking spaces - are more relevant than ever. Counting individuals, corporations and governments as their customers, WeWork is the original authority on hybrid work.


WeWork can have Kitchen Table Talk through tapping into its extensive knowledge base to establish itself as a thought leader on the modern workplace.

Thought Leadership Campaign Objectives

  • Position WeWork as a top resource for employers seeking hybrid office solutions.

  • Restore reputational value to WeWork’s brand following leadership changes and bankruptcy filings.

  • Enter WeWork into cultural conversations surrounding career and work/life balance.

Strategic Themes

Human Insights

WeWork will provide data and expertise on who is working where, how often and why, to help companies and employers make decisions for their human and physical workplace capital.

Working Technology

WeWork will provide data and expertise on technological products, trends and advancements that will allow companies to maintain and increase efficiency and productivity in hybrid work.

Content Sources

Monthly Reports

WeWork will publish a monthly report, “Where WeWork” that combines usage data from its physical locations with original surveys to capture how the American workforce is divided between, remote, hybrid and in-office work options.

White Papers

WeWork will conduct research on a variety of topics such as workplace technology, sustainable workplaces, AI in the workplace, employee equity and more. Twice a year, the findings in one area will be presented in a white paper.

Website & Blog

WeWork will create a centralized Thought Leadership hub on its website, housing all its reports, research and other thought leadership content. Additionally it will redesign and relaunch its blog, regularly publishing articles highlighting its research and reporting, emerging trends as well as interviews and guest essays from notable figures impacting the future of work.

Thought Leaders

  • David Tolley

    Chief Executive Officer

  • Susan Catalano

    Chief People Officer

  • Harish Krishna

    Global Head of WeWork Workspace

Installed as CEO in October 2023, after serving in an interim capacity since May. Chosen to lead WeWork for his experience executing new strategies, David will be ideally suited to represent the company as it introduces its groundbreaking Where WeWork reports with through news and television appearances.

  • Jamie Heller, The Wall Street Journal

    Jamie is the Business Editor of The Wall Street Journal, responsible for the Journal’s coverage of companies. WeWork has long attracted media attention, most recently with its bankruptcy filing. David speaking with Jamie in an interview on the company’s turnaround will turn the conversation towards WeWork’s Thought Leadership.

  • Bloomberg New Economy Forum

    Having previously served as CFO of Intelsat S.A and OneWeb, in addition to receiving an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History, David can share with authority WeWork’s predictions on the impacts of changes in the way we work on economies.

  • LinkedIn, YouTube

    David will host a YouTube video series, introducing WeWork’s White Papers. He will speak with the researchers and editors of the reports and share why it is impactful for the future of work. 

David Tolley                         Chief Executive Officer

In addition to more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Susan has served as a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School. Her combination of corporate and academic expertise will make her uniquely qualified to represent WeWork’s Human Insights.

  • E.B. Boyd, Fast Company

    One of the benefits of work from home discovered during the pandemic was flexibility it gave to working mothers. E.B. Boyd is a freelance writer having recently written for Fast Company, and is currently working on a book on women founders. Susan can discuss WeWork’s reports and research on gender equity in the workplace, as well as the impacts on work from home on lives in an out of the home.

  • Forbes Under 30 Summit

    Entrepreneurs and younger employees are leading the change in the way we work, many having never worked in traditional office spaces. Susan can share WeWork’s Human Insights with these groups, positioning WeWork as a place for relevant workplace information as their careers grow.

  • TikTok

    As more and more people turn to TikTok for advice on navigating the workplace, Susan will bring WeWorks expertise in the future of work to the space.

Susan Catalano                       Chief People Officer

Harish is currently leading WeWork’s transition into the SaaS business, overseeing its Workplace product that lets companies manage its employees and office space in coworking locations. Harish will be able to represent WeWork’s Working Technology initiatives.

  • Ava Martinez, The HR Digest

    Ava covers ways HR professionals can build cultures in their workplace. Harish can discuss with Ava the ways new working technology can allow connections to flourish despite employees not always occupying the same space.

  • WorkX

    The goal of the WorkX conference is to “bridge the gap between technology and humanity, shaping the future of work.” Harish can present WeWork’s latest white paper on the future of Workplace Technology.

  • X

    Harish will use X to directly interact with the technology community, leading conversations on the future of workplace technology on one of tech’s biggest platforms.

Harish Krishna                     Global Head of WeWork Workplace

Further Extensions

Podcast

WeWork will host a weekly podcast, where rotating hosts from various divisions of the company will speak with different outside culture leaders on career advice, work life balance and more. The podcast will be distributed on WeWork’s Thought Leadership hub, as well as podcast platforms and YouTube.

Conference

The workplace is not a place to do work, its a place to learn and make career connections. This three day conference, in a different location each year will give up to 500 attendees the chance to boost their professional lives and meet like minded people. Each day will have a keynote speaker, along with workshops, panels and networking events.

Measurement

  • Increase earned media coverage, citation of WeWork reports and employees quoted in articles as subject matter experts.

  • Increase followers on X, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn

  • Establish a cadence for publishing monthly reports and semi-annual white papers.

  • Commission a perception survey to evaluate the brand’s value.