Although this new way of working has come with many benefits such as less time commuting,  less distractions, and more time with our pets - to name just a few.  One of the major downsides of not being back in the office with others is the lack of connection and community.  Feeling a sense of belonging and connection is a basic human need, it’s part of our DNA as we are a social species. In the 2023 Work in America Workforce Survey 94% of respondents reported that social support, belonging and community in the workplace were somewhat or very important to them. 

From a diversity and inclusion perspective, creating a safe space where people feel they can be their authentic selves is imperative. This is not just a warm fuzzy, nice to have thing, D&I has been shown to have a positive affect on company bottom line. Creating a work environment where people bring their full selves and feel connected and a sense of community is gold. 

In our previous blog, Combatting some of the challenges of remote working, one of the biggest struggles with working remotely was loneliness.  Social isolation can have a profound effect on our mental health and wellbeing. Even something as simple as chatting with a co-worker over the ‘water cooler’ can positively impact your overall wellbeing. Research has shown that small interactions like this can be just as important as our close relationships to family and friends. 

At Basestation we strive to ensure all our residents feel welcome and connected. We do this in a number of different ways ranging from opportunities to sharing kai together - be it one of our residents sharing lunches or celebrating International Chocolate Appreciation Day!  We send out a monthly newsletter keeping everyone up to date on what’s been happening, up and coming events as well as welcoming newbies to Basestation, celebrating residents wins and/or babies born!

We’ve also taken to marking and celebrating special days - like Valentine's Day with candy, Easter with Hot Cross buns, Loud Shirt Day, our Basestation Birthday, Christmas, and so on. 

Having Folk on site definitely helps with the energy and vibe at Basestation, as does the many  plants dotted around the office!

To date we have 61 different organizational/companies located at Basestation. Ensuring everyone feels welcome and part of our community is of the utmost importance. 

Recently we started gathering residents' feedback asking what we were getting right and what we could look to improve. There have been suggestions like starting a soft plastic collection, a photo wall of our residents and their names plus a few extra tweaks around the office to make our residents' life more comfortable. The overwhelming majority of feedback has been positive with comments like:

“One of the best work environments I've been in.”

“I feel included, which is important for me as I’m an introvert” 

“As well as the people and the set up, I enjoy the little things like the fruit bowl, and the peanut butter.”

“The location is great for us - a lot of our customers are also based in the middle of Tauranga.”

Although this feedback is highly encouraging, there will always be room for improvement, plus it’s part of the mission: Basestation provides a space to help build communities and relationships to support professional collaboration and personal growth.

If you’d like to try us out for yourself why not join us for our next Open Day - Thursday March 14th. If you’ ve never been to Basestation before you can try hot desking for free for the day plus join us for our monthly residents shared lunch. 

Come and find us at 148 Durham Street, Tauranga, we are open 8:30am - 5pm Monday to Friday.