Hoffice is a crowdsourced network of free working space, set up in the homes of its users.
As cloud computing becomes more mainstream, it’s now possible for a large portion of the population to work from home, either as freelancers, remote employees or self-employed citizens. But working alone can be, at best, a little lonely and, at worst, completely unstimulating. Endless distractions and a lack of interaction can make even the most disciplined worker unproductive.
Swedish platform Hoffice is hoping to offer a solution by crowdsourcing a network of free working spaces in the homes of its users – effectively bringing the sharing economy to office space. Hoffice worker Mårten Pella says, ‘Often when I am alone, I can work focused for a couple of hours but then [I am] very easily distracted. The help of others makes me so much more disciplined.’
Users begin by signing up to the Hoffice community via Facebook, which links them with other home workers in their area.
They can then either choose to host a Hoffice event in their own home or attend a pre-existing one. The idea is to provide a loosely structured workday, in a sociable working environment that encourages productivity without ignoring other human needs. Members are encouraged to start the day with meditation or relaxation exercises, for example. Work time is split up into 45-minute segments with 15-minute breaks – for exercise, conversation or games – in between.
At every event, a facilitator is in charge of keeping the structure, but members are welcome to ignore it and work at their own pace. Workspaces are always free to use but members may be asked to contribute towards costs. Hoffice is a growing network with most groups so far operating in Scandinavia. Potential members from unserved areas are encouraged to start their own group and invite local people to join.
Outside Scandinavia, the Hoffice concept has at times proved problematic. No background checks are carried out on new Hoffice members – be they hosts or attendees – which has led to security concerns in certain areas. In India, in particular, hosts feared they could potentially be robbed during a meet-up. In Stockholm, these fears are simply less prevalent.
Spacehop and OfficeRiders are two other notable players in this area, enabling members to rent office space in a host’s property. Founded in England and France respectively, both give insurance policies that cover theft and damages for hosts. But, to an extent, offering insurance policies feels at odds with Hoffice’s founding principles of gift giving, community and trust.
In an interview with the Swedish reporter and lecturer Agneta Lagercrantz, Hoffice founder Christofer Gradin Franzen explains that the movement was inspired by Gandhi’s social philosophy of the Sarvodaya movement, which is based on Buddhist principles: ‘It is Sri Lanka’s largest people’s movement and has spread to 15,000 villages. Its base lies in voluntary work called Shramadana (“to donate effort”), or gift economy, where the volunteers help people to help themselves and then each other to, in the first place, get food, drink and shelter. Thereafter, they help each other in improving the village’s communications, environment and schools and creating possibilities to provide cultural/intellectual stimulation.’ There are obvious similarities here with the Dugnad movement (see the chapter on the sharing economy).
With hubs now available across the world, Hoffice is beginning to gain traction. The São Paolo Facebook group has over 1,890 members, while the original Stockholm Facebook group has over 1,850 members. Frankfurt’s group is smaller, with just over 80 members, and it’s clear that Hoffice’s success is heavily influenced by the different working cultures of these cities. In Sweden, workplaces tend to operate under a low-level hierarchy, and there is a large amount of trust from managers with respect to flexible working, making it an ideal birthplace for the Hoffice movement.
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Website: www.hoffice.nu/en
Contact: info@hoffice.nu
Innovation name: Hoffice
Country: Sweden
Industries: Non-profit & social cause / Workspace