How to Create the Best Member Onboarding for Your Coworking Space

If you’re just starting a coworking space business, you’re probably thinking about marketing your space, creating a profitable business model, and designing the right product mix. But what about your member onboarding process?

A well-defined member onboarding process ensures you’re consistently making the most of your members’ first touchpoint with your brand.

As they say, you only have one opportunity to make a great first impression.

In this comprehensive article, we’re walking you through how to create the absolute best member onboarding processes you possibly can for your coworking space – starting with the basics.

What is coworking member onboarding?

Coworking member onboarding is the experience each member goes through when they become a member of your space. The goal of the onboarding experience is to familiarize each new member with your mission, values, and key processes so they have all of the information they need in order to thrive as a member of your community.

Why is member onboarding important in a coworking space?

Member onboarding serves three key functions in a coworking space – it helps build self-sufficient members, it improves your operational efficiency, and it supports member retention.

It helps build self-sufficient members

When members are properly onboarded into your community, they become more self-sufficient. They know how to load the dishwasher (and why they need to), how your door access control system works, how to book a meeting room, and most importantly, how to find the answers to their own questions without relying on a member of your team.

It improves your operational efficiency

Member onboarding will help you improve the operational efficiency of your coworking space not only by creating self-sufficient members who can answer their own questions, but by standardizing the processes your team carries out each time a new member joins.

Instead of manually remembering to send a follow-up email or adding the new member to your backend system, ideally technology can automate much of that work for you once a standard process is set.

It supports member retention

When members understand who you are and how your space works, they are more likely to feel a part of the community, and therefore more likely to stay. There is nothing worse than a member leaving because there is something about the space they don’t understand.

Member onboarding ensures that members are empowered with the knowledge and the relationships they need in order to remain in the community long-term.

How to create a member onboarding process for your coworking space

Creating an effective member onboarding process is about understanding who your members are and what information they need to be successful. Here’s a framework to help you through this process.

1. Define the different kind of members in your coworking space

Chances are, your space offers a few different membership plans. Different plans typically offer different access to different amenities and therefore, will require slightly different onboarding processes.

For example, let’s say your coworking space has drop-in members, dedicated desk members, and private office members. Drop-in members will not be able to access the space after-hours, while dedicated desk and private office members will. Therefore, drop-in members will require a different orientation to ensure they get the information that is most relevant to them.

Pro tip: if you’re an Optix user, you can build out your different kinds of members in your community as account types. This will help with creating an automated member experience down the line. Learn more about account types in Optix.

2. Map out member journeys depending on their type

Once you define the different types of members in your community, map out the journey that each one will take, including the key touchpoints for each member. 

This was something that Deanna Hoy, Community Manager at Q Space, did before building out her member onboarding flows in Optix. She mapped out all of the key touchpoints over the course of the onboarding journey for each of her members to understand how and when they interacted with the space.

Let’s take a drop-in member for example. Their user journey may look something like:

• Purchase a drop-in pass via your Web Widget on your website
• Receive an email with key information
• Visit the space for the first time and receive an in-person orientation
• Receive an email one day after the booking inviting them back to the space

Pro tip: as a best practice, make sure you have a confirmation email that goes out immediately after a booking is made, and one that goes out the day after the booking thanking them for visiting the space. You can create this automatically in Optix.

3. Standardize communication and steps

Yes, each of your different kinds of members will have a slightly different onboarding journey. But some parts of the journey will be the same, regardless of what type of member they are. 

For example, you probably want everyone to receive a welcome email. Use the same email template (with slightly different copy) to make things easier on your team while delivering a more consistent brand experience. 

Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for your team so they know what they need to do when a drop-in member books a room, when a new private office member comes onboard, etc.

This can evolve over time as you iterate on the experience you want to offer. Just make sure you’re updating documentation as you go along.

4. Get the right tools in place

Because it is standardized and repetitive, member onboarding is one of the best processes to automate in your coworking space. In order to successfully automate it however, you need to have the right technology and systems in place.

At a minimum, we recommend using a coworking space automation software like Optix to help you:

• Install Web Widgets onto your website for easy online drop-in bookings
• Automate invoice collection
• Send automated emails to members
• Keep track of important onboarding tasks

In addition to coworking space software, you may also want to consider a door access control system like Kisi to automate access control and make accessing the space easier for new members.

Now that you understand how to create a comprehensive member onboarding process, let’s take a look at three examples of what an onboarding process might look like in a coworking space.

Coworking member onboarding process example

Like we mentioned, different types of members will have slightly different onboarding processes depending on their plan. However, there are some key elements that will be included no matter what.

Here is an example of what a coworking member onboarding process might look like for a drop-in member, with some notes for how to modify it for dedicated desk members and private offices.

1. Send a confirmation email immediately after a booking is made

This email should include booking details, directions to the space, parking instructions, and Wi-Fi information. If you have a White-labeled App that members use to make bookings, now would be the time to let them know how to download and use the app. 

For private office members, you’ll want to include information on the move-in process, as well as attach any documents related to private office membership. As a best practice, refrain from sending any sensitive information via email.

2.  Create a task for your community manager 

After a booking is made, use Optix to automatically create a task for your community manager that outlines the member onboarding SOPs. This could include sending new members a personalized message or remembering to block their calendar for a brief orientation on a new member’s first day.

For full-time members, you may want to include in your SOPs something to make the onboarding experience more delightful, whether it’s a handwritten card or some chocolates on their desk on their first day. Little things go a long way!

3. Complete a first day orientation

Put new members’ minds at ease on day one with a simple orientation that outlines:

• How to access and use the WiFi
• Tour of common room and amenities that may be used (ie. coffee machine)
• Important community rules

This information will be highly personalized depending on the membership tiers. Full-time members will get a detailed walk-through of amenities including how to book all of the rooms they need, while drop-in members will receive a more brief orientation.

Pro tip: ask every new member an ice-breaker question, like do they have any pets or what is their favorite restaurant in the city, to create a point of connection and make them feel at ease. You can then reference this detail in your follow-up email the next day.

4. Send a follow-up email the next day

After the drop-in booking, send a thank-you email after their visit, offering a discount for their next visit or a membership plan. Reiterate your gratitude for visiting the space, and invite them to leave feedback if they have any.

You may choose to build out this nurture sequence a bit more to add one or two additional emails a few weeks later reminding them about the discount if they have not yet converted.

For full-time members or anyone purchasing a membership plan, send a thank-you email after their first week and/or their first month. Include something fun in the email, like a free hour of meeting room time or a speciality coffee on-the-house to make them feel extra special!

Start creating a seamless member onboarding experience today!

Onboarding members is an important part of the coworking experience, both for you and for your members. It helps ensure they have all of the information they need to be successful in your space, while helping you create more self-sufficient and empowered members.

Optix is designed to help you automate your most time-consuming repetitive tasks, like member onboarding, so you can deliver consistent experiences every time. Discover how Optix can support you and your business in succeeding!