Working models have shifted in recent years. Pre-pandemic, almost 60% of employees worked 100% on-site, that figure is now less than a third.

With businesses embracing flexibility, more teams are working at different times and in different places. This has plenty of benefits such as productivity and employee satisfaction.

However, it can also create challenges. To overcome these, many businesses are focusing on the development of soft skills.

Soft skills are attributes that allow you to effectively interact and work with others. Unlike hard skills, such as technical knowledge, soft skills are beneficial in every role in any business. They include the ability to communicate, lead, and collaborate with others.

Although all soft skills are important, in today’s remote-first work culture, being able to work collaboratively is more valuable than ever. In fact, over half of business executives believe that collaboration is one of the most important soft skills employees can learn.

If you’re wondering why collaboration is important and how you can encourage collaboration in teams, continue reading.

What is collaboration?

Collaboration is essentially teamwork. When people are collaboratively working, they are coming together to create a physical piece of work or an idea.

In today’s modern workplace, collaboration can take many forms, from coworking and in-person meetings to virtual communication. Collaboration happens every day in every business and is vital for growth and development.

Why is collaboration important?

Collaboration is important because every person, regardless of their role or seniority, has unique skills and experiences. Working collaboratively encourages people to share these skills across roles, teams, and departments. It means every part of a business can benefit from all the knowledge and skills within its workforce. This kind of flexibility creates a business that’s more adaptable and resilient.

Effective collaboration in teams also develops other important soft skills. By regularly working with others, people’s ability to communicate, listen, and problem-solve will also naturally develop.

Benefits of collaboration in the workplace

Here are some reasons why collaboration is important for a successful business.

Problem solving solution

From failing strategies to supply chain issues, problems arise in business every day. Having the ability to solve these as a team is invaluable.

The ability to solve issues such as these allows the sharing of difficult work across roles and departments. It's also easier to allocate specific tasks to people with the required skills and experience.

Solving problems collaboratively has another key benefit. It encourages shared accountability, which results in less pressure and stress on individuals.

Promotes channels of open communication

Whether they’re discussing project timelines, sharing ideas, or solving problems, teams that are working collaboratively are constantly connecting. This regular contact, either via calls, emails, or in-person, creates a team that’s more comfortable communicating.

To encourage regular communication, it’s important that teams have access to different ways of connecting and collaborating.

Some people may prefer virtual teamwork collaboration, whilst others may thrive in face-to-face environments. Businesses should provide flexible work solutions to cater to everyone’s preferences.

Learning experience and skill sharing

Teams collaboratively working are together more often. This contact increases opportunities to learn, either by asking questions or simply observing others. With 55% of workers turning to their colleagues to learn a new skill, encouraging a collaborative culture is important.

Fortunately, even for remote teams, there are ways to promote collaborative learning opportunities. For example, businesses can provide regular conference rooms or inspiring spaces for in-person skill-sharing sessions.

As 49% of workers cite a lack of time for learning, leaders can also ensure that their teams have time allocated for personal development.

Engagement and productivity

A recent survey found that 43% of UK workers felt in-person collaboration boosted their productivity. Other studies also suggest that people who feel connected to their colleagues are more engaged in the workplace.

Collaborative working improves engagement and productivity by placing people at the heart of a business. People are encouraged to build strong working relationships with their colleagues by regularly connecting, learning and working together.

Numerous studies highlight why collaboration is important for engagement and productivity, however, providing the right environment is also vital.

Research has shown that collaboration and creativity increase in offices with natural light and social spaces. By designing an office for productivity. in-person workspaces businesses can nurture collaboration naturally.

Goal alignment

From lost or misinterpreted messages to failing technology, miscommunication is a regular issue in business, especially for remote teams. In fact, almost 30% of remote workers say communicating with coworkers is one of their biggest challenges.

If a team is unable to communicate effectively, working towards a common goal is going to be a challenge.

Businesses can improve communication in teams by investing in virtual collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom or Miro. They can also provide regular collaborative workspaces.

Boosts workplace morale

The social connections created when collaboratively working are great for staff morale.

One study found that employees believed working on a collaborative team was the best way to boost their careers. It also found that satisfied employees were more likely to collaborate with clients or partners at least twice a week.

Businesses can encourage this kind of collaboration by setting up regular catch-ups for people in different teams. These should ideally be in a neutral, casual environment so people feel more relaxed.

Coworking spaces can help businesses with networking and also encourage beneficial networking and collaboration.

Job satisfaction and higher retention rates

Retention is a big focus for many businesses. A recent survey found that losing staff was a concern for 93% of organisations.

According to one survey, poor collaboration and communication is a leading cause of stress for employees. When employees are stressed, they’re more likely to leave.

With increased teamwork and communication, businesses can reduce the stress of their workforce. Collaboratively working can also create stronger relationships between colleagues, resulting in higher retention and productivity.

Spurs creativity and innovation

Remote working has sparked huge innovations, from virtual environments to video conferencing technologies. Despite this, 70% of businesses feel that remote work harms brainstorming sessions.

Other research has shown that video calls are a less effective form of creative collaboration.

To truly harness the creative benefits of collaborative working, businesses should provide inspiring workspaces for creative, in-person sessions.

Develop employee self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and how these affect others.

Research suggests that strong self-awareness is beneficial for business and career success, including creativity and confidence.

Collaborative working can encourage the development of self-awareness by exposing people to different views and opinions. Businesses can encourage this by facilitating regular team-building activities and group sessions.

Building stronger teams to strengthen interpersonal relationships

Building strong team relationships in today’s remote-first culture can be challenging.

29% of remote workers feel a lack of social connection with colleagues, and 83% of businesses believe valuable ‘water cooler’ moments suffer with remote work.

Focusing on collaborative skills can nurture relationships across a business. To cater to different working practices, you should encourage developing both virtual and physical collaborative skills.

You can do this with training sessions, casual meetings, and virtual communication guidelines.

Improves adaptability & flexibility

Collaborative teams that share work and skills are more flexible than businesses with separate teams.

When people work together across roles, teams and departments, everyone's skills and experiences are accessible.

Collaboration throughout a workforce also exposes teams to other areas of the business. This not only creates a more knowledgeable team but increases opportunities for personal growth and development.

How Regus coworking can enhance collaboration in the workplace

Collaboration offers huge benefits to businesses, as well as the people behind them. In today’s ever-changing climate, the importance of collaboration can not be underestimated.

To nurture and harness collaborative working, businesses must provide the tools and spaces for teams to thrive. Regus can support businesses looking to improve collaboration by providing inspiring and collaborative workspaces.

If you could use some extra space for a collaborative, skill-sharing session, our fully-equipped meeting rooms are quick and easy to book.

If you need an inspiring workspace to chat and connect, our offices have various collaborative areas from designer breakout spaces to business lounges.

Our offices can be found across the globe and are hubs for networking and innovation. If you’d like to work with some of the world's most innovative and creative people, talk to a Regus expert today.