Attracting and keeping stellar community managers

Your space may be stunning, but it's your people—especially your community manager—who make members stick around. 

These frontline leaders do more than answer phones and schedule tours. They build relationships, defuse tensions, and represent your brand daily. So how do you attract and keep someone that valuable? Four veteran coworking operators shared their insights on just that.

Why people stay: it's all about your team

"People find us because they need workspace," says Meagan Slavin of 25N Coworking. "They stay because of our team."

Meagan's approach puts people first — quite literally. From job descriptions that emphasize connection over chores to a hiring process grounded in their core values, 25N doesn't rush hiring. They look for candidates who embody their cultural values: people-first, growth-minded, resilient, purposeful, and balanced.

Slow to hire, fast to empower

Each new hire is onboarded through a deeply human process. There's a "culture book" instead of a generic employee handbook, flexible 35-hour workweeks paid as full-time, leadership coaching after six months, and custom job evolutions based on personal strengths.

"We trust them," Meagan emphasizes. That trust shows up in flexibility, education stipends, team campfires, and even Friday "coffee klatches" for informal learning.

Empowerment leads to loyalty

Antonette Benting of Workshop17 echoed that focus: "Disempowering your location manager is the worst thing you can do."

At Workshop17, the leadership is actively involved in hiring. The CEO even interviews final candidates. They hire heavily from hospitality for its emphasis on guest experience and adaptability, and many leaders have grown from entry-level roles.

Location managers are trained not just in community care, but in business: costs, margins, and tough conversations. And when things go wrong (a leaky roof, HVAC failures) support teams step in so the community manager can stay focused on people.

"When you leave people alone, that's when the quiet quitting starts," Antoinette warns. Their culture is high-touch and deeply supportive.

Make them part of the brand journey

Jessica Knapp from Venture Sidekick shared how her time at NextSpace gave her autonomy and purpose. From day one, she was immersed in the community, which helped her fall in love with the role before even being hired.

She credits her longevity in the role to being brought into the business side: "I had never seen a P&L before," she says. But learning that side gave her context and pride. She managed budgets, made decisions on perks and renovations, and was part of key investor meetings.

"That connective tissue outside the space strengthened my work inside the space," Jessica shared.

Create internal community

Charlotte Kirby from The Village Hive has built an ecosystem where her community managers feel seen and celebrated.

"They're my heroes," she says. Reviews of her spaces don't talk about furniture; they mention how people felt, and that feeling comes from her team.

Her secret? Structured autonomy. Community managers bring problems with solutions. They get included in hiring interviews and tours. They're encouraged to lead side projects. And they chat daily through organized group channels: one for ideas, one for silly moments, one for photos, and a "celebrations" thread that lights up when someone scores a win.

And they celebrate big. When a community manager hit five years, Charlotte turned the whole month into a tribute with signage, social media shoutouts, and flowers.

Community managers aren't a line item. They're the soul of your space. That’s why Coworks continues to sponsor events like the Community Manager Awards.

Whether you're a single-location space or scaling a network, these insights remind us: great spaces don't just happen. Great people make them.

Want to empower your community managers and streamline your operations? Book a demo with Coworks and see how we support your team and your growth.

Coworking Convos is a monthly virtual event series hosted by Cat Johnson. Each month, a different topic is presented by guests with real experience, who are subject matter experts and walk the walk in the coworking and flex space industry.

Coworks is a partner of Coworking Convos, and we have the privilege of sharing these dispatches afterward — spotlighting the juicy tidbits and powerful takeaways shared in the hour-long conversation. 

But by no means does this replace the real value of being there! Check out the next Convo and be in the room when it happens.