The Role of Community Managers in Coworking Spaces

As a coworking operator, you already know that thoughtful space design is just the beginning. The true differentiator is the community that grows within it, and while that’s shaped by everyone involved, no one plays a more visible, active role than your community manager.

They’re often the first to welcome new members, the go-to for solving problems, and the quiet force behind events, conversations, and connections that keep your space feeling alive.

In this article, we’ll explore the many dimensions of the community manager role in coworking spaces. To keep things easy to navigate, we’ve divided the content into the following sections:

1. What is a community manager?
2. Core responsibilities of a coworking community manager
3. How do they influence member satisfaction and retention?
4. Skills and traits of strong community managers
5. How their role changes across coworking models
6. Simple way to measure success in a community-first coworking space
7. How to support your community manager
8. FAQs on community managers in coworking

Let’s start with the basics:

What is a community manager?

By definition, a community manager is “someone whose job is to build relationships with customers and other people connected with a particular company, especially online, to develop a community around it.”

In coworking, this role takes on an even deeper meaning. A community manager connects the brand with its members, creates a sense of belonging, and uses community insights to strengthen the space. They provide daily support, nurture connections, and make sure members feel valued and heard.

In practice, they are the glue that holds the coworking community together, balancing hospitality, operations, and relationship-building to create a place where people want to stay and grow.

What are the main responsibilities of a coworking community manager?

In short: they blend hospitality, operations, and community-building into one role.

• Onboarding and support. Community managers welcome newcomers, give tours, explain memberships, and handle offboarding gracefully. Their presence makes the first impression and leaves the last.
• Operations and facilities. They keep daily basics running smoothly, from Wi-Fi and printers to cleaning and supplies. In smaller spaces, they are effectively site managers.
• Community building. Managers help host events, breakfasts, workshops, and casual rituals to spark interaction.
• Conflict resolution. Shared spaces come with occasional friction. The manager mediates with tact and humor, ensuring the culture stays positive.
• Administration. Bookings, billing, membership records, and sometimes local marketing fall into their scope. In many independent hubs, they handle sales tours as well.
• Serving as a brand ambassador through personal social media accounts, interacting with the community under their own persona.

No two days are alike. A good manager might troubleshoot Wi-Fi, organize an event, and check in on a struggling freelancer, all before lunch.

How do they influence satisfaction and retention?

Answer: A skilled community manager directly reduces churn and boosts loyalty.

• Belonging increases satisfaction. Members who feel known, greeted by name, and plugged into peers report higher satisfaction and are more likely to stay. Personalized experiences lead to better business outcomes, according to research by McKinsey & Company.
• Engagement drives usage. Regular member-led sessions and casual networking make people come in more often, which strengthens bonds and increases the value they see.
• Retention protects revenue. Across industries, retaining existing customers is often 5-25× cheaper than acquiring new ones. Community managers are the frontline defense against churn.

What skills and traits define a strong community manager?

The best community managers are extroverted organizers with hospitality instincts and a problem-solving mindset.

• People skills. They are approachable, empathetic, and effective communicators who listen as much as they speak.
• Organization. They multitask daily, juggling facility checks, events, and member support without losing track.
• Adaptability. They stay calm and solution-oriented when unexpected issues arise, like a sudden tech outage.
• Leadership. They model community values, enforce rules when needed, and motivate members to participate.
• Creativity. From event ideas to space improvements, a creative touch keeps the community vibrant.

For hiring, backgrounds in hospitality, customer service, or event planning often translate well into this role.

Do responsibilities change across coworking models?

Yes, the context shifts, but the essence remains people and relationships.

• Corporate coworking. Community managers act as culture builders and connectors between employees and startups, often navigating corporate structures.
• Independent hubs. They wear many hats, deeply personalize member experiences, and often serve as the “mayor” of a small village.
• Niche communities. Managers curate industry-specific value, such as investors for food startups or childcare for parent-focused hubs.
• Franchise and chains. Managers follow brand playbooks but differentiate by adding local hospitality and consistency across locations.

For operators, this means tailoring the role’s expectations to your model while never losing the human connection.

Simple way to measure success in a community-first coworking space

I, Rosee, once asked Bernie J Mitchell in an interview: How do you personally measure success in a coworking community? Bernie replied:

This “absence test” is a powerful north star. If members would miss your space tomorrow, you have achieved true community.

But how do you measure that kind of success in practice?

Beyond gut feeling, here are some practical KPIs that can help you keep track of your community’s health:

Practical KPIs for operators

• Number of member-to-member introductions made per week
• Event attendance compared to RSVPs
• Renewal rates by member cohort
• Referral rate of new members
• Feedback response time

Want the complete set? See our guide to 10 KPIs every coworking space should track.

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How to support your community manager

• Free up their time from repetitive admin with automation
• Give them a budget and freedom to host member-led events
• Celebrate their small wins and highlight stories of member connections
• Provide tools for booking, billing, and CRM so they can focus on people

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