Runway East Conducts Valentine's Day Survey

With romance in the air, we wanted to learn more about the impact of Valentine’s Day in the workplace, and it seems that there are plenty of matchmakers about. In a survey of UK office workers (sample of 502), 40% reveal that they know of two people in their office who would be perfect together - suggesting the person next to you in the office is likely to know who your true love really is.

And the data suggests that some of these matchmakers-in-the-making have produced successful couples too - 45% of respondents say that they have met a “substantial” romantic partner at work. A 2013 study showed that couples that met in the workplace were most likely to marry compared to any other way of meeting, including those that met through friends, so it seems that office romance could be the way forwards for all those hopeless romantics on Valentines Day.

Natasha Guerra, CEO of Runway East, shares: “There are more apps than days of the week, and colleagues and friends confirm it’s harder than ever to find a partner! It doesn’t surprise me that 45% of people have met a substantial partner at their place of work, and I’m one of them!

“In the office, you can learn so much about a person, how they deal with stress, how they cope with challenges, even their eating and cleanliness habits! These are many of the things you need to know if you’re going to be compatible with someone in the long-run.”

Flexible workspaces can help get around some of the more difficult aspects of workplace romance, allowing people to meet partners at work that they don’t work directly with. With the rise of flexible offices, it is easier to meet a broader range of people at your place of work, rather than just your colleagues.

“Our Community Team have been known to subtly introduce pairs of our members when they spot a potential good match,” adds Natasha.

One of the best things about working in a flexible workspace is the potential to meet people at work who don’t work within your company."

“There’s a much wider social net you can cast, so it’s the perfect place to get off the apps and meet someone IRL. We run events for all of the members in our spaces too, so occasionally we can nudge cupid’s arrow into making some successful matches.”

Thanks also to HR News for sharing our findings!

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