Charlotte's Work/Life Balance

The insane tech boom of the last decade has brought about a revolution in the way people work. Many big corporations have taken to creating entire work campuses in which their employees have no reason to leave. They often contain restaurants, hair salons, dry cleaners, and of course, the workspace– everything you would need to exist in what is essentially a very small city. The idea behind this is that if you make it convenient, your employees will always be working and productivity will be very high. That’s all well and good… until people crack under stress.

Work/Life Balance

These mega-beehive workspaces may be falling from favor. That’s where Charlotte steps in. Recently, the Charlotte Business Journal profiled Scott Bragg from OneMagnify. This company, which delivers professional services to marketing and technology firms, recently relocated to South End. Why? To get away from the nose-to-the-grindstone mentality. Tech companies are seeing the benefits in giving their employees more freedoms. Established urban areas are becoming highly desirable locations for tech firms and large companies. This gives their workers a chance to escape the office more frequently and take breaks whenever they want.

“As the labor market gets tighter — especially in areas like Charlotte — companies need to offer more than the standard benefits. South End has everything our team is looking for — amazing new restaurants, easy access to the light rail system, beautiful parks and great living options,” Bragg says.

This flexibility to work at your own pace and live your life without guilt is retaining talent and attracting highly desirable candidates. Gone are the days of our grandparents, where we’re chained to a desk for 9 hours a day. Employers are seeing the benefits of leaving people to their own devices to work in the way that best suits them. The work gets done regardless, so why not?

“South End: A Tech Hotbed”

There’s no better place for this renaissance than Charlotte. This re-urbanization trend shows no signs of slowing, either. “Just in the short time since we signed our lease,” said Bragg, “three new office buildings have started construction within a block, including a renovation of an old warehouse.”

Are you a recent transplant to our area? Have you followed this trend of happy-workplace-unplugging? If you’ve left the Silicon Valley campus lifestyle and find yourself here in our Queen City, let us help you find your new home!