Guest Post: Cameron MacRae, Global Director at Bottle Rocket Search
Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with coworking and flexible workspace operators around the world. One thing has always stood out to me: no matter how beautiful the design, how prime the location, or how strong the brand, it’s the people who ultimately make or break a flex business. Talent is the real catalyst of growth.
That’s why I’m excited to be returning to a panel at GCUC London 2025, this time, I’ll be hosting a panel instead of participating as a panellist myself. We’ll be tackling one of the most critical (and often overlooked) topics in our industry: staffing. How do you hire, structure, and retain the right teams as your business evolves from startup to scale-up, and beyond?
The talent journey in flex is fast-paced and always evolving as your business does. In the early days, founders often rely on all-rounders, people who can spin a dozen plates, roll up their sleeves to get stuck in, and thrive in an environment where change is constant. But as businesses grow, the demands shift. Suddenly, you need specialists, people who can bring deep expertise in sales, operations, marketing, FM, or finance. The qualities that make someone perfect for the startup stage aren’t always the same as those needed to run a mature business. Some will grow and adapt, others will fail to keep up.
And then there’s the question of scale. At three sites, you might still be close enough to the action to manage directly. At 15 sites, you need regional oversight, centralised operations, higher grade tech, robust systems, and SOP’s for all facets of the business. At 50+, you’re not just building teams, you’re building layers of leadership, strategically pivoting, and putting a huge amount of faith into staff you don’t have time to interact with daily. All this whilst dealing with constant staff churn… How is it possible to maintain the vision and culture throughout all of this? Growth is complex. What happens when loyal, long-serving employees don’t adapt to the pace of change of the business or the market? Flexible Workspace is an industry born from innovation, not everyone can keep up. Retention is a buzzword in every industry, but in one as innovation-driven as ours, holding on for the sake of loyalty can sometimes stifle progression, sometimes it’s best to take the tough decision to let go…
On the flip side, attracting new talent into flex has never been more competitive. This is an industry now in the spotlight, appealing to candidates who want to work at the heart of the future of work. But competing against industries such as tech, hospitality, and real estate means we have to ask: what is our edge? Why should the best people choose us?
And then, of course, there are the seismic shifts that often take place: mergers, acquisitions, new ownership, landlords with deeper pockets entering the market. These moments can unsettle teams, shake cultures, and test leaders. Navigating them successfully is as much about people as it is about strategy.
These are just some of the questions we’ll be unpacking at GCUC London. I’ll be hosting a panel of senior leaders who will share their experiences of building teams that not only support growth but also fuel it. But let’s be clear, it won’t all be pretty, we’ve all made mistakes, the best in the business have made mistakes too. Let’s not forget, we’re all still operating within a young industry, there are many bumps in the road and there’s plenty more to learn.
The future of flex doesn’t just depend on where and how we work – it depends on who we build it with.
If you’re attending GCUC London, join me – Cameron MacRae (Global Director, Bottle Rocket Search), Nir Kelner (CEO, Brain Embassy Coworking), Matthew Buckingham (Chief Customer Officer, Fora), Sarah Moulton (People Director, Argyll) and Becky Gardiner (Head of Storey and Managed Workspaces, British Land) for this conversation.
Convene, 22 Bishposgate on 8 & 9 October