The city co-working space with a recipe for success

Social impact is key for businesses growing in The Melting Pot

The Melting Pot: Pic by Sarah McArthur

There aren’t many things in life you can count on – but one thing remains permanent.

And that is change.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus told us that, and he also pointed out that no man steps in the same river twice “because he’s no longer the same man, and it is no longer the same river.”

Philosophising over for the day. Let our look at the changing world of work begin. And changing it is, at a pace that even a few years ago was unforeseen. Covid 19 changed everything.

“I think the pandemic accelerated where we were always going to get to with the world of digital, remote and flexible working, but on top of that you’ve got a generation of people who are frustrated [and saying] I don’t want to work seventy hours a week… but I do want to do a good job when I’m working, and I want to create a positive impact”  says Helen Denny, CEO of The Melting Pot.

The way we work, and the kind of work we look for, is undoubtedly changing. In 2019, a survey of US companies found that 72% of employees believed that societal or environmental “purpose” should be more important than profit, while recent research involving more than 2000 UK workers found that 77% of workers say flexible working is more important to them than a pay rise. 

But what does this shift look like in Edinburgh? To find out more, we spoke with Helen Denny, former consultant on work practices outwith the 9 to 5, and current CEO of The Melting Pot (TMP) which is a forward-looking co-working space and self-described “Centre for Social Innovation.”