Office Hoteling: Dynamic workplaces for the modern age

If companies want to retain employees and attract and retain new talent, they must be able to guarantee flexibility in the workplace and move away from the traditional office model.

According to a study, 75% of employees would like to work from home at least one day a week. But companies have also recognized the advantages of the flexibility of being able to work from anywhere. Even in the traditional office environment, an average of 60% of desks remained empty because employees regularly worked away from the office for off-site meetings or business trips. 

More flexibility in this context means offering employees the opportunity to work where it is best for them. When this flexibility is properly managed and planned, employees work more productively and companies can reduce office space and save money. One example of this flexible workplace practice is office hoteling.

What is Office Hoteling?

With office hoteling, employees can use a reservation system to find and reserve available workspaces for a specific period of time. This dynamic workplace allows employees to meet their individual work needs.

These needs can change from day to day, just as the various tasks change. Where can I work best today and be as productive as possible? It may be a collaborative area with other teammates today and an isolated area for highly concentrated and focused work tomorrow.

What are advantages of office hoteling?

Implementing an office hoteling plan can provide many benefits, both for the employer:in and the employee.

Advantages for employees:

Office Hoteling gives employees the choice to work where and when it suits them best. It supports employee flexibility and mobility and increases confidence and therefore morale. If I can work in the place that is most appropriate for the work I need to do, I will be more productive and engaged. In addition, Office Hoteling supports physical distance and cleaning protocols.

Advantages for employers:

Companies that implement office hoteling will have more productive and engaged employees and higher attraction and retention rates. At the same time, they will reduce their environmental footprint and real estate costs because fewer employees will be working on site, significantly reducing the amount of space needed. The space that is still available is used optimally and efficiently.

What strategy can be used to create an effective office hoteling program?

 Anything that is new and unfamiliar can initially be met with negativity. To avoid this when implementing a new workplace strategy, it is important to have an implementation plan that makes the transition as smooth as possible.

 What does this look like in detail?

1. communication

The shift to the new workplace strategy of office hoteling requires a new way of looking at work and the workplace in general. There may well be employees who like to work in a familiar working environment and do not want to search for a new location every day. In this case, the advantages of office hoteling must be communicated clearly and comprehensibly. Successful implementation of the new work system requires ongoing communication, including sharing success stories, best practices and innovative applications to support it.

2. standards

A new habit should not create confusion, so you should create standards for a consistent experience. These standards include areas such as terminology, business rules for users, reservable workspaces, and processes for finding the right workspace every day.

3. consistency

Employers should ensure a consistent experience for their employees while remaining flexible in the choices they offer. Employees need to be assured each day that they will find an adequate workstation for the tasks they need to perform. A booking system should ensure that sufficient seating is available for tasks of different work styles and can be easily found and booked. As a company, you should also make sure that each employee knows how to use the booking system and that there are various ways to make bookings, whether via mobile apps, the browser or on site.

4. technology

Office hoteling should always be supported with innovative and at the same time user-friendly technology. Without a powerful workspace booking system, office hoteling cannot be implemented effectively. Employees need supporting technology that is reliable and makes it easy to find and reserve workspaces and office resources. Employers need to create a seamless workplace experience for their employees and integrate booking software that is quick to implement and use while providing many interfaces.

What are the interface options for a seamless user experience?

A booking software offers many possibilities to reserve the workspace in advance, to find teammates, or to see how long a space will be occupied. The following 5 interfaces guarantee a seamless hybrid user experience:

• Mobile app

With the help of an app, workspaces can be found and reserved while on the move. The best seat can be conveniently booked at home or on the train on the way to work.

• Hybrid work platform

A hybrid work platform is easy to use and a familiar format to employees. It's a quick and easy way to make reservations and perhaps even find other teammates and status updates.

• @Work

An interesting and centralized option is to implement kiosks in reception or other common areas. Here, employees can quickly find available workspaces or colleagues and manage current reservations.

• QR code

QR codes can be placed outside the collaboration rooms as another hardware option. For example, the app can be used to scan the QR code and thus see when the room will be available again.

What are the 6 best practices for office hoteling?

1. Desk booking system

It is clear that office hoteling can only be successfully implemented with booking software. Thus, employees:inside can plan their work week in advance and are less stressed as for example with hot desking. Whether booked from the sofa a week in advance, on the way to work or in the office lobby, a desk booking system reduces stress and creates space for productivity and efficiency. 

2. Structure and security

Employees should not be afraid of not finding a suitable workplace. If they have the option to book their desk in advance, the chaos of a hot-desking system is avoided. This avoids a lot of planning and allows employees to check-in smoothly.

3. Cleaning

Companies should consider integrating a cleaning process to ensure a clean and disinfected desk for each new employee:in arriving. With office hoteling software, team leaders can monitor and limit occupancy and ensure a healthy and safe work environment, among other things.

4. Internet

Employees must ensure that a strong WIFI connection is available throughout the workplace. If employees are to be able to reserve seats and search for rooms via mobile devices, an uninterrupted connection must be guaranteed. Cloud-based office hoteling solutions are also cost-effective and easy to implement. They support an increasingly mobile workforce. Everyone:r should be able to stay connected and informed.

5. Interactive maps

The implementation of an interactive office map provides an easy way to search for rooms and people. Thus, even hybrid employees can easily find their reserved space when arriving at the office. Navigation in the office is generally simplified and the chances of not finding one's place and thus wasting time are significantly reduced. 

6. Meeting room offer

Today's employees have reset their priorities and demand a better work-life balance. Employers must therefore offer comfort and ease of use. This is reflected, for example, in a wide range of spaces for different types of work. Employees should feel that they can always find a place that best suits the task at hand.

What can office hoteling etiquette look like?

What is a workplace without etiquette? Saying "please" and "thank you" are etiquette standards we can all agree on. However, etiquette expectations can be different for each, which is why it's important to create a code of conduct that everyone can agree on and that can be easily implemented.

The following 5 etiquette rules are central to the implementation of Office Hoteling:

1. As needed

Desire and need are two different things. Employers should ensure that employees only book workspaces that they need. In this way, conflicts can be avoided and respect can be maintained.

2. Cleanliness

Shared desks and individual people's standards for cleanliness in combination have great potential for conflict. Therefore, an objective and explicit cleanliness standard should be implemented. It is important to leave your place better than you found it.

3. Transitions

Office hoteling means temporarily occupying a workstation. However, this does not preclude employees from misjudging the amount of time they need to spend at the reserved workstation. Companies should encourage their employees to make the transition from person to person as smooth as possible and to vacate the space when the time has expired and simply find another location if necessary. If the rebooking of a room or desk is made simple, there will be fewer complications.

4. Noise

Each employee has different noise standards. Employers should establish rules to regulate noise levels, such as switching phones to vibrating notifications.

5. Privacy

Data privacy concerns not only the employer, but also the employee. The latter should be aware of the need to respect the privacy of their colleagues. Employers should provide designated private areas for telephone calls and the like.

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Make sure your employees understand and can follow office etiquette. This will help you maintain a calm and respectful environment.

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Office hoteling is a great way to create a more flexible and responsive workplace. By providing workers with the option to work from different locations, office hoteling can help businesses save money on real estate costs while also increasing worker productivity. If you're interested in creating a more dynamic workplace, consider implementing a hybrid work solution.

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