Shared desk reservation system: the perfect solution for your business

Hybrid work leads to a change in workplace design and organisation. It requires a completely new way of working but also saying goodbye to the traditional office layout. The use of new technologies can help you embrace those changes and enhance office space management. So, how does desking software work? What are the pros and cons of a shared desk reservation system? This article explains everything you need to know about hot-desking but also how to make it work thanks to a personalised and well-designed desk booking tool. 

What is hot desking?

Hot desking is an office organisation model based on sharing the same workstation with other team members at different times of the day or week. For instance, Mark will sit at a specific desk on Monday morning and then, Sofia will use the same working spot in the afternoon. The next day, different employees will have booked this seat, or maybe not. This concept is the perfect example of a flexible work concept.

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The increasing number of companies that have switched to a hybrid workspace over the last few years has promoted the development of hot-desking. This evolution has boosted the introduction of flexible working and the recognition of its benefits. Old organisation designs are slowly disappearing to embrace a new way of working.

However, this system can create an issue. How can you make sure that each employee finds a desk when going back to the office? This can indeed create an issue. Therefore, and even though hot desk models don’t usually offer a booking option, it is possible to reserve a workspace. Yet, it allows employers to collect data about office use, and for employees, to make sure to have a dedicated space - a win-win-situation. This requires creating a completely new way of managing space and teams. To help you with this flexible office management, hot desking software, as the deskbird app can be a great support.

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➡️  The difference between hot desking vs hoteling is often unclear. For this reason, we have written an article on Medium to define those two working models. 

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How does hot desking software work?

Workplaces are currently adapting to this new working model and, from working habits to space capacity, each business has its own requirements. To embrace a hybrid work structure and ensure its success, it is important to examine your company as well as your employees' needs. Once this analysis has been carried out, a shared desk reservation tool may be your best support to adopt a flexible working model. How does it work?

The deskbird hot desking software is set up according to your choices. For instance, we at deskbird set it up according to your office capacity, your booking management system, your health requirements, your parking availability, and so on. You can also decide to open the booking slots for a week, a month, six months… Everything is up to you and quick and easy to set up. 

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Your employees have their profiles loaded into the system, they can then access the platform at any time and from anywhere. People that love to have everything planned in advance can schedule their time at the office and choose their workstation for the next 2 months (if you decide to open the slots until then). Those who do everything at the last minute can have a quick look on Sunday evening. They will see which days have still some available seats and where they are located inside the building. 

Our online tool is directly integrated into other automatized systems or software. It can be your active directory data, your communication platforms (Slack, MS Teams, etc.), or your calendar and HR system. Whatever works best for you and your team members!

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➡️ Learn with our free Hybrid work ebook how to set up your hybrid office using the BIRD-Framework.

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What are the benefits of a shared desk reservation system?

A shared reservation system is without a doubt the easiest and most modern way to manage your facilities. Another important point is that everybody in the company can benefit from the positive aspects of its usage. Here are the main advantages that a hot desking software can offer.

The main advantages for employees

For employees, having access to an easy organisational tool to schedule their working time is the first advantage of hot desking software. They can quickly have an overview of the workplace availability and decide when they will come and where they will sit. A few clicks later, their planning is done. If needed, modifications or cancellations can later be made within a few seconds. 

The hybrid company can sometimes face an issue when it comes to space management. Some employees commute to work and are not able to find a free space or a desk matching their needs. This can create frustration among your workforce and conflicts. Thus, the second benefit of this new technology is the ability to book a specific desk and to ensure team members have one when coming to the office. 

Team collaboration is very important within a business for employees to understand what other team members are working on and how they can help each other. However, silos can sometimes appear and impact the share of information. To avoid that, working together is obviously crucial, but can become more difficult with remote work. Therefore, being able to book a meeting room to enhance cross-functional collaboration is a huge advantage for employees. 

The value points for an employer

As mentioned before, layouts of the office environment are evolving. This often includes rethinking the entire space, and sometimes reducing it as such a big amount of room is no longer needed. A hot desking booking system is definitely great support to help you manage your space capacity. You can adapt it as needed and perhaps lower your real estate costs.

Over the last years, social distancing has, without doubt, changed our ways of working. New OSH recommendations have appeared and need to be followed. Among them is an increasing focus on paying attention to your employees’ health. To assist you with those new rules and regulations, the deskbird shared desk reservation system offers a Covid-19 screening tool. It is easy to use and helps you keep a safe and healthy environment while complying with the OHS coronavirus guidelines.

More than hot-desking software, this technology is also a resource to know your workforce better and focus on their needs. By analysing the space occupancy data and offering surveys, you can improve the office facilities according to your observations and the feedback received.

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➡️ To know more about our health features, here is a detailed article about the Covid-19 screening tool available on our app. 

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Which issues can you face and how to avoid them?

One of the main issues that can result from the use of a hot desk booking tool is actually related to office space organisation itself. This is why we insist on analysing your needs prior to setting up this system. Imagine if an important client suddenly decides to schedule a meeting and all your meeting rooms are booked. What do you do? Do you ask one of your teams to reschedule their meeting? It can create some stress and conflicts. Two situations you wish to avoid as a business. The best way is to know what is needed for your employees and anticipate any unplanned event by always saving some extra room.

Another really important point is to set up guidelines and assist your employees when switching to a flexible work model. Some of them might have worked within a similar structure before but it can be the first time for some others. Most of the time, humans are reticent to changes. A new workplace organisation is obviously a big change and can definitely be stressful. 

While a desk management tool is designed to make everybody’s life easier, a few employees may need some time to adapt to the whole remote work concept and the use of this new technology. Sharing with them the advantages of a shared desk booking system and how to make the most of it is therefore very important. 

Hybrid work is the future of work and shared desk concepts are used by an increasing number of companies worldwide. If well-designed, getting support from hot-desking software has a lot of advantages for you as much as for your employees. More and more companies are using this new technology but what about you?

How do you adapt to the new workplace trends and the needs of your collaborators? Get in touch and the deskbird teams will be happy to show you a personalised demo of our shared desk reservation system.