How to Choose Desk Booking Software for the Hybrid Office

Hybrid work offers employees the freedom and flexibility to choose the work arrangements that suit them best. As companies reopen their offices and reassess their policies, there is a growing demand for tools that serve the shifting demands of a hybrid workplace. 

Let’s look closer at how desk booking software can help support hybrid employees and ease tension in the workplace.

What is Desk Booking Software?

In a hybrid workplace model, it’s not always necessary to have an assigned workspace for each employee. When your staff is splitting their time between remote and in-person work, you can offer flexible seating arrangements that can help save space and cut costs.

Desk booking software is a reservation system that employees and managers can use to book desks, meeting rooms, and other workspaces. A desk booking platform allows employees to book specific workspaces that fit their needs for the day, the week, or the month.

What Are The Benefits?

Companies are finding they can be just as effective without having everyone onsite. A recent Gallup study estimated that over 70 million workers in the United States can perform their job remotely. 

As flexible work becomes increasingly common, desk booking software will grow in importance. The benefits of using a desk booking platform include:

• Cost savings: A hybrid setup can help you cut down on overhead. Without your full staff on site every day, you can reduce the size of your office’s footprint but still accommodate hybrid workers with flexible spaces.
• Time savings: Desk booking also makes it easier for hybrid employees to find the right workspaces. Without a reservation system, flexible seating can be problematic – employees have to waste time each morning finding a desk that suits their needs. With an online reservation system, once an employee arrives at the office, they’re ready to start the day.
• Productivity: With a variety of bookable spaces, employees can find desk and meeting rooms that help them be more productive. If an employee needs to focus on writing a report, they can reserve a private office or work from home. But if they are collaborating on a project with their team, they can reserve a communal workspace or a meeting room.
• Empowerment: Desk booking gives employees autonomy, allowing them to choose the spaces that work for them. This helps improve employee satisfaction – and the variety of trying out different spaces can boost creativity, too.

7 Desk Booking Software Features 

Every office is different. If you’re considering using a desk booking tool, think carefully about what makes your enterprise unique, and what will help your employees do their best work. Consider these factors when evaluating potential desk booking platforms:

1. User Experience

Implementing a new tool or platform always comes with an adjustment period. Your employees are unlikely to adopt a new system if it’s confusing or clunky.

If you’re considering a desk booking software subscription, it’s helpful to demo the software to get a better sense of the user experience. A user interface that’s easy to navigate helps your hybrid office setup succeed.

2. Easy to Use Maps

You want a platform that reflects your space. Look for desk booking software that lets administrators see your workplace layout, with customizable office maps that can be updated in real-time. Live floor plans mean that colleagues can easily connect and managers can see who’s in the office at a glance.

3. Permissions

As your organization reopens your office or makes the shift to a hybrid model, you’ll want to be able to manage roles and permissions within your booking platform. For example, you might organize flexible workspaces by department or team, so that employees can only reserve desks in designated areas. Conversely, you might want to give all employees access to desk reservations, but limit conference room booking to managers and administrators. Choose a booking tool that lets you set and adjust user roles as needed.

4. Filters

Each employee’s needs are different, and the type of workspace they’ll want may change from week to week. A platform that allows end users to filter desks by features or amenities makes it easier for employees to be more productive. These amenities might include:

• Sit/stand desk
• Dual screens
• Task lighting
• Window seating
• Keyboard

5. Integrations

You’re already using digital tools to manage your daily operations. Look at the existing scheduling and communication tools you use, whether that’s Slack, Office 365, Google Workspace, or Zoom, and make sure that your reservation tools will integrate with these applications. 

Whatever system you use to reserve and manage desks needs to integrate seamlessly. 

6. Reporting

Knowledge is power: your reservation platform should offer insights into booking patterns, space utilization, and staff behavior. Look for a desk booking software that has reporting and analytics functions. These insights can help you refine your hybrid office policies and drive smarter decisions down the road.

7. Pricing

Make sure you know how much room you have in the budget for desk booking software. Some tools work on a subscription basis, while others require an annual contract. Tiered pricing models are common, so think ahead about the resources you might need if your business grows and you hire new staff. 

Easily Manage your Hybrid Workplace

At Robin, we know that a positive employee experience is key when it comes to hybrid work. Creating a frictionless in-office experience for everyone on your team is crucial. With desk booking tools ike Robin you can:

• Easily reserve desks and meeting rooms
• Create drag-and-drop floor plans
• Send company-wide announcements
• Manage booking permissions
• Update schedules in real-time
• Track key metrics and generate reports

Get Started

 Ready to get started with Robin? Contact us to start your free trial today.

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