How to Set Up Desk Booking in Your Office – 3 Easy Steps

Today, many offices are moving away from conventional models that assign each employee a dedicated workspace. With more and more companies offering flexible working arrangements, it doesn’t make sense to have a dedicated workspace for an employee who might be in the office just one or two days a week. 

Desk booking is a system where workspaces are available to all employees. A worker can reserve a specific desk before they arrive at the office, often using an online platform. Simplify the workplace experience with desk booking software.

Types of Desk Booking

Desk booking offers the best of both worlds. Employees can still use the office whenever needed, but companies don’t need to have designated space for each employee, saving on time and money.

Besides saving on overhead, hybrid work models can improve employee retention, as well. A recent Bloomberg study found that offering flexible working arrangements could reduce employee attrition by 35%.

But what does desk booking look like? The two common models for reserving workspaces in a hybrid work setup include hot desking and desk hoteling:

• Desk hoteling: In this model, employees can book a specific workplace in advance for a day, week, or month at a time. 
• Hot desking: This system allows employees to book same-day, on-demand workspaces on a first-come, first-served basis.

How to Setup Desk Booking

If you’re looking for ways to improve your hybrid work model, try these steps:

1. Get a user-friendly system

You can implement a manual reservation system, but you’ll need dedicated staff time to manage it. To free up your administrative staff, try using desk booking software that integrates with your email and calendar tools. 

Each employee can find and reserve a workspace that suits their needs from the convenience of their phone, laptop, or tablet. Once they arrive at the office, they can go straight to their desk, rather than wasting time trying to find a suitable space.

2. Offer a variety of spaces

Open offices are popular, but they may not work for every type of company or project. If you’re moving to a desk booking model, make sure your office has a few different kinds of workspaces. 

For example, if two employees need to work together on a report, they’ll want to book side-by-side desks or use a small breakout room. If one of your managers is spending the day interviewing job candidates, they’ll need a quiet space where they can take phone or video calls without ambient noise. 

Having dedicated quiet zones, as well as an open work area, ensures that each worker has the right space for their current projects. 

3. Utilize metrics

You may have some trial and error with your desk booking process – that’s normal. While you should allow employees to provide feedback on what’s working well and what isn’t, you can also use your reservation software to get data-driven insights. 

Many desk booking platforms offer workplace analytics tools that provide data on:

• Desk and meeting room utilization
• Patterns in office occupancy
• Overbooked and underbooked spaces

With these tools and insights, you can tweak your office plan in meaningful ways that will improve productivity and better allocate valuable resources.

Optimize your Workplace with Desk Booking Software

Ensure desk booking is a smooth process with the right tools and technology. Desk booking software can help you empower your teams to use the office and allow them to see who will be in when.

Want to learn more about how robin can help support work week coordination?  Schedule a demo or start your free trial today.

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