How To Use Workplace Data To Create A More Engaging Office

Our styles of work have changed, it’s time our office setups did too. 

The policies and guidelines that drive your company are unique to your culture and values but the layout of your spaces can be optimized with the right workplace data.

One of the questions we get all the time: How can I create a workplace that my people actually want to be in? 

The truth is that the answer is going to be different for everyone. Your unique company culture should shine through your office spaces. Yet there are some best practices for creating a workplace that inspires new life. 

The Office as a Resource: Collaboration & Connection

Now that the office is no longer a default, more people are planning their trips back to the office on a weekly basis. Some employees only want to go in on certain days, or when their teammates are in the office. It’s become a coordination challenge. 

A lot of that comes down to the social element, but it also shows that you need to empower your people to feel comfortable coming in so they know they'll get the most from their time in the office. By making changes physically, digitally, and across how people work, you can alleviate some of the concerns about making the trip in.

What Makes Employees WANT to Come into The Office?

Here’s the thing: coming into the office now needs to be more attractive to people than staying at home. It’s a tough sell. Home has family and fresh food and your unique WFH setup and mid-day walks with your dog. 

The key here is to remind people what the office can give that home setups can’t. Generally speaking, the backbone of the physical workplace is the people in it. 

Leaders need to highlight what’s happening, who’s in and then make the process simple and enjoyable enough to make the commute worthwhile. We combed through millions of data points to show you how you can use data about the office to build better, more engaging workplace experiences. 

1. Visibility into Who is Coming in, When

There are few things worse than coming into the office just to sit on virtual meetings all day.  Having a tool that helps employees schedule their visits with team members is key to making the office a valuable use of time

Employees who book with their favorites list (coworkers they’ve starred in-app) are 60% more likely to come into the office. Teams need the context of a given office day to make better decisions about when to come in; otherwise, they might walk into an office that isn’t suited to their working style.

The Robin solution? See who is in when, favorite your team for higher visibility, share your desk booking with a link and easily book spaces; all on the Robin platform.

2. A Frictionless Workplace Experience 

The challenge for employers, so far, has been creating an office space that rivals the comfort of people’s own homes. In order to make the commute in (and everything that comes with that) people want the actual experience of coming to the office to be simple and streamlined.

Part of this is about how easy it is to reserve a space and get around the office. Teams want to coordinate their work weeks ahead of time about half of employees book their days in office 3 to 4 days in advance. Enabling that as an option can help people better plan their weeks. 

The other part? Simple check-ins. When Robin customers use QR Stickers, they see a 25% increase in employee check-ins. That’s because it’s simple for people to scan the stickers and find a desk, change their reservation and check-in. Plus, that means more office data in your daily roster for workplace leaders to track office traffic and refresh their office strategy as needed. A true win-win. 

The Robin Solution? Using the right tools, like stickers and office rosters, makes visiting the office a painless process. Even better? You can also collect the data you need to better understand how the office is being used.

3. The Right Resources

Different people have different ideal setups; some people want two screens, others need a laptop stand, you might like both. We found that desks with 5 or more amenities were twice as likely to be used than desks without any. These data points might look different for your company but having the information ensures you can set up your office in a way that suits these preferences.

The Robin solution? Robin is designed with user-experience in mind. Our user-friendly interface makes booking desks with the right amenities a breeze.

4. Clear Communication about The Office 

Did you know employees are 30% more likely to come into the office after viewing an announcement? People want to know what is going on, when. There are few things worse than coming into the office just to sit on virtual meetings all day. 

Whether you’re a social butterfly that wants to be in for March Madness or a quiet worker that needs your favorite desk in the upstairs nook - being able to see what the office makeup will ensure that the workplace experience is right for you.

The Robin Solution? Workplace announcements & high visibility into desk-bookings makes planning the work week simple.

Bottom Line: Make Better Decisions with The Right Workplace Tech

Data is king and context, the queen. When you have the right information from the right tech solutions, you can make smarter decisions about your office space based on how it is actually being used. Tools like stickers and workplace announcements make adopting hybrid work a much more data-driven process.

Connection and collaboration are some of the most fulfilling parts of our working lives and people are craving spaces to bring back that in-person connection. The way we work changed forever but that doesn’t mean we need to give up on the office. We just need to reconsider what role the workplace plays in a hybrid world.