Workplace hoteling eliminates assigned seating in favor of reservable desks and office space. Hoteling, when implemented successfully, can save leaders up to $7,735 per unused workstation each year and provide valuable perks to employees and customers.
Not to be confused with hot-desking (the practice of first-come-first-served seating), desk and office hoteling utilize software that allows employees to reserve workspaces for the week ahead. The practice of hoteling is gaining traction in organizations that are welcoming a hybrid workforce as its inherent benefits are enabling a more productive workplace:
Supporting Diverse Perspectives for
Improved Team Performance
Harvard Business Review attests that supporting employees with varying work styles can improve team performance. Workplaces that support these employees offer a variety of resources to enable the productivity of diverse work styles. Hoteling is the solution to providing equal access to workplace resources for all teams. This also applies to remote employees with an insufficient home office—providing rentable office space with resources such as a high-quality printer, computer software, or teleconferencing technology will level the playing field for those employees.
By utilizing desk hoteling, an organization can provide optimal flexibility to their employees. Hoteling allows freedom in reserving space based on day-to-day work needs. Individuals that require heads-down work can reserve a private workspace, and those that prefer collaboration can rent a desk in an open office. Employees can choose who to sit by, further supporting teamwork by collaborating with different coworkers based on that day’s tasks.
For Collaboration and Community
Collaboration is greatly supported in a flexible workplace that offers hoteling. According to Buffer’s 2021 study into the effects of remote work on employees, 21% of remote employees face difficulties with collaboration and communication—up from 13% before the pandemic. Implementing an online booking system lets employees view who is working in the office and where. This encourages employees to come into the office when their team or other necessary coworkers are present, offering ample opportunities for collaboration.
Buffer’s study also claims that 16% of remote employees suffer from feelings of loneliness. This number is significantly higher in recent graduates and new hires, as many miss out on critical networking moments that occur while working in the office. Hoteling is an excellent way to bring newly hired employees into the office without needing to provide a dedicated workstation for them. They can also take advantage of the online system by booking desks next to different departments as they work through onboarding and orientation.
Avoiding Potential Wasted Capital
Let’s touch on the point that might’ve sparked your interest intially: Hoteling can save leaders from wasting $7,735 per unused workstation each year. Accounting for elements such as the rent, utilities, technology, furniture, and ancillary spaces provided along with the unused workstation, your potential yearly wasted capital can reach this surprising 4-figure amount.
Reimagining your facility footprint to provide reservable, flexible, and open work areas can combat the empty workstations of remote or short-term employees. Besides removing the potential of wasted capital, hoteling can shrink your footprint, saving you costs in rent, hardware, office equipment, and furnishings.
There is an important note about hybrid work accompanied by desk hoteling: employees may expect some form of reimbursement for costs related to furnishing their home office. A workplace interiors expert can help you determine home office reimbursement programs and cost-effective packages that support your strategic decision to move to hybrid.
Fine Tuned Facility Management
Besides minimizing overhead costs and avoiding wasted capital, hoteling can improve facility management. The past two years have shown us that the workplace is highly adaptable. A hybrid workforce is supported best by a workplace that flexes with its unique needs.
Space utilization tools that track and analyze facility usage can implement a flexible, ever-changing workplace. When paired with hoteling software, leaders can monitor work and ancillary spaces to make strategic decisions in restructuring areas to support their workforce.
Attracting Faces Back to the Office
Hoteling can bridge the gap between service and presence, offering places for remote employees to meet face-to-face with clients or each other. The inherent flexibility of workspace hoteling is perfectly suited for hybrid work and supports remote employees by enabling in-person presence when needed.
The talent dynamic between employer and employee has shifted in the last two years, with remote workers taking more responsibility in defining where and when to work. Employers that struggle with motivating these employees to come into the office can compromise by leveraging the benefit of improved communication with hoteling. Hoteling, for those individuals, can strictly be temporary, no-strings-attached meeting spaces.
Workplace hoteling intrinsically supports a hybrid work model by offering flexible and reservable workspaces for employees, both in-office and remote. The added benefits of improved communication, reduced cost of space, and better facility management make hoteling a wise investment into the workplace.
Watch out for our upcoming infographic: How to Choose the Right Office Hoteling Solution.
Can’t wait for that? Contact us to get your personalized office hoteling solution.
Sources:
https://robinpowered.com/blog/office-hoteling-flexible-hybrid-workplace-strategy
https://www.wwt.com/article/office-hoteling-a-key-component-of-a-hybrid-work-strategy
https://www.wandera.com/what-is-the-new-trend-of-hoteling-for-hybrid-work/