Introduction
The world transformed overnight. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed how companies think about workspaces significantly. The spread of the Coronavirus propelled nearly 47% of companies to adapt to remote working full-time to promote employee safety. But with vaccination programs picking up pace worldwide, organizations are slowly calling employees back to the office.
This involves switching to a hybrid workplace system. A global survey reveals that 72.2% of employees were entirely on board with re-joining offices in a hybrid setting.
A desk booking solution is integral to a hybrid workplace. But how to make desk booking accessible for all in a hybrid workplace. Let us decode the buzz.
Also Read: What is a desk booking software?
How to Make Desk Booking Software Accessible for All?
One can think of accessibility for a desk booking software in two prominent ways:
- Ensuring the software can be utilized by employees regardless of the work hierarchy and their location
- Making sure all employees can use the desk booking system easily
Here’s an overview of both these measures.
1. Accessibility of Desk Booking Software Through Its Features
To make sure the company’s desk booking software is accessible, choose a software that comes with easy, interactive features.
a. Opt for a Cloud-Based Desk Booking Software
A cloud-based desk booking software allows employees to book desks from any location worldwide with a working internet connection. Since utilization data is updated instantly on the cloud, one can also look at the number of available desks immediately. This further eases the hot-desking process. Moreover, cloud-based software reduces the storage space required to save desk booking data significantly, helping the company save costs.
b. Choose Software That Allows Making Bookings Through a Mobile App
To make remote bookings smoother, choose a desk booking software that comes with a designated mobile app. This eliminates the hassle of running traditional web pages on small mobile screens and makes navigation easy.
Desk booking software mobile apps come with features like QR code scanning and RF-ID scanning. This allows you to book desks without touching a public screen.
c. Facilitate Decentralized Desk Booking Through Software
Many desk booking software work on centralized models. This means that employees submit a request for booking a space, which is then approved by the manager. This process consumes a lot of time and increases the burden on managers to make decisions.
Instead, using desk booking software with multiple booking access allows employees to book available desks. All without a manager’s approval, saving valuable time.
Bonus Read: IT manager’s checklist for desk booking software
2. Improving Accessibility by Training the Employees to Use Desk Booking Software Effectively
Facility managers are responsible for making an optimized, functional office space. But they also need to ensure that employees at all levels know how to use the tool is equally important. Hence, upon installing desk booking software in the office, facility managers can provide employees with sufficient training to use them. Here are a few tips for doing this.
a. Ensure All Employees Know the Benefits That Come With Using the New Software
Employees are more likely to explore new software when they know the tangible benefits associated with using it. Desk booking software allows you to book desks of your choice. This helps save the time required to search for a desk. It also helps maintain social distancing to reduce health risks.
Facility managers can schedule virtual meeting sessions with the employees.
b. Schedule Timely Training Sessions
Employees at all levels are bound to have busy schedules. Hence, employers need to actively prioritize getting employees to learn the desk booking system. They need to schedule training sessions for the employees.
c. Set Manageable Deadlines and Plan the Rollout Methods
Employees may require time to get acquainted with the new software and use them effectively. You can organize training sessions to help your employees get acquainted. You can help them understand the different use cases and how to use them.
Team leaders and managers can also conduct sessions to discuss any employee concerns about using the new software.
d. Choose the Right Format for Training
While choosing a training format, consider that the company will have both in-office and remote employees. This may require different training methods to learn the software. So, instead of lengthy presentations, you can go for a format that captures the necessary theoretical basics. Furthermore, you can add a software demo or mock use sessions.
Ensure that the training sessions are recorded. The training documents should be distributed in advance to make the sessions valuable for all employees. In addition, employers can make the training interactive with processes with drills, etc., to boost learning retention.
The Bottom Line
When employees know how to use desk booking software, they can efficiently reserve desks of their choice. They can also comply with physical distancing measures. Managers can benefit from actionable and timely insights about desk usage. This will further allow them to manage facility resources effectively and deploy cleaning staff routinely to maintain office sanitization requirements.
With WorkInSync’s desk booking system, leverage solutions manifold, simplify the desk reservation process, and ensure employees’ safe return to offices. Our solution integrates with apps like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Assistant, enabling smoother collaborations in a hybrid work environment. Get in touch with us to know more and schedule a demo today!
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