When the pandemic struck, most organizations rolled out a work from home strategy, providing the tools required for true collaboration. In 12 months, we all have seen everything from Zoom to Microsoft Teams to Google Meet.
As the dust settles and we become used to the New Normal, the priority is to find tools that support hybrid workplaces, where some employees return to the office, and others work remotely.
“The challenge is understanding what the new work model will look like,” said Mark Bangerter, Director of User Experience and Organizational Change Management at Johnson & Johnson. Even with different studies showing us steady patterns, no one knows the correct percentage of remote, hybrid, and on-site workers. The balance will keep changing in the next two to three years; however, we need to be prepared. We need to determine the correct set up to support the hybrid work model.
Meeting Room is the First Step to Setting Up a Hybrid Workplace
Bangerter believes that the proper setup for a hybrid workplace begins with meeting spaces. In a hybrid setting, employees keep transitioning between working from home and the office. When employees choose to work from the office, meeting rooms can serve as a shared space for collaboration. For remote employees, these places are responsible for making them feel included.
In a hybrid work setting, meeting rooms are the perfect places for collaboration and engagement. “Meeting rooms must evolve,” said Irwin Lazar, an analyst at Metrigy. “The idea of 15 people walking into a conference room, putting a pot of coffee in the middle of the table, and spending all day in that room is probably not going to happen again anytime soon,” added Lazar. As more organizations adopt the hybrid workplace setting, they need to optimize meeting spaces with the right equipment or meeting room booking software.
The idea is to create an efficient working environment for all employees, regardless of their location. Experts believe that conference rooms are the gateway to a suitable hybrid workplace with the significance of meetings increasing. And like we mentioned earlier, meeting room booking software is essential to managing these.
But what is a meeting room booking software? And why do you need it? Keep scrolling to find it out.
What is a Meeting Room Booking Software?
This software allows users to book rooms, manage their schedules, check amenities and even automate the sanitization process. The primary idea is to take out the guesswork and streamline the meeting room booking process.
A meeting room booking software can be monumental in helping facility managers understand how rooms are being used and how often. It gives a holistic view of office space usage, allowing them to make more informed decisions.
Also Read: 5 Features of an Effective Meeting Room Booking System
Why do You Need a Meeting Room Booking Software for Your Hybrid Workplace?
A hybrid workplace is recognized by three critical elements- productivity, collaboration, and space utilization. An effective meeting room booking software ensures all three.
A Meeting Room Booking Software Improves Space Utilization
The implementation of a hybrid workplace is synonymous with saving space. Nevertheless, most organizations waste their space. On average, a meeting room sits empty 75% of the day. This means that in a typical 8-hour workday, a meeting room space is wasted for 5 hours.
In a hybrid workplace, where offices are emptier on certain days, wasted space doubles. With effective meeting room booking software, you can keep a tab of which room is being used when. This real-time data is pivotal to manage a hybrid workplace.
For instance, out of three large meeting rooms, two remain unused for most of the days compared to smaller conference rooms. Ultimately, you can divide the larger meeting rooms into hot desks or smaller collab spaces.
Since you can also monitor no-shows, you can ensure that the rooms are utilized to their total capacity.
It is about creating adequate workspaces and meeting room booking software to achieve the same.
Recommended Reading: Conference Room Reservation System: A Detailed Guide
A Meeting Room Booking Software Reduces Cost with Minimized Booking Steps
Inefficient meetings cost roughly $1,800 in excess email communication and between $2,100 and $4,100 in poor communication per employee annually. This misallocation of time and resources costs your company more than you know.
Meetings must be productive, especially in a hybrid setting. This means you need to cut down costs by removing all unnecessary steps.
With a meeting room booking software, all you need to do is book a meeting and a room. The software will inform the attendees about the location and time. Any changes can be easily communicated to them as well. By taking out the extra steps, you can focus on what you need to do!
The right meeting room booking software will save a great deal of time for the entire company.
A Meeting Room Booking Software Increases Employee Productivity & Collaboration
Ever since the pandemic, the average employee attends 60 meetings in a month. To be more precise, three meetings per day. According to a report from Steelcase, on average, 40% of employees waste up to 30 minutes per day looking for a meeting space. That cannot be productive.
Throw to the equation double-booked rooms, canceled meetings, and miscommunicated meeting locations. Productivity is the key to a thriving hybrid workplace. Therefore, the need for a meeting room booking software.
This is effectiveness personified.
Bonus Read: How to Effectively Manage Meeting Rooms
WorkInSync: A Meeting Room Booking Solution & More
A meeting room booking software is integral to a hybrid workplace. And this is an ever-evolving process. As more organizations adopt the hybrid way of working, similar booking and management solutions will come forth. WorkInSync is one solution that manages everything in a hybrid workplace: desks, visitors, or meeting rooms. It is a solution that benefits the entire hybrid workplace. If you are looking for a similar solution, then request a Free Demo here.
You can also subscribe to our blogs and stay on top of the latest trends in a hybrid workplace.
