Introducing desk booking by the hour: Get more out of your space

With many of us back in the office, workplace leaders are asking similar questions around office space management. Who’s coming in? Where are they sitting? And are we making the most out of our space? This only gets more complicated when you’re factoring in hot desking, hybrid work schedules, and multiple office locations. Flexible work is here to stay, but can be hard to manage. When you have employees coming in at different hours of the day, on different days of the week, and maybe in different offices too, how can you know if you're using your space efficiently? There's nothing worse than having all desks booked up so others won’t come into the office, thinking there’s no room for them that day…but then seeing empty desks because those who’ve reserved them are in back-to-back meetings that day. You want to get the most out of your company resources while also providing employees with flexibility. Now on the Envoy mobile app, employees can reserve desks when needed, and free space up when they don’t. Get more out of existing desk space. Plus, knowing exactly when coworkers are onsite and where they are sitting allows people to collaborate more effectively.

Book desks by the hour

Enabling employees to book desks by the hour makes more desks available for others to use,  especially if there are people who only come onsite for the morning or afternoon. Sometimes people are at the office but in back-to-back meetings, so they may not need a desk for the whole day. Plus, managing around-the-clock shift work gets easier when two or more employees can use the same desk at different times. No more wasted space with empty desks! Workplace managers get more out of their office space without having to add more desks or consider increasing their real estate footprint. They can set desk booking hours, and customize when to free up desks when employees haven’t checked into them. Admins can even book desks by the hour on behalf of other employees. Plus, admins gain visibility into each type of desk reservation–both all day and by the hour–allowing for more efficient space management. Combined with desk amenities, employees can reserve just the right desk at just the right time.  With the ability to set time periods for booking desks, similar to booking a conference room for a meeting, this allows for even more intention with every office visit.

How to book desks by the hour

Booking desks by the hour is easy from the Schedule or Map tabs within the Envoy app.

See what desks are available on the map for specific dates and times.

1. On the Map tab, select “Available desks.”
2. Tap on the calendar icon at the top to see monthly dates.
3. Toggle off the “All day” button.
4. Scroll to set your desired time slot to see the available desks for that time
5. Pick and confirm your desk selection.

To book recurring desk reservations, go to the Schedule tab.

1. In the upper right, tap on “Select multiple.”
2. Choose the calendar dates you want to schedule.
3. Toggle off the “All day” button.
4. Scroll to set your desired time period.
5. Confirm your reservations. Note that you can only make multiple desk bookings with the same time period across your desired dates.  

For more information about how to book desks by the hour, check out our help center article. Be sure to let your employees know about this new feature on the Envoy app by using these templates to announce desk booking by the hour to your employees.

Improve productivity by getting more out of your space

We also have additional features to help you and all employees make the best use of time and space in the office. Check them out below!

Filter desks by amenities to find the perfect desk for the job

‍In case you missed it, you can set up desk amenities to create a personalized workplace experience to improve productivity. Employees can then filter and select a workspace with amenities like standing desks, ergonomic chairs and more. You can even put in descriptions like “natural light” or “office with a door” so your employees can book the space they need to do their best work.

Book desks on behalf of others

‍As an admin, you can book a desk on an employee’s behalf, or reassign desks if you need to move people around. Help people be more productive when they know they have a designated place in the office to work. Learn more.

Find the perfect room for your meeting

‍Enable employees to find and book what they need, when they need it, whether that’s desks or rooms. Ensure your room booking system has the ability to free up rooms when no one has checked in so others can use it. Learn more on how to reduce “ghost” rooms.

Build community with workplace groups

‍Get more use out of office space and build community when people know when their coworkers will be onsite. Employees can set up workplace groups to make it easier to coordinate and schedule when to come into the office. Create groups within the Envoy app to see when others are scheduled to come in, or invite them all at once and book a desk to sit near them.It’s no easy feat to build a thriving workplace in this era of flexible work. Workplace leaders and admins are always looking for ways to improve how the workplace can work for everyone. Desk booking by the hour optimizes space usage and helps employees know when others will be in the office. Bringing employees together onsite can facilitate creative thinking and build a resilient culture. We can help you create a workplace people love while making the most out of your office space.

Interested in how booking desks by the hour can improve your employee experience? Start a free trial, or book a meeting and we’ll be happy to help!