{"id":1004323967,"date":"2019-05-30T00:14:41","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T08:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?p=1004323967"},"modified":"2021-10-14T10:59:42","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T18:59:42","slug":"office-hoteling-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/office-hoteling-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Office Hoteling Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Agile workplaces need a variety of inviting and collaborative workspaces, according to current office hoteling best practices. Photo courtesy of Keilhauer<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Open seating plans, collaborative environments and a highly mobile workforce: These are office hoteling best practices that have brought fresh energy to workplace design. Yet as with many new strategies that are favorably viewed by a wide cross-section of stakeholders, they have their share of unintended consequences, as well. On the opposite side of the collaborative benefits is the disruptive aspect of distractions from neighbors and, perhaps other things, too.  <\/p>\n

READ THE DIGEST<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMost companies are going with open plan layouts today, but it\u2019s important that they offer more than just benching and cubicles,\u201d<\/em> said Tim Venable, senior vice president at CoreNet Global. \u201cEmployees need a variety of spaces, [above and beyond] bookable conference rooms, to accommodate a range of needs, preferences and work styles.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Today’s push is to create a more diverse office environment that supports a variety of workstyles, from private, heads-down space and individual work areas to open collaborative zones.<\/p>\n

 \u201cWe\u2019re creating inviting pantries and cafe spaces in prime locations with access to daylight and views and often adjacent to exterior spaces like a terrace or landscaped area,\u201d<\/em> said Louise Sharp, design principal at HLW, who is responsible for the firm\u2019s interior architecture practice for the Los Angeles and Shanghai offices. Furniture is diverse, adds Sharp, with everything from comfortable lounge seating and bar height furniture to family style dining tables, that allow staff to plug in their laptops, charge their devices and work both individually  and collaboratively.<\/p>\n

However, some employees are territorial than others, and may hesitate to explore other seating options. That applies even when they\u2019re offered a gorgeous cafe, comfortable lounge area or fun (and healthy) adjustable-height desk.<\/p>\n

As Venable notes, people are creatures of habit. \u201cThey often sit in the same place because they\u2019re more comfortable there, and in doing so they can exert a greater degree of control over their environment.” <\/em>he said. “And yet some of the benefits of open plan\u2014such as communicating and collaborating more often with different people\u2014can\u2019t be realized if nobody moves around.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Framery\"<\/a>

Framery provides a private, quiet setting for conference calls or meetings with multiple people. It recreates the benefits of a private office for the modern open-plan office. Photos courtesy of Framery<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Flexibility for a New Workforce<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the office hoteling best practices quickly taking off is unassigned seating. Cushman & Wakefield and CoreNet Global partnered to survey commercial real estate executives around the globe about the most pressing issues they\u2019re currently facing. The What Occupiers Want 2018<\/em> research project includes feedback from corporations representing all portfolio sizes and industry sectors. A large majority of corporate respondents indicated that increasing office space flexibility is a key topic; they\u2019re either introducing or testing agile workplace strategies including desk sharing. This is especially true in the Asia-Pacific region (85 percent) but is also a point of interest in Europe-Middle East-Africa region (81 percent) and North America (71 percent).<\/p>\n

The traditional concept of hoteling office space\u2015unassigned seating that allows employees to reserve work space before they come to work\u2015has been revamped for modern users who can now access reservation systems through convenient mobile apps. The alternative is \u201chot desking\u201d where employees select work stations when they arrive each day.<\/p>\n

The terminology used to express ideas about workplace innovation doesn\u2019t remain static. \u201cHoteling\u201d sometimes refers specifically to the practice of allocating a certain number of desks for remote workers to use when they are in the office. Broader definitions, like \u201cagile working\u201d and \u201cactivity-based environments,\u201d are focused around creating an entire environment\u2014the open plan\u2014where staff can work anywhere (i.e. not just at a desk).<\/p>\n

\u201cFor employees (who already transferred to unassigned seating) and who have a special meeting planned or who simply need to know in advance where they\u2019ll be sitting tomorrow, a central reservation system puts them at ease,\u201d<\/em> Venable said. \u201cThey do feel more secure when able to lock in a specific desk or seat.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Framery\"<\/a>

Phone booth-style cubicles can provide the privacy and quiet that is often lacking in open-plan office environments. Image courtesy of the Framery<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Adding Options<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Employees can seek out a space that works well for them, where they know they will be comfortable, and that will help them be more productive. Phone booth-style units are increasingly popular, Venable noted; they provide privacy that\u2019s often missing in open-plan settings, as well as an opportunity to escape distractions and attend to phone calls or tasks that require intense focus. \u201cWhat\u2019s important is that employees have choices and options on where they can sit depending on the type of work they will be doing,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes one of the most effective office hoteling best practices is working away from the office. According to research by GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, 80 to 90 percent of the U.S. workforce would like to work remotely at least part-time. Respondents who are in favor of working at home two to three days a week opined that \u201cheads down\u201d work requiring concentration is best done at home without distraction, while collaborative work is better achieved face-to-face at the office.<\/p>\n

Innovation is extending not only to office configuration but to furnishings. Research by workplace design scientists has revealed that 141 degrees is the most comfortable angle when two individuals are seated side by side engaged in conversation. Designed to that exact specification, the 141 Bench by Canadian manufacturer Keilhauer provides a stylish option for impromptu meetings that speaks volumes about how we\u2019re working today. Also available with a high back for additional privacy, the 141 Bench could serve as a hoteling option for a visiting executive who occasionally touches down to catch up with direct reports. <\/p>\n

\"Capital<\/a>

HLW designed a flexible London office for Capital One to aid employee attraction and retention and help strengthen their presence in the city. The scheme offers work areas with a social hub, touch down areas, a connecting stair plus both formal and informal meeting rooms. Photo courtesy of HLW<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The Work-Anywhere World<\/strong> <\/h2>\n

\u201cThere are two primary drivers we\u2019re observing\u2014one is the efficiency of real estate, and the other is the need to adapt to a changing workforce and changing workstyles,\u201d<\/em> said Bronte Turner, principal & managing director at HLW London. Turner points out that not all employees feel tied to their desks.<\/p>\n

The modern world of work has given way to the agile worker, who is able to identify the space that best meets his or her needs, even without an assigned desk. According to Turner, hoteling and unassigned desking increase the efficiency of the footprint used for dedicated workspace.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn best practice, this trend makes way for other modes and spatial types, which support employees working \u2019in other ways.\u2019 Work does not necessarily equate to sitting at a desk and looking at a computer,\u201d <\/em>Turner added. \u201cWork and productivity comes from so many other activities\u2014meeting, thinking, sketching, networking. The list is endless, and these modes of work are not always done at one\u2019s desk.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Turner contends that the influence and improvement of \u201cwork anywhere\u201d technology means that our workforce and what they need to be effective and productive has changed. Office hoteling best practices emphasize combining the agility created by technology with environments that enhance relationships and interaction within the office.<\/p>\n

\"Capital<\/a>

Capital One in Chicago features inviting pantries and caf\u00e9 spaces in prime locations. Photo courtesy of HLW<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Driven by Technology <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Office hoteling best practices also stress adequate electronic connectivity. Whether employees are mobile within the open plan office or working at home two days a week or at an off-site co-working location approved by the company, being able to easily plug and play and share files on the cloud is a must. And furniture in living room-like collaborative areas is being powered up so that employees don\u2019t lose time searching for a place to recharge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely see a growing portion of our client\u2019s workforce sitting in unassigned desks or offices. This is driving innovations to make it easier for people to work in such an environment,\u201d<\/em> said Bruce Wells, director, marketing and design development at Innovant, a manufacturer of workplace furniture.<\/p>\n

Innovant\u2019s HotDesk application communicates with sensors in the furniture to provide desk booking, occupancy tracking and peer locating\u2014all important components of a successful hoteling environment. The sensor is triggered when a smartphone, with the HotDesk application, is set on top of the dock, which allows Bluetooth Low Energy transmissions to send data directly from the cellular network to the cloud. As the phone\u2019s battery is charging, it\u2019s visible on the HotDesk application, which enables peer-locating and the tracking of important occupancy data for architects and building managers.<\/p>\n

Hoteling proponents agree that the option to reserve desks in advance has reinvigorated the concept of desk sharing and will ensure that employees don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re playing musical chairs. They also suggest making sure unassigned desks are outfitted with an attractive plant or decorative object. If the space is absolutely bare, it might encourage employees to bring in their own knickknacks to their favorite desk in an effort to claim their territory.<\/p>\n

Read the June 2019 issue of CPE.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Office hoteling best practices recommend doing away with walls in order to encourage collaboration, but employees have trouble tuning out the noise all around them. Can unassigned seating really solve the problems created by open plan?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":1004325425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21781,1521,23891,21785],"tags":[36450,32799,37605],"class_list":["post-1004323967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corporate-real-estate","category-digital","category-national","category-property-management","tag-corenet-global","tag-cushman-wakefield","tag-hlw-international"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOffice Hoteling Best Practices - Commercial Property Executive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/office-hoteling-best-practices\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Office Hoteling Best Practices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Office hoteling best practices recommend doing away with walls in order to encourage collaboration, but employees have trouble tuning out the noise all around them. 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