Companies discover desk booking systems for themselves

Just a few years ago, desk sharing was mainly known as an innovative approach among tech companies in Silicon Valley. In the meantime, more and more companies have recognised the benefits. Lufthansa, Siemens, Infineon - they're all getting on board and offering even more freedom in terms of workplace organisation. This article shows how the concept works in practice.

Why more and more people are opting for desk sharing

Cost savings, exchange of information, reduction of hierarchies, creativity and more flexibility - there are many good reasons why more and more companies are venturing into the new concept. Instead of dusty offices, an office desk booking system is being integrated. This allows employees to easily book their desired desk from anywhere.

Access on a smartphone makes it very easy to find a free desk in the office at short notice, even when travelling. If no desk is available, more and more companies are creating numerous alternatives, such as quiet islands in the foyer, outside or in the corridor.

The focus is on sharing information

Many companies have recognised the benefits of the sharing concept. Because their desks are constantly changing, their potential neighbours are also changing. Employees are therefore encouraged to communicate with each other across departments or even hierarchies. This exchange is intended to strengthen the sense of togetherness and increase social skills.

Drinking a delicious cappuccino together at your desk for the day and getting to know a colleague you haven't seen for years — this concept seems to be working, as large companies such as Infineon, Lufthansa and others are joining in. And not without reason, as studies show that this concept really does create more togetherness, motivation and flexibility among employees.

Good for the company: Space and cost savings

Desk sharing also makes sense from the company's point of view. Office space is particularly scarce and often expensive in urban centres and large cities. Every employee who wants to use a permanent workstation in the building costs the company a lot of money. If the workstation remains unused due to illness, holidays or other reasons, it represents an unused investment.

With the new concept, however, a desk can be used by several employees at the same time. This ensures that it is always fully utilised. This saves companies valuable office space and allows them to make much better use of their existing equipment.

Desk sharing: the disadvantages

Even the best concepts do not come without disadvantages. Before desk sharing can be used, everything has to be organised. If you don't use any tools or systems for this, it takes much longer and can be a real pain. This is why companies rely on established software solutions. However, the integration of these external systems also takes time and, above all, involves IT effort. There are also potential concerns about security-related issues due to the data used.

It is therefore important that those responsible take a close look at the software solutions and have the integration carried out by their (own) professionals. Another disadvantage is the pressure in the battle for jobs. It can quickly become stressful, especially with a small number of workstations and a large number of employees. If, for example, 100 employees only have to share 30 desks, more than half of them will inevitably be left empty-handed and look for alternative workplace solutions. This is where companies need to find a good balance between the number of workstations on offer and the number of employees.

Ensuring data protection and data security: this is where employees need to take personal responsibility

Anyone sharing a workstation will often only find a power socket or an interface to the company's own network. The work device (e.g. laptop or tablet) is brought along and connected to it. Anyone can imagine what happens when several people use this workstation with their individual devices. The risk of data protection being neglected and, for example, chat software being imported into the system is high.

This is why the personal responsibility of employees is particularly important. Just as students are also dependent on maximum cyber security, so are other colleagues and, of course, the company itself. In order to ensure data security and data protection, employees must be instructed exactly which devices and software solutions they may and may not use. Security training helps to answer any questions and provide instructions.

Teamwork suffers

Another disadvantage, at least in some companies, is the decline in real teamwork. When you sit in an office with your colleagues and see each other every day, you develop a certain sense of familiarity. Studies have shown that teamwork can significantly increase mood and efficiency. The desk-sharing concept means that this cohesion is lacking in many places, especially with frequent desk and desk-partner rotation. However, some companies have already thought ahead and developed additional concepts. They ensure that desks on a certain floor or in a certain area can only be booked by employees from one department or a joint project.

Conclusion

The desk-sharing concept is becoming increasingly popular. Flexibility, flat hierarchies and, above all, the space and cost-saving potential are convincing many companies and employees. With the right software, it can even be easily managed via smartphone at any time. This service appeals to employees and managers alike.