Dynamic Workplaces:
Is Hoteling Right for You?
The past 18 months are a lesson in the nature of change: disruption wreaks chaos, and it inspires positive outcomes. Last year, Pew Research Center asked the American public how the pandemic affected their personal lives, whether that impact was positive or negative. 89 percent mentioned at least one negative change, while 73 percent cited at least one unexpected upside.
In many cases, these struggles and surprises have come to us simultaneously, dramatically shifting society, family, and the nature of work. They also have accelerated many transformations that had begun pre-pandemic, such as digitization and the workplace of the future.
During the next few months, we will explore this new workplace and some of the trends that are emerging, including a return to a physical office for some companies, policy shifts to keep virtual work permanent for others, and the increasingly popular hybrid approach.
Hoteling adoption surges
Hoteling is one workplace practice that is enjoying a resurgence as a hybrid option for many organizations. Office hoteling began in the 1990s due to advances in mobile technology, with consulting and accounting firms rising as first adopters. Through this office management approach, workers reserve in advance their use of desks, cubicles, and offices, replacing the traditional method of assigning workers fixed spaces. Most companies that use hoteling require employees to reserve a workspace before they come to the office. Hot-desking is a less common practice in which a worker chooses a workspace upon arrival to the office.
The benefits of hoteling are numerous, including a cost saving on office real estate; increased worker flexibility, mobility, and autonomy; and unique opportunities for cross-functional employees to interact and collaborate.
Hoteling best practices
A hoteling model works best for knowledge workers in a hybrid workplace, in which employees are expected to split their time between a physical office and home. It also suits large corporations with regional offices whose remote workers travel frequently and require physical hubs in various locations.
Hoteling is especially popular this year in the federal government setting, with organizations like the Navy, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Institutes of Health adopting this approach with their workforces. NIH shares a list of hoteling best practices and lessons learned, which include the following.
A catalyst for connection
Perhaps the biggest benefit of hoteling is the connection it allows remote employees to make with one another. Much of your organizational culture is built on the values, beliefs, and norms that are expressed through face-to-face interactions. Providing your workforce the opportunity to continue to meet in a physical location on their terms is the best of both office worlds: They have choice and flexibility about when they leave their home to go to an office, and they can enjoy human connection and socialization on a regular basis.
Are you ready to consider hoteling as an approach for your new workplace? We at Cynuria Consulting help organizations transform their workplace, culture, and the change management that comes along with it.
