As businesses continue transitioning into a “new normal”, hybrid working is rapidly becoming a familiar employee working arrangement. Granting employees flexibility in travel, working hours, and other commitments brings many benefits. However, it also requires adjustment on behalf of businesses. Rather than viewing this as a burden, businesses should utilise the opportunity to implement effective occupancy monitoring and improved technology, allowing them to make actionable, data-informed decisions.

Exploring Occupancy Monitoring

Occupancy monitoring has become an essential tool for businesses. Evaluating office space use presents vital opportunities for optimisation, assessing employee needs, and reducing waste. Installing IoT wireless sensors throughout an office complex allows data collection on which areas employees most heavily use, how much time employees spend using desk space (desk occupancy), and when meeting rooms or communal areas are busiest.

The data collected through occupancy monitoring is crucial for making data-informed transformations to the workplace. In the wake of transitions to hybrid working, this is particularly important.

Understanding Workplace Evolution

Evidently, the way we approach work is changing. Transitioning to a hybrid working environment generates shifts in how employees prioritise different types of work, including where they complete tasks. Office-based workdays are more likely to involve collaboration, balancing the time employees spend working in more solitary conditions at home. As a result, individual tasks dominate work at home, and meetings or collaborative tasks take place in the office. Consequently, many businesses will likely experience increased use of meeting rooms and communal spaces. Re-design of the workspace is helpful in this scenario.

However, businesses should base office design changes on occupancy monitoring data. For example, installing sensors in meeting rooms to track their use, in desk areas to monitor desk occupancy, and in communal areas supports more actionable targets for optimisation.

Data-Driven Solutions

After deepening an understanding of workplace evolution, businesses should focus on developing data-driven targets and solutions. Basing changes in office layout on specific data leads to actionable and trackable goals – for example, to encourage a 50% increase in communal and meeting area use.

Actioning a target such as this involves tracking all areas of the office space. This allows for an optimised and appropriate change in design, as opposed to one that could cause friction in the workplace. If there is a particular desk area left unused, this space can be repurposed. Through occupancy monitoring, employees’ preferences for specific office locations can be identifiable – transforming this space could be disappointing. Assisted by occupancy data, businesses can understand and acknowledge these preferences. Employee satisfaction is crucial to productivity – a business wants to ensure that their preferences remain in consideration!

Addressing Desk Occupancy Monitoring

Desk occupancy is critical in transitioning to hybrid working environments. As aforementioned, it is an area likely most subject to change and, therefore, requires particular attention. However, those unfamiliar with new occupancy monitoring techniques may be concerned about privacy.

Monitoring desk occupancy does not need to involve any personal identification. Visual monitoring, such as cameras, is no longer required. Instead, IoT-driven wireless sensors can provide the necessary data discretely without interrupting employee activity – stamp-sized temperature sensors placed under desks can track occupancy while preserving complete privacy. Overall, positive results can be achieved, benefiting employees without being intrusive, intimidating, or disruptive.

As businesses adjust to hybrid work being the new normal, IoT-based, data-driven occupancy monitoring is key to preserving employee productivity and well-being. As a result, businesses should keep precise occupancy monitoring as a central part of decision-making, with the benefits expanding beyond office design to energy-saving and cost-reducing.

Bengt Lundberg is the CEO of Disruptive Technologies. He holds an Engineering degree from Vestfold University College. Bengt has more than 20 years of international business experience. He also has a decade-long experience with international team leadership, building cross-cultural, high-performing teams.