Sharing the workplace? The desk-sharing model has long been the norm in other countries and is also becoming increasingly popular in German companies. And rightly so, because the advantages are convincing. Workplace sharing not only improves Cash position, but also has other benefits in addition to increasing efficiency.
Higher Cash position thanks to job sharing
In many companies there are often more employees than workplaces. Moving to larger premises is often the only costly way out. But with clever, innovative planning and a new distribution of workplaces, this does not have to be the case.
Desk sharing is the name of the efficiency concept that offers a great deal of savings potential and can increaseCash position . Companies can offer flexible workplaces and working time arrangements for their employees and thus save a lot of costs.
With innovative desksharing software, the workplace can be booked conveniently from anywhere. For example, anyone who wants to work in the office instead of at home can book a workstation at short notice. A win-win situation for companies and employees. The fixed work model no longer applies, so employees can decide for themselves when they work in the office. The new-found flexibility strengthens the sense of belonging and makes employees much happier, as surveys show that the workplace rotation model is becoming increasingly popular.
Reducing costs without having to cut back on services
Companies that rely on the innovative desksharing model can reduce their costs without reducing performance. Employees are increasingly found in home offices. The result: the workspace that is actually reserved for them in the company remains unused and is merely a cost factor.
Many companies would like to exploit growth potential and hire more employees, but often lack the necessary workspace. With flexible desk use, everyone can book a workstation in advance or work in a home office if they wish. With the same room size, more of the employees' performance can be called upon.
More efficiency through planning tools
Many premises are not occupied 24/7. For example, employees have (fixed) break times. During this time, the workspaces remain unused and are theoretically dead capital. By implementing a planning tool, more efficiency can be ensured here as well.
Often team meetings or telephone conferences do not last long at all. The permanent provision of a room is therefore not necessary. With the skilful use of free space, even the smallest timeslots can be used efficiently.
Smart sharing and working models attract motivated professionals
When it comes to the future of the company, it is not just a question of extensive Cash flow planning . It is also about the specialists who are crucial for future success. Experts agree: Generations X, Y and Z are becoming increasingly demanding when it comes to choosing their future workplace. For them, unlike their parents and grandparents, the focus is often on flexibility and work-life balance.
Companies that present themselves on the market with desksharing can often prevail in the hunt for skilled workers. They prefer flexible working time solutions and want to be able to switch between workplaces. With an innovative tool for desk management, companies implement exactly this. Industry 4.0 is advancing relentlessly and those who are already preparing for it now are creating an expert edge for themselves.
Sharing is "in
Sharing has recently become a real movement, because more and more people do not want to own things, but prefer to use them. Sharing also makes sense from a business perspective, because expensive acquisition costs for additional desks and office utensils are eliminated. Especially for young companies, this is a real opportunity to grow quickly and efficiently.
The growing demand for networked processes or cloud services shows how popular the sharing offers are. Decentralised working and the use of autonomous-innovative systems have long been on the rise. This is matched by the dynamic advantages of desk sharing, because each employee can decide for themselves where they want to work from.
What is necessary for successful desk sharing?
In order to successfully implement the flexible division of workplaces, it is not only the right corporate culture that is needed. Innovative organisational and planning tools are much more important. If you do not have an overview of the occupied or still free workplaces and cannot grant employees flexible access to them, it is difficult to benefit from the efficiency advantages.
Above all, the acceptance of employees is important, because not everyone actually wants to share their workplace. Many German employees still see it as an individual treasure that is furnished with personal objects (including photos of friends and family). The idea of sharing a personal workspace with another employee is often difficult. Discussion groups can help to reduce scepticism about the new workplace concept.
Disadvantages of desk sharing
Desk sharing combines many advantages, but can also bring disadvantages. For example, competition among employees increases as they fight for the best possible workplace. Nevertheless, this can bring discontent if, for example, there are no more workstations available at the desired time.
Some employees may also feel stressed and controlled by the flexible workplace allocation. After all, from now on, it is possible to see in the schedule which working hours they are doing at their place. Another disadvantage is the lack of team cohesion. Due to the flexible allocation of workplaces, new employees are always sitting opposite each other. Fixed routines and a team structure are therefore not possible. On the other hand, the constant change demands creativity, which can lead to significantly more productivity, especially in creative professional environments.
Preparing the constantly changing work environment can cost valuable time
Whenever employees arrive at their new workplace, they first have to settle in. At worst, this means unpacking and plugging in a laptop, structuring a desk and adjusting an office chair. This time takes up valuable working time and can be expensive.
Clever organisational solutions are needed here. For example, if the desks are equipped with simple plug-in connections that allow plug-and-play with laptop and co, the start-up is much faster. Some companies rely on mobile containers in which employees can lock up personal and other utensils and conveniently move them to each new workplace.
Shelving systems with lockable compartments can also serve as a good complement to the flexible workplace. Here, employees can safely lock up personal utensils and do not have to store and supervise them at the workplace.
Images
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Figure 2: pixabay.com @ StockSnap (CC0 Creative Commons)