The flex desk is a mode of organization, based on the rule of zero dedicated office. Employees work from different spaces, in the office or elsewhere.
The flex desk is a solution that allows employees to choose where and how they want to work. If it improves the efficiency and productivity of employees, it also has its share of drawbacks, so here are the basic principles to implement the flex desk in your organization.
The flex desk or flex desking is a synonym of flex officeA new way of organizing work based on the following principle: the absence of a dedicated desk for each employee (rather than assigning a workstation to each worker). The employee can then move to a different workspace each day: an open space, a meeting room, a bubble, a co-working space or even work from home.
This new organization also implies a new management style based on trust and well-being at work.
Switching to flex desk mode is a crucial issue for real estate optimization: this new organization requires a reorganization of spaces with the objective of reducing space in order to save on land and energy.
Space occupancy can even be a performance indicator with the following lever: don't rent a space for nothing to cover the spaces left empty by absent employees (vacations, training, travelling, etc.).
According to Sarah Proust, author of Telework, the end of the officeAccording to Sarah Proust, workstations are available 40% of the time on average, between the generalization of telecommuting, RTT, other travel leaves or trainings: No need to have huge offices scattered around almost half of the time!
This new organization is not adapted to all professions or employees: professionals requiring specific equipment to work (multiple screens for example) will not be the best candidates for the flex desk.
In contrast, those who work in a project mode or in an external intervention, will be more willing to change positions within the office.
The flex desk is used in companies seeking to offer flexibility and mobility to their employees or encourage a more collaborative work culture. The flex desk is also an interesting solution for companies seeking to reduce costs related to office occupation.
This mode of work organization can also be used by freelancers or entrepreneurs looking for a temporary workspace or a shared office solution.
Flex-desking has several advantages, including making it easier for employees to return to the office.
After a long period of distancing imposed by the health crisis, everyone was able to experience flexibility at work and work-life balance.
The flex desk responds to these new aspirations of flexibility.
Designed in flex mode, the new workspaces increase creativity and open-mindedness by encouraging interaction between employees. More mobile, the different teams are more in contact: the flex desk improves collaboration and encourages exchanges between employees.
Letting workers choose their own hours and work style can increase their motivation and productivity. The flex desk makes it easier for employees to focus and be more productive because they are free from the distractions of working in a traditional office environment.
The flex desk is an interesting solution for companies seeking to reduce the financial and energy costs of partial occupancy of offices by promoting density within their premises, so that structures can close off unoccupied spaces - floors, trays, rooms. Also, the savings in travel for telecommuting employees can reduce the organization's carbon footprint (depending on the type of transportation chosen by the workers).
Flexible office employees enjoy greater autonomy and agility in their work organization.
The flex desk allows you to break the rhythm, to avoid a routine and finally, offers comfortable workplaces. Being able to choose one's space improves the quality of life at work and allows for a better balance between professional and personal life.
The flexible office has some drawbacks for employees and employers.
The flex desk is often criticized for depersonalizing work relationships. This mode of organization also requires a strong capacity to adapt. These two factors can compromise the feeling of well-being at work. Moreover, working from home, inherent to the flex desk, can be a source of isolation for employees. These two factors can slow down the creativity and productivity of employees.
To avoid psycho-social risks linked to the flex desk, it is necessary to accompany its transition internally: it is necessary to propose to the employees solutions to reserve a space or to declare their presence in advance in order to avoid various inconveniences (lack of space, overbooking, discomfort, discontent...). The Offishall Planning tool allows users to easily organize the flex desk in companies.
It can be more difficult to communicate between colleagues or members of the same department because of this new organization where we see each other less. This can affect team cohesion and the feeling of belonging to the company. The use of internal messaging or other collaborative solutions can make exchanges between employees more fluid.
The development of the distributed enterprise also represents an energy expense due to the energy needed to run the servers that host the data, which is increasing with the digitalization imposed by this way of working. There are ways to simple techniques to limit its carbon footprint but they may not be sufficient.
The success of a flex desk organization relies largely on an adapted layout and the creation of different spaces that punctuate the daily life of the teams. The flex desk should not only be considered as an opportunity to reduce costs: it should be designed as a qualitative environment providing employees with a rich offer of spaces adapted to their uses.
It is possible to propose an adapted layout by observing upstream the occupancy behaviors and the associated statistics thanks to a presence declaration tool.
For an adequate flex space, companies have an interest in offering a range of equipment and adapted spaces:
With agile human capital and shifting workspaces, it's critical to be clear and transparent in internal communication. Here are some tips for planning good communication:
Finally, it can be interesting to conduct satisfaction surveys so that employees can share good and bad experiences.
In order to make the organization more fluid, there are systems for declaring presence and reserving spaces or services. The use of this type of tool limits and prevents the inconveniences linked to the flex office, in particular the feelings of confusion or frustration linked to the choice of who settles when and where. Thanks to these solutions, managing the presence of employees and the use of spaces is simplified.
Office reservation solutions enhance the environments in which employees work and collaborate, providing greater flexibility to choose a workspace that best suits the needs of each employee based on work situations. These tools also reduce the administrative burden of using the space and services provided.
By following the tips above, you can be sure to deliver an innovative and satisfying experience for your teams.
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