Most people would agree that office desk allocation is a difficult task. You want to make sure that everyone has enough space for their personal belongings, and you also need to take into account work habits and organizational preferences. Not to mention, you have to consider your coworkers’ thoughts on who should get the desk next to them.
Luckily, there are some guidelines you can follow to make the process a little bit easier.
Desk Bookings
Desk allocation is becoming a normal and mandatory process in many workplaces and organizations. The desk booking is now more important than ever with the increase of hot-desking, mobile working and workers going back to work with still some restrictions post COVID-19. There are apps and software that allow organizations and businesses to manage desk allocation efficiently.
For example, in the past, people would use a draw to see who would get the desk next to them. This was often unfair as people would put their names down for several desks and then take their favorite one, leaving someone with no desk. With the increase of remote working and hot-desking, this is no longer possible.
With these kinds of software, you can quickly see who is using what desk and when. This can help to avoid any conflicts and make the desk allocation process easier for everyone.
Floor Plan and Number of Desks
Some offices have an open-plan layout, while others are more traditional with each worker having their own desk. If you have an open-plan office, it might be difficult to allocate specific desks to certain workers. You also need to take into account how many people will be working in the office. If you have a lot of people working in a small office, you might not be able to give everyone their own desk.
In these cases, you might want to use software that will allow people to reserve a desk for a certain amount of time. This will mean that everyone gets a chance to work in different parts of the office.
However, if you have a traditional office layout, it will be easier to allocate specific desks to certain people.
Personal Space
Everyone needs a certain amount of personal space to feel comfortable and productive. For example, if someone likes to have a lot of personal space, they may not want to be allocated a desk next to someone who likes to be close to their coworkers. People also like to have their personal belongings nearby, and they also need some elbow room to feel comfortable. If you have a lot of employees, try to give everyone at least two feet of personal space.
You will also want to take into account the amount of space each person needs for their equipment. For example, someone who works with a large monitor may not want to be allocated a desk next to someone who only has a laptop. Also, if someone has a lot of papers and materials, they will need more desk space than someone who doesn’t.
Work Habits
Some people are morning people and others are night owls. Some people like to work in complete silence while others need some background noise. You’ll want to take into account each person’s work habits when allocating desks.
Additionally, you’ll want to take into account how often people like to move around. Some people need to move around a lot during the day while others prefer to stay in the same spot. Some people also like to take breaks every hour while others can work for hours without a break.
Therefore, it is important to know each person’s work habits before allocating desks. This will help to avoid any conflicts and make everyone more comfortable in their new work environment.
Organizational Preferences
Also, some people like to have everything in front of them while others like to have their materials spread out around them. Some people like to keep their desks clean and organized while others are more cluttered. You’ll want to take into account each person’s organizational preferences when allocating desks.
Some people like to have a lot of visual stimuli while others prefer to have a minimal amount. This means a lot of people prefer to have their desks situated in a certain way. For example, some people like their desk to be in front of a window while others prefer it to be in a corner. Additionally, some people like to have all of their materials on their desk while others like to keep them in a file cabinet or drawer.
Communication is Key
Talk to your coworkers about who they would like to have as their desk neighbor. This can help to avoid any conflict and will make everyone happy. You may also want to consider things like working styles, noise levels, and personal space.
When allocating desks, it is important to remember that communication is key. By taking into account the individual needs of each worker, you can create a workspace that is perfect for them. This will help to improve their productivity and wellbeing and will make them happier in the workplace.
However, you want to ask them personally and individually because, this way, they can easily express their opinions and wishes, without the fear of hurting someone’s feelings.
Watch Your Employees
When allocating new desks, always watch your employees’ reactions. If someone looks unhappy with their new desk, it is best to switch them back to their old one. You don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable in the workplace.
On the other hand, if they spend too much time and energy talking to their desk neighbors, then the allocation needs to be done because you also want to avoid disturbances and distractions during work. Increase productivity by observing how people work and communicate and then you can bring the important allocation decision.
Desk allocation is a way of managing the office space, as well as workers’ productivity and wellbeing. It is becoming popular as well among private companies, as the traditional open-plan is being transformed into more private spaces.
This allocation can prevent any type of office conflict and guarantee that every worker has their personal space, which is crucial for their productivity.
