With many companies now adopting a form of hybrid working, with employees splitting time between the office and working from home, it is crucial that you make the most of your time.
For many of us, the days of having a dedicated desk in the office are long gone, as it’s often a struggle to get the best spots (or any spot, for that matter). The scourge of hot-desking means it’s every man for himself.
But if you’re a Microsoft Teams user, help may unexpectedly be at your fingertips thanks to a new update to the videoconferencing service that looks to make getting a desk in the office a lot less painful.
Office booking via Microsoft Teams
In his entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the new feature is simply called “Bookable Agencies” – and that’s pretty much exactly what it does.
Users can reserve desks when they arrive at their workplace or office by connecting to shared desks, so they can quickly see where there is free space, hopefully getting online and working without any hassle.
Microsoft says the feature should also benefit IT administrators, who can monitor and flag all available bookable desks in shared spaces using the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro Management portal. In addition to alerting employees to available spaces, administrators can also manage and collect data from these desks on usage, quiet periods or busy times, allowing for better workplace management and planning.
The feature is now rolling out globally to Microsoft Teams users and will be available on the desktop platform alongside Teams and Surface devices.
The launch marks the latest tool from Microsoft, which aims to ease the transition back to office work for both bosses and employees. The company recently unveiled Microsoft Places, a new platform that it hopes can help employees determine the best time to come to the office and enable more personal connections.
Places also integrates desk bookings with other services, such as calendar markings to let employees know when an office space is fully booked, or when other members of your team will also be in the building that day.