Zoom’s Latest Innovation for Hybrid Workplaces

One of the major changes that the two-year battle with Covid-19 brought to the world is the shift in mindset amongst employees and organizations worldwide that work is something one does and not a place one goes to. This shift in perspective is also leading to a change in how we view the workplace in general and our specific work ethos in particular. 

A recent poll conducted by Zoom in partnership with Momentive suggests that just over 55% of remote employees prefer a hybrid setup that allows working from both office and home though over half of them (53%) prefer meeting clients at the office while about 58% believe that participating in team activities is important. 

This automatically results in organizations needing to equip their offices and workspaces with flexible solutions that ensure that hybrid teams are effective, encourages employee socialization and cuts down the distance between the office and the remote workspace. 

Now, reserve your workspace via Zoom

Towards this end, Zoom is making available a new option called Workspace Reservation that provides teams the ability to pre-book office workspaces, get information about who else is planning to come in to work, get recommendations on where to sit etc. In a statement, Zoom even claims that some of its beta customers even used the new feature to book parking space. 

“Employers continue to prioritize hybrid office management as they seek a secure, easy-to-use, and comprehensive solution to help connect in-office and remote workers,” said Jeff Smith, Group Product Manager, Head of Zoom Rooms and Whiteboard. “Workspace Reservation expands on Zoom’s already robust hybrid work offerings and helps ensure employees have access to the tools they need to do their best work on a given day.”

There are multiple options

The Workspace Reservation feature that Zoom is hoping to make available by end-July allows flexible hot-desking options whereby one can reserve space for a specific time and duration which could be an entire day or even a few short hours. 

In addition, users can reserve spaces upon arrival by using a mobile app, a kiosk at the front desk, the scheduling panel outside of a Zoom Room or even directly at a workspace. Zoom says that its intuitive user experiences allows workplace teams to use a familiar interface and platform they are familiar with to book in-office workspaces. 

In addition, the system administrators would be in a position to upload custom office maps and seating locations directly from the admin portal to ensure a seamless option to users. They can even add printable QR codes to workspaces and reserve a space on the fly. And by using data collected based on user behavior, system admins can plan and build more efficient and effective use of the existing workspaces in the office. 

The new services offered by Zoom can be accessed via a desktop client or through the web browser option. The Workspace Reservation allows users to book a range of options that include Zoom Rooms, Zoom Phone Appliances, Work desks and personal meeting rooms, screening rooms and other configured spaces.