How a Russell Group University Makes Hybrid Work Effortless with HubStar Connect

Customer: A Russell Group University’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations’ Return to Office Challenge

When offices closed down in March 2020, some of the team remained to keep the building and services operational. But when lockdown eased, it became clear that the team needed an easier way to welcome employees back and make their return to office as straight-forward as possible.

Employees wanted visibility into where they’d be sitting, how their workstation would be equipped, and whether they’d be sitting where their team was pre-covid. However, having employees gravitate towards the same desk would quickly become a problem with stringent cleaning protocols.

Moving from assigned desks to desk-sharing would be a logistical and cultural challenge.

For a smooth return into the office, a desk booking system was needed to meet covid regulations and reassure employees that their workstation was equipped to meet their needs.

Before March 2020, spaces like the car park were also time-consuming to manage.

The HubStar Connect Solution

The goal was to have HubStar Connect in place when there wouldn’t be much competition for sitting at the same desks, and any steep learning curves could be avoided.

Desks, meeting rooms and the carpark were laid out on an interactive floor plans that were submitted to the HubStar Connect implementation team before launch. Once employees got familiar with applying filters to find out right resource, locating it on a floor plan and seeing where colleagues were sitting, additional features were rolled out.

Pictures of parking spots and desks, putting a cap on meeting length and prohibiting employees from booking the same desk consecutively all assisted with easing the transition from assigned to shared desks.

With a policy of a minimum of two days in the office, HubStar Connect has become integral in smoothly executing the Development and Alumni Relations Office’s hybrid work policy. Employees coming into the office at least three times a week are allocated a permanently assigned desk, while everyone else books in advance.

The team also uses HubStar Connect to create zones within the office, so team members can always sit together. By designating different areas within the office as quiet or collaborative spaces within HubStar Connect, employees can book desks in the area that’s best suited to what’s on their to-do list for that day.

The system is also used to manage visitors to the office more effectively through booking appropriate desks and meeting rooms and sharing this with visitors before their arrival.

Why HubStar Connect?

“HubStar Connect really met our objectives. It was geared towards our size and had the features and functionalities we needed”

The flexibility and local control built into the system with HubStar Connect’s configurable roles and permissions engine make administering the system incredibly easy and straightforward for the operations team.

Making a desk non-bookable, adding new users or putting a rule in place about how far in advance employees can book a parking spot can be done in a matter of minutes.

The speed of implementation, even with complex and detailed requirements, and the quality of support also stand out to Jeremy and the team.

“We’ve only had two support tickets in the last 12 months.”

Features like incorporating photos of resources into the booking system personalize and humanizing the workplace. When booking what they need for the day, employees can make sure a parking spot is the right size for their vehicle, or choose a desk with a view over the river, for example.

“The reporting has been brilliant,” says Jeremy. “There’s a tremendous range of reports that we use to measure capacity levels.” Using HubStar Connect’s reporting, the operations team can suggest the right days for entire teams to come into the office to avoid overcrowding the parking lot.

A future-proof, scalable booking system was also a must-have for Jeremy and the team, since the way employees use the office and hybrid work policies will continue to evolve in the future.

“We implemented HubStar Connect in 2021, and we can confidently say it will meet our requirements five years into the future. In the current environment, having something that’s fit for purpose is pretty unique.”