3 Problems Hybrid Models May Face Booking Meeting Rooms

Date: Tue Mar 1 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

Working from home proved pretty popular during the pandemic. According to one study, nearly half the UK’s professional workforce want to continue with flexible working in the post-pandemic era.

And that’s exactly what is happening. According to the Office of National Statistics, 85% of businesses intend to pivot to a hybrid model. But flexible working is not without its challenges.

Throughout the pandemic, the issues experienced due to lack of human interaction and in-person collaboration was well documented. Now employees are returning to the office, people are also facing drawbacks with holding meetings or booking a meeting room.

Here are three key issues.

1.Insufficient facilities at home

Not everyone’s home environment is suitable for meeting. For people living in rural areas, a poor broadband connection can be an issue. A bad connection is disruptive and frustrating for everybody listening to you sound like Norman Collier (one for the younger generations there).

A more common, and arguably more annoying issue, is background noise. How many times have you been in an important meeting when your three-year comes crashing in pretending to be a power ranger or the cat walks across your keyboard and blocks your camera?

Yeeaaah…we’ve all been there.

2.Emergency meetings are a no-go

Sometimes you need to call an impromptu meeting. Start-ups, in particular, can hit a snag that needs immediate brainstorming. If your team of collaborators are not all in the office, you can’t simply call an emergency meeting. Even if you are all in the office, there may not be a meeting room available.

This is where BluDesks rises out of the water like the sword Excalibur. If one of your team members is faced with the problem in scenario one or there are no meeting rooms available, you can book a nearby meeting room in a matter of minutes on the BluDesks website or app.

3.The meeting rooms are too small

Companies pivoting to a hybrid working office have been taking advantage of co-working spaces in London to cut down on overheads. The convenience is great – until you book a meeting room that’s not big enough to accommodate everyone.

It can work the other way around as well. Small groups occupy a large meeting room because it comes fully equipped with a digital whiteboard or TV screens that are ideal for video conferencing.

BluDesks gives you access to hundreds of fully-equipped meeting rooms in London. They are easy to book and give you the option to book a meeting room that is the ideal size for your needs.

What’s more, you can book a meeting room anywhere in London – or the world for that matter. We’ve teamed up with a network of over 1500 co-working spaces so you can conveniently book meeting rooms wherever you are.

Our business model is also designed to help you save costs. We charge affordable fees and you only pay by the hour. The minimum booking is one hour, but you can book the same room all day, all week or all month if that’s what you need – providing you get your booking in first of course.

Avoid problems when trying to book meeting rooms. Sign up to BluDesks today and access hundreds of co-working spaces with meeting rooms near you.

Feeling Lonely And Isolated Working From Home?

Date: Tue Feb 22 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

Working from home has been called “a recipe for loneliness”. Several studies reveal that feeling lonely and isolated can have a negative impact on mental, physical and emotional health.

Mind.org notes that some studies have shown that losing the social contact you had in the workplace can harm your mental health. When people feel isolated, they feel lonely which plays into their state of mind.

People that don’t feel part of a group or that they belong, are most prone to developing mental disorders. At the very least, people don’t feel the relationship with their colleague has any meaning – and that can disrupt the rapport and harmony among colleagues.

During the lockdown, reports of waning mental health reached a peak. And researchers think the estimates are conservative. The most common disorders of loneliness are anxiety, insomnia, digestive problem and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Loneliness could even lead to depression which will make you become even more isolated because you don’t have the motivation to go out and socialise with your friends.

One study published by Brigham Young University showed that a lack of social connection also increases health risks in smokers – because they use more cigarettes – and can also lead to alcohol abuse.

Company makes you more creative

People are more creative when they interact. Even a casual chat around the water cooler can trigger a spark of inspiration or stroke your emotional wellbeing.

Who can forget Marissa Mayer recalling remote workers back to the Yahoo office because she believed the small interactions colleagues have can lead to the biggest ideas. If you want innovation, you need interaction.

Multiple studies show that when people get together they are more creative because they inspire one another. But creatively works best when employees are given the flexibility to collaborate with colleagues and be given alone time to process.

There is little doubt that creativity in the workplace leads to positive outcomes, increased job satisfaction, less absenteeism and better talent retention.

Co-working spaces and meeting rooms

Companies that have taken the decision to work remotely should take advantage of co-working spaces to bring your team together. Because you can rent flexible co-working spaces and meeting rooms by the hour, you can manage your budget and your time more effectively.

With BluDesks, you’re not limited to one location either. We have co-working offices all over London (the world actually) and don’t tie you into long-term contracts.

We find that modern businesses prefer flexible arrangements because it allows their employees to meet up and collaborate where and when they like. Some people use our services just to hang out with their workmates to prevent feeling lonely and isolated.

With the growing focus on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, co-working spaces provide businesses of all sizes with a cost-effective opportunity to show your employees how much you care and appreciate them.

Booking co-working spaces or meeting rooms are straightforward. And with a BluDesks pass, you have access to over 1500 co-working spaces all over the world all in one place. Why not take a look.