Overview.
A global financial services company, operating with 241 employees in a hybrid model, set out to optimize one of their workplaces based in New York. With only 133 desks available, they mandated a 3-day in-office schedule:
- 2 core days (selected from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
- 1 flexible day (selected from Monday or Friday)
The objective was to improve team collaboration by ensuring employees sit in the same areas on in-office days and to colocate certain teams for better synergy – all without increasing the existing office footprint.
86%
Teams now sit together – up from 53%
$476k
Cost avoidance
6%
Increase in RTO compliance
The challenge
Accomodating the employees into a confined space.
The organization faced a significant space constraint. With nearly double the number of employees compared to desks, accommodating everyone’s hybrid schedule risked exceeding space limits and driving up operational costs by 66% if additional space was required.
Goals:
- Manage occupancy variability across the week, particularly on Mondays and Fridays
- Maximize existing desk utilization
- Avoid costly expansion
- Improve employee experience by increasing proximity within and across teams
- Increase Return-To-Office (RTO) compliance
The solution
Optimizing a scheduled plan to align with the in-office schedule.
Using Hybrid Space Manager, the company modeled a rotational desk-sharing strategy aligned with the in-office schedule. The platform analyzed historical booking patterns, team structures, and desk availability to generate an optimized seating and scheduling plan.
Key features of the solution included:
- Behavioral nudges: Encouraging early bookings and flexible day distribution
- Zoning & clustering: Assigning employees to specific zones to sit consistently on in-office days
- Team adjacency mapping: Locating interdependent teams near each other
- Predictive booking analysis: Forecasting peak days and dynamically managing booking limits
‘’Hybrid Space Manager enables this to happen without the friction. Without it being difficult, complicated and annoying. It’s seamless.’’
91%* of employees rated Hybrid Space Manager 5/5.
*Based on feedback received after one month
the outcomes
From day-one the Financial Services company saw results.
✅ $476,000 Cost Avoidance.
By optimizing desk usage, the company avoided expanding floor space to accommodate 27 additional people, saving nearly half a million dollars.
✅ Team Cohesion Improved.
- 86% of teams now sit together—up from just 53%
- Strategic colocation enhanced communication and reduced friction between collaborating teams
✅ Higher Office Engagement & Utilization.
- 6% Increase in RTO Compliance: Employees are more consistent in attending their scheduled in-office days
- 5% Increase in Friday Occupancy: Nudging and data-driven planning helped smooth traffic across the week
- 80% Peak Occupancy: Efficient use of space even on the busiest days
✅ Behavioral Shift in Booking Habits.
55% of desk bookings are now made within 5 days of the reservation—up from 32%—indicating greater responsiveness and adaptability from employees
Through data-driven planning and a smart hybrid workplace strategy, the organization was able to balance flexibility and collaboration without increasing real estate costs. This case exemplifies how leveraging analytics and behavioral design can turn hybrid challenges into opportunities for cultural and operational improvements.
