Successful facility management requires an understanding of workplace utilization

Facility managers wear many hats—overseeing office maintenance, coordinating workplace safety, and managing employee requests, to name a few. However, among all their responsibilities, monitoring workplace utilization is arguably the most crucial as we gear up for 2025. 

Understanding office space utilization isn’t just about knowing when a space is occupied—it’s about uncovering valuable insights into employee behavior, peak usage times, and evolving workplace trends. These metrics empower facilities managers to make data-driven decisions, optimize office layouts, and ensure every square foot serves a purpose, ultimately driving efficiency and employee satisfaction.

With a clear view of your workspaces, you can anticipate employee needs before they arise. As you prepare for another year as a facility manager, let’s explore why workplace utilization matters and how you can improve it in your organization. 

What is workplace utilization?

Workplace utilization can be broadly defined as understanding and tracking how office spaces are used daily. It encompasses any movement within the office, from the occupancy of individual desks to the use of meeting rooms and shared areas like lounges or cafeterias. It sheds light on how employees interact with the spaces around them, identifying behavioral patterns. 

At its core, workplace utilization involves:

• Tracking occupancy levels
• Understanding space usage
• Identifying trends in employee behavior

Looking to level up space planning in your office? Check out this blog on calculating office space utilization.

The power of workplace metrics

So why should space utilization metrics matter to you? First and foremost, it’s about improving the employee experience. By crafting a personalized work environment based on your employees’ work habits, you will simultaneously improve their work experience and maximize output—a win-win for both the employee and the organization.

Workplace metrics like occupancy rates, desk bookings, and peak usage times provide actionable insights into how employees interact with their environment. These insights allow facility managers to identify patterns and trends that might go unnoticed, especially as most companies embrace hybrid work as the new norm. 

For example, are conference rooms frequently overbooked, leaving employees scrambling for space? Is there an underutilized space in your office that simply doesn’t need to be there? Real-time metrics can turn these questions into opportunities for improvement. Let’s explore other key utilization metrics to track in the hybrid workplace.

Space utilization data for FM’s to track in 2025

1. Average office utilization

Begin by monitoring what percentage of your office space is actually being used daily. Take the total square footage of your office, then subtract the spaces you don’t consider usable. What’s left over is your total usable space. 

Within that usable space, determine the utilization rate. If, say, only 50% of your usable space is occupied at any given time, you may need to consider how much real estate you truly need. These insights alone can highlight potential areas for cost savings.

When doing this research, note what types of workstations are consistently occupied. You may have several empty cubicles on any given day, but the collaboration spaces are consistently packed with employees. This can give you new ideas for future changes to the office layout, making future decision-making a breeze.

2. Meeting and conference room usage

Identify the frequency and duration of meeting room bookings. This gives you insight into whether your meeting rooms are underutilized or overbooked. If rooms are consistently full, it may signal a need for more meeting spaces or flexible booking policies.

Alternatively, if meeting rooms are often empty, consider repurposing them for other activities or reducing their number to save on space and resources. This occupancy data helps you maintain efficient space allocation while supporting collaboration and productivity.

3. Peak occupancy times

Identify when your office experiences the highest number of people throughout the day, week, or month. Track occupancy sensors, badge swipes, or other workplace data to uncover patterns. Peak occupancy often aligns with team meetings, project deadlines, or other high-collaboration periods, so be extra vigilant during these periods.

Understanding these patterns helps you allocate resources more effectively. For example, if most employees arrive between 9:00–10:00 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you can ensure your amenities, like coffee stations or parking, are adequately prepared. Similarly, knowing when the office is busiest can inform cleaning schedules or maintenance planning to avoid disruptions.

4. Desk booking trends

Monitor how often desks are booked and how many employees are using them each day. This data provides valuable insights into how often employees come into the office and what desk types or locations are preferred.

If your desk booking system reveals that certain areas are rarely used, you can reconfigure those spaces for collaboration or relaxation zones. This enables you to create an office environment that fits your employees’ working habits, improving overall space efficiency.

5. Hybrid vs. full-time in-office employees

Track the split between hybrid and full-time in-office workers to understand workspace demand. Hybrid workers may only need occasional office access, so hot desking and space reservation systems become crucial for managing limited space.

By analyzing this data, you can adjust the layout and real estate needs accordingly, ensuring your office accommodates hybrid work without wasting resources. Insights into these trends also enable better planning for remote work infrastructure and support employee needs.

6. High traffic areas

Identify areas of the office that see the highest foot traffic—like kitchen areas, entrances, or collaborative spaces. These zones may require additional attention for cleaning, signage, and seating arrangements to ensure they meet employee needs.

This data can also help determine where to place additional amenities or change your office layout. Understanding how employees move through the office can eliminate bottlenecks and create a smoother, more efficient workplace experience.

Challenges and considerations with optimizing physical space

Even with valuable workplace utilization data, optimizing physical space comes with challenges. Facility managers should keep the following considerations in mind:

• Balancing flexibility with structure: While flexible spaces support hybrid work, too much flexibility can lead to inefficiency. It’s essential to strike a balance that accommodates structured and dynamic needs.
• Anticipating future needs: Workplace trends evolve quickly. Predicting how office space needs will shift over time requires a proactive approach and continuous data monitoring.
• Addressing employee preferences: Employees have diverse work styles and preferences. Ensuring the office environment supports everyone while avoiding underutilization can be tricky.
• Managing costs effectively: Optimizing space often involves redesigns, furniture, or new technology costs. Balancing budget constraints with the need for a functional workspace is a key challenge.

These considerations highlight why understanding workplace utilization is critical—it equips facility managers to navigate these challenges confidently.

Tools and technologies for effective space management

Knowing what workplace utilization metrics to track is a great place to start, but how do you actually gather this data in an efficient manner? There’s likely zero chance you have time to manually track employee attendance, meeting room statistics, and desk booking data every day. 

Optimizing workplace utilization requires the right tools to gather, analyze, and act on data. In 2025, facility managers can rely on innovative solutions to streamline this process:

• Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS): These platforms provide comprehensive data on space usage, occupancy trends, and asset management. IWMS tools enable facility managers to centralize operations and make informed decisions about optimizing office layouts.
• Workplace Experience (WEX) platforms: Focused on enhancing the employee experience, WEX tools track desk bookings, collaboration zone utilization, and other key metrics. By bridging the gap between employee preferences and operational efficiency, WEX platforms ensure the workplace meets modern hybrid work demands.

Check out this guide to IWMS vs. WEX applications to learn how these tools can improve your organization’s space management.

• Sensor technology: Occupancy sensors and IoT devices deliver real-time data on how spaces are used. This granular insight can reveal peak usage times, high-traffic areas, and underutilized zones.
• AI-powered analytics tools: Artificial intelligence streamlines data analysis, enabling facility managers to forecast trends, identify inefficiencies, and suggest actionable improvements faster than ever.

With some combination of these technologies, facility managers can ensure their workplaces remain adaptable, efficient, and aligned with employee needs in 2025 and beyond.

The future of facility management in 2025

Facility management is evolving rapidly, driven by the continued rise of hybrid work, technological advancements, and shifting employee expectations. In 2025, facility managers will play an even greater role in shaping workplace strategies that balance operational efficiency with employee satisfaction.

Data-driven decision-making will be paramount. As the demand for actionable insights grows, FMs must leverage tools like IWMS platforms, workplace sensors, and AI analytics to stay ahead of workplace trends. These technologies provide clarity on space utilization and empower managers to make proactive changes that align with organizational goals.

Hybrid work will continue to influence workplace design. Flexible spaces that cater to diverse work styles, including collaboration zones and quiet focus areas, will remain essential. Facility managers must focus on creating adaptable environments that accommodate fluctuating occupancy levels.

Sustainability will gain further importance. Optimizing workplace utilization isn’t just about efficiency—it’s also about reducing waste and aligning with broader ESG goals. Facility managers must champion green initiatives, from energy-efficient building systems to more innovative space planning.

As organizations navigate this new era of work, facility managers who prioritize workplace utilization and embrace innovative technologies will be best positioned to lead their teams toward success.

Looking for a solution that can help you optimize office utilization, enhance employee experience, and future-proof your workplace? Sign up for an OfficeSpace Software demo today and discover how our tools can help you transform your facility management strategy.