Huddle Rooms and Office Pods - what they are and why you might need one

What happens when colleagues are on teams calls at their desks, and you have an important tender or report to finish? If you are in an open office, probably not much, as the noise and activity can be distracting. Or worse lead to mistakes. With at least 49% of employees in the UK and 70% of employees in the US, working in open plan offices, this can be a real problem. This is where office pods and/or huddle rooms really come into their own.

While open plan offices are great for collaboration, facilitating informal lines of communication and workflow, the downside is the noise and activity which can be distracting. One of the best ways to get the most out of an open plan office arrangement is to incorporate office pods and/or huddle rooms. These are essentially offer an enclosed space away from noise and distractions and can be set up relatively cost effectively too.

What is the difference between an office pod and a huddle room?

Both office pods and huddle rooms are small, fully enclosed, meeting rooms which can be used for various purposes such as focus work, video conferencing, discussing sensitive information, flexible hot-desking etc. Office pods are usually standalone structures, whereas huddle rooms are built in. Standalone office pods are great for heritage buildings where there are building restrictions and large open spaces. The acoustic quality is an important factor as it is important to block out ambient noise.

These compact, semi-private workspaces can be used as individual workspaces, quiet rooms, conference calls, one-on-one meetings and huddle collaboration.

Key Benefits of Office Pods and Huddle Rooms

1) Efficient use of space

One study showed the average conference room is occupied by only one person 36% of the time and between two to four people 40% of the time. Having somewhere smaller to meet for 121s, huddle collaboration and catch ups is a better use of space. It frees up larger meeting rooms for bigger meetings.

2) Boost productivity

These small meeting rooms offer a great option for focussed work, as they help block out noise and other distractions to help concentration and boost productivity for those who need it.

3) They are great for conference calls

Designed with calls in mind, huddle rooms and office pods are the perfect solution for conference calls, especially where sensitive information might be discussed. In an open plan office, meeting rooms are often the only spaces quiet enough to participate in a quality virtual meeting.

4) They are a great support for neurodivergent employees

Many neurodiverse people thrive when they have the option of quiet places to focus or decompress when overwhelmed. Conditions like dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism can also mean anxiety in open spaces, which can be helped by a quiet office pod or huddle room.

5) Flexibility

Huddle rooms and office pods can double up as hot desks for staff who only visit the office occasionally. This frees up larger meeting room space and avoids empty desks.

These small meeting rooms can optimize productivity, efficiency, and the office experience. They provide the more quiet and private workspaces that fully open plan offices lack.

If you are looking at integrating a huddle room or office pod into your workspace, contact us today. We offer free no-obligation consultations with our experts on these and other AV related projects.