The holiday season transforms office environments into vibrant, dynamic spaces buzzing with energy and anticipation. It is an exciting time for all, however for office managers, it also throws chaos into the flow of office traffic, with surges of visitors ahead of the holidays that can quickly overwhelm even the most organised workplace to deserted office buildings just days later. These peaks and troughs in flow make office holiday management a much more complicated job.
In this blog post, we’ll be helping you understand why Office Managers need to prepare for this period and some best practice approaches to assist you with holiday management.
Understanding the Holiday Visitor Landscape
Across the world, different countries and religions celebrate different holidays. For example, in the UK, the Christmas and New Year period is one of the most popular times for staff to put in a holiday request, in the US, Thanksgiving is a favourite time for annual leave while many Asian countries celebrate and take time off during Chinese New Year.
For the majority of modern offices, they see dramatic changes in visitor levels during their holiday periods. From remote workers gracing the office for the annual holiday party to end-of-year client meetings, the increased foot traffic in the build-up to this period demands a more rigid approach to visitor management. While over the actual holiday period, office traffic can significantly decrease as staff and visitors go on annual leave to celebrate with their families.
This dynamic environment requires a visitor management system that balances giving visitors a warm and friendly welcome with operational efficiency and security.
Taking a Technology-driven Approach to Holiday Management
As an Office Manager or someone in charge of the safety and security of a corporate location, it is your responsibility to ensure that you effectively track and monitor who is entering and moving around your building all year round.
If you haven’t already, now more than ever, is the right time to upgrade your traditional sign-in book to a digital check-in system to manage your visitor management. These advanced platforms capture visitor information automatically, generate instant badges, log precise arrival and departure times, and provide real-time notifications to hosts.
Cloud-based visitor management software takes this a step further, integrating seamlessly with existing security systems. These platforms provide detailed analytics on visitor patterns, enable pre-registration for expected guests, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. The result is a more intelligent, responsive approach to managing office traffic.
With the traffic increases expected ahead of a holiday period, a visitor management solution is the perfect assistant to help you manage your visitor flow efficiently and compliantly.
Pre-register Visitors to Speed up the Check-in Process
Encouraging staff to pre-register visitors during busier holiday periods streamlines check-in processes, reducing wait times and minimising potential bottlenecks in reception areas while ensuring a smooth, professional welcome for guests.
With our visitor management system, VisiPoint, visitors can complete any information and upload any necessary documentation ahead of time, this will issue them with a QuickPass code that they can scan on their phone to sign in when they arrive. In turn, this will then issue a notification to their host to let them know their visitor has arrived.
Managing Staff Working Remotely Over the Holiday Season
Monitoring remote and hybrid staff throughout the year presents challenges, and these complexities only intensify during the holiday period. Many employees are likely to request the flexibility to work from home during this time, motivated by the reduced office presence and the desire to balance professional responsibilities with family celebrations. By working remotely, they can avoid lengthy commutes and spend quality time with loved ones in the evening.
For staff looking to work from home during the holiday period (or at any time of the year), VisiPoint’s remote sign-in option allows those employees to sign into a remote area from their smartphone.
For remote and hybrid workers, the VisiPoint centralised dashboard helps managers monitor which staff are clocked in, hours worked and their locations – should they require help to be sent to them during an emergency.
Planning for an Unmanned Reception Over the Holidays
During the actual holiday season, many corporate offices and business centres reduce admin staffing, with reception areas often left unstaffed to minimise costs. This is typically due to the anticipated low volume of visitors during this period.
A digital visitor management solution offers an efficient alternative to traditional reception services. VisiPoint provides a comprehensive, welcoming approach to front desk operations. Its clean, intuitive touch-screen interface and robust software automate critical visitor management tasks, including:
- Welcoming and screening visitors
- Providing staff notifications when their visitors arrive
- Securely logging and tracking visitor entries
- Streamlining the sign-in process
By implementing VisiPoint, organisations can maintain professional visitor management while allowing flexibility for reception staff to enjoy their well-deserved holiday break. The system ensures continuity of service without the expense of temporary staff, offering peace of mind during slower business periods.
A Strategic Approach to Holiday Management
Ultimately, managing holiday visitor headcount requires a blend of technology, strategy, and planning by Office Managers. By implementing effective visitor management systems, allowing flexibility for staff, and focusing on a welcoming approach, you can transform potential chaos into a smooth, organised experience.
The key is preparation. With the right strategies, you’ll not only manage your holiday headcount effectively but also create a positive impression for staff and visitors that extends far beyond the festive season.
Are you ready to unlock the benefits of a visitor management system?
Contact our expert team at VisiPoint today to discover how our comprehensive suite could help you better manage your visitors during the holiday season.