Employee Badge Data: Get Hybrid Right With The Right Data

Employee badge data is one of the top data sources for managing today’s new hybrid office. Especially when combined with real-time workplace reports and analytics, facility managers (FMs) and hybrid leadership can use this data to build a more accurate picture of actual office use. This can help improve space utilization and streamline real estate portfolio management, ultimately creating a better hybrid workplace experience.

In this article, we explore how to use employee badge data in a hybrid setting and how to combine badge data with other data sources to make more informed decisions for the workplace.

What is badge data—and why do you need it?

Employee badges are typically small cards with barcodes or other encoding metrics. When employees swipe the magnetic stripe, the card grants (or denies) them access to different areas or resources in the office. Employee ID badges may or may not be photo ID badges. Regardless, these smart cards ensure that employees (and sometimes visitors) can access things like elevators, working floors, or parking garages—without stumbling into restricted areas or resources.

Badge data is all the information that companies can gather based on badge use. Companies can use the record of badge swipes to figure out the occupancy rate for different areas or workstations in the office. If someone swipes onto a floor, it’s often safe to assume they’re working there. However, badge swipes alone may not offer the truest picture of occupancy.

Companies and healthcare institutions have long relied on badge systems to manage access control and help keep their facilities safe, secure, and easy to navigate. Especially when used in conjunction with wayfinding signage and other wayfinding initiatives.

In an increasingly dynamic hybrid workplace, many companies are now also seeing the value in using employee badge swipe data to better understand who is using the office, along with how and when they’re using it. OfficeSpace research finds that clients are choosing badge swipe data to track on-site activity use more than any other metrics. However, combining this data with other sources provides the most reliable insights and enables more informed decisions for the physical workplace.

Types of badges for the office

There are many different configurations for employee badges, ranging from simple RFID cards with just a full name and other employee data (including an employee photo), to custom ID badges or cards, up to more sophisticated options with biometrics. Cards are typically made with PVC plastic on an ID card printer. Ideally, they will also integrate with smart badging software from companies like Brivo, Kastle, Kisi, and OpenPath. When paired with badging software that collects badge data, they become useful for facility planning and creating a more optimized office.

Badges vs smartphones

Some companies are turning to smartphones for badging functionality. With the right app, an employee’s smartphone can essentially become a ‘smart badge,’ offering the same authentication and access as traditional badges. Smartphone badging can link to location services, allowing people to locate employees and track movements, which is beneficial for security and wayfinding but introduces concerns around cybersecurity and employee privacy. Companies considering a smartphone system need to weigh these benefits and drawbacks carefully.

Why employee badge data isn’t enough

The rise in flexible working options has made the office more dynamic and difficult to track. Previously, most employees had one assigned desk, creating a stable work environment and simplifying facility management. Today, employees are sharing desks and using the office sporadically, making it much more difficult to get an accurate picture of workflows and office use, especially if relying on one source of data alone.

Badge data is a great tool for improving a hybrid work model, but there are limitations:

• ​Employees may forget to badge in.
• ​Colleagues may let others ‘tailgate’ into the office without swiping.

For example, one Fortune 500 company found that on an average day, 20% of their employees didn’t badge in due to tailgating. Some companies connect employee badges to the building automation system (BAS), making lighting and workstations unavailable unless employees swipe in. This increases compliance, but even then, badge data alone isn’t enough to truly optimize space.

Hybrid workplaces require more detailed data: not just whether employees are present, but where they are, for how long, and when. Facility managers need to see how employees interact with their spaces—what types of workspaces are most popular, peak times for office use, and which rooms are underutilized.

Badge data works best when used in conjunction with other data sources and with space management software to create a fuller, more accurate picture of actual office use. Companies can leverage badge data through integrations, heat map directories, and desk and room reservation data.

Other sources of workplace data

True and accurate space optimization today relies on multiple sources of information. Companies and their facilities teams can access a variety of occupancy data to fully understand office use:

• ​Presence data
• ​Desk reservations (with check-ins and cancellations)
• ​Room reservations (with check-ins and cancellations)
• ​Manual office census (e.g., ‘walking the floor’)
• ​Employee surveys/self-reporting
• ​Wifi logs
• ​Workplace presence sensors
• ​Heat maps
• ​Integrations
• ​Occupancy sensors through a BAS (such as CO2 sensors)

“My advice to companies is that you can’t rely on just one source of data. Unstructured data won’t cut it anymore. You need to bring your large datasets together to truly solve business problems.”

Kathleen Williams, OfficeSpace Senior Product Manager

Data silos

Collecting lots of data from various sources is great, but if all this data lives in separate buckets that can’t interact, it won’t provide the full picture. Breaking down information silos is essential. Badge data, booking data, employee surveys, and other sources need to be combined and synthesized to create a true picture of office use.

True workplace transformation comes when companies understand where they are now and what steps they need to take to get to where they want to be. In the age of the hybrid office and advanced analytics, breaking down silos is more important than ever.

How to leverage employee badge data for the hybrid office

Badge data can be powerful, but it’s not enough to understand the hybrid office on its own. Companies should integrate badge swipes with their existing Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS), which can synthesize information from different sources to create useful workplace analytics. These analytics can help plan departments, ensure employees have access to the right resources, inform headcount planning, and help companies rightsize their real estate portfolio. This information can also guide decisions about agile working or hot desking.

Security and privacy

There are two main concerns with collecting badge data: privacy and security.

• ​Privacy: Companies may collect detailed data about employees, especially with smartphone-based systems. This can include tracking activity, productivity, and even personal information. Companies should establish clear privacy policies and ground rules.
• ​Security: Collecting large amounts of data opens companies up to cyber attacks. Employee ID cards can be hacked, stolen, cloned, or compromised. Regular cybersecurity awareness training and collaboration between FMs and IT are essential to ensure data security and literacy.

What are the benefits of using ID badges?

Everyone on the team can benefit from using ID badges and the data they collect. Leadership can use this data to rightsize corporate real estate, leading to cost savings. It also helps create a work environment tailored to employee needs, allowing companies to adapt and grow with their workforce.