Definition

Person-to-Desk Ratio

The number of employees per physical desk in an office - a key metric for corporate real estate planning. A 1:1 ratio means every employee has a dedicated desk; a 3:1 ratio means three employees share one desk across different days or shifts. Pre-pandemic, most companies operated near 1:1. Post-pandemic hybrid adoption has pushed many companies toward 2:1 to 4:1 ratios, enabling significant real estate cost reductions. Dan Bladen cites desks costing $15,000 to $40,000 per year all-in; moving from 1:1 to 3:1 effectively reduces the real estate cost per employee by two-thirds. Managing a higher ratio without creating 'no desk' situations on high-demand days is the operational problem Kadence solves.