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The idea of having an office space without assigned desks is not exactly new. Itβs been around since the 1990s but was being applied in a limited way β by companies that had shift workers or in places where real estate was too expensive. Some even claimed that introducing hot desking would kill your company.
But that was before the pandemic. Then everything changed overnight.
Remote work rose to fame in no time because of the COVID-19 restrictions and considerations for employeesβ health and safety. Also, because of the necessity to adapt offices and working processes to this new reality. As the pandemic is subsiding and employees are gradually going back to the office, businesses are looking for innovative ways to cater to their needs for health protection and flexibility β and the hybrid workplace is the natural answer.
How do you manage office capacity in this completely new work environment?
Many companies around the globe are turning to hot desking for a practical and long-term solution to their office arrangements. The shared desk concept has already gained traction β and for good reasons. It allows companies to accommodate their changing workforce, embrace flexibility, and reduce overhead costs.
In this guide, you can find all the basics about hot desking, including:
Letβs dive straight in β and check whatβs so hot about hot desking.
The essential idea behind sharing desks is the evolution of the office space in tune with the changes in the global working trends.
Hot desking is a relatively novel workspace system β yet already applied in numerous contexts β in which employees donβt have their individual desks. Instead, each person can use a different desk whenever they are in the office, depending on the availability and arrangement for that specific day. Sometimes itβs referred to as βdesk sharingβ or βdesk hotelingβ, though there are slight nuances between these terms.
In fact, βhot deskingβ is related to βhot rackingβ β the practice of sailors using the same bunk, or rack, when working different shifts. In the modern context, though, hot desking is a way nicer practice.
The concept rose to prominence with the growing popularity of remote work and the hybrid model. Many companies turn to hot desking for practical reasons, considering the increasing number of employees working from home and occasionally coming to the office. Businesses end up with a bunch of empty desks on a daily basis β while they still have to pay for renting a large office space and covering overhead costs.
The pandemic accelerated the trend to move work to remote and hybrid models, and today hot desking is not considered a company killer anymore. Quite the opposite β and hereβs why.
The shared desk concept has gained popularity for companies across the globe because it has a bunch of advantages.
Hereβs an overview of what you can gain by introducing hot desking for your team.
One of the basic purposes β and advantages β of hot desking is that it optimizes how your team is using the physical office space. Rather than having numerous empty desks while a significant part of the workforce is working remotely, the available desks in the office can be put to maximum use.
This means youβre likely to need a smaller real estate property. Renting smaller office spaces, naturally, is cost-efficient. Cleaning and maintenance are typically cheaper too. This allows you to reduce overhead expenses and redirect finances to more important projects.
In times of pandemic, disinfection of office spaces needs to be more regular and thorough. Having a smaller workspace makes the cleaning process easier and faster.
To comply with COVID-19 social distancing measures, having less people in the office at one time is generally preferred. This also provides for easier tracking of contact persons in case somebody does get ill.
The hot desking model is a common companion to the hybrid workplace. It allows for the flexibility and agility embedded in the hybrid concept, in which the office space is not the only place where work happens.
Having fewer desks in the office than the number of your team members also means thereβs no pressure on employees to attend physically at all times. This can be a psychological factor for some people who still feel uneasy about the way remote work is perceived by the management.
Hot desking allows a new kind of organization in the workspace. It enables a less hierarchical arrangement in the office since all desks can be βcreated equal.β Seating arrangements can be used on an ad-hoc basis to enable different forms of collaboration.
You can use the mixing of employees from different teams to foster better communication. Mingling and collaboration across departments are improved, which can lead to unexpected benefits in terms of creativity and productivity. At the same time, team members who need to sit together when working on a project can also arrange that β and then switch around for the next project with other people.
Changing places in the office space can be refreshing for some people. It can make team members appreciate the workspace better and give them a sense of novelty in the work routine.
Switching spots in the office also means that team members will have new desk neighbors β which can be stimulating and fun. Or if people donβt get along so well, the good news is that theyβll sit next to each other only for the day.
Hot desking has been welcomed by a large pool of companies. Yet it does have its limitations β so itβs better to keep them in mind from the start.
One of the main challenges for company culture, that hot desking presents, is the loss of personal space in the office. Employees donβt have their private cubicle or desk anymore β and that may be difficult for some.
This naturally leaves companies pondering the hot desk vs dedicated desk conundrum. As both options have their benefits, itβs important to figure out what your teamβs needs are and how to meet them in the best possible way. Plus, even with hot desking, there are still ways to create privacy for those employees who need it.
Another potential challenge relates to hardware use. Some employees need a special technical setup to get their job done. This typically requires a dedicated space where the arrangement can stay permanently.
Having to move the setup around isnβt practical and can get quite complicated in shared desk space. For such cases, it may be a good solution to have dedicated desks within your shared desks space β either on a permanent or project basis.
Itβs no secret that hot desking can become chaotic if not managed well. Organizing who sits where and when can get overwhelming, and it can be confusing for employees too.
The good news is that hot desking is definitely manageable β especially when you plan in advance and use a solid software solution. Itβs all about setting clear rules about room and desk booking, providing an easy way to book for team members, and keeping an eye on arrangements and trends to make changes on the go.
Fewer people in the office at one time are safer in terms of COVID-19 measures. At the same time, different employees use the same desk spaces on consecutive days β and each of them should get a clean one.
Thatβs why running a shared desk office may entail more disinfection and stricter hygiene rules. Employees have to collect their personal belongings from the desks whenever they leave for the day. Then all desks and shared spaces have to be thoroughly cleaned, so the next people using them are protected.
As employees canβt leave personal belongings and computers on the desks, there can be issues with the security of private items. This also relates to the lack of personal space, which may be problematic for some employees.
Lockers may be a good solution for both issues β so team members can safely store stuff in the office without having to carry it around. With a good hot desk booking software in place, youβll also be able to track whoβs been in the office and in which part of it, in case a security breach occurs.
What do you need in order to apply the shared desk concept successfully?
With careful preparation, youβll be able to escape the common pitfalls of shared desks β and create a great experience for your team while reaping the efficiency benefits of hot desking.
Planning how to manage hot desking starts with getting to know country-specific regulations about COVID-19 social distancing.
The measures that apply in your area can guide your decisions on how to ensure safe distance and proper facilities for employees. There may be restrictions on the number of people who should be in one space, or similar rules that will inform your approach.
Taking into account your teamβs necessities and dynamics is essential in planning how to implement the concept of the shared desk in your office.
Itβs important to consider the following aspects:
Team collaboration should be your priority in making decisions on how to approach hot desking β thereβs certainly no single solution that fits all.
Even though theyβre hot desking, people often need to keep personal stuff in the office. Itβs essential to provide them with an option to do that. This might be in the form of lockers or other spaces.
This also relates to the feeling of security in the office. Employees should consider it safe to leave personal or work items in the dedicated places you provide. This would help team members have a good attitude towards the common office space.
There are times when an employee or a team would need privacy to take a call or discuss sensitive matters.
Besides the shared desks, your office should have private spaces for meetings and calls. They can be conference rooms, phone booths, lounges, or any other creative solution you may come up with. You can make them bookable in the same way as the working desks.
Getting used to the new way of working takes time and effort. You can help your team by creating a how-to guide where you explain how the shared desks policy works in your office.
Itβs a good idea to include best practices for sharing desks, too β such as not leaving personal belongings on the desks after work hours, and using the dedicated storage spaces, among others.
Handling hot desking without appropriate software can be burdensome. Tables, graphs, and sheets of paper all get confusing when you have to manage, say, where 50 people will be sitting today.
Technology makes the management of shared desks easier and more efficient. Equipped with the right tool, youβll be able to optimize the process of desk booking and management, as well as the use of storage and shared spaces for meetings and calls.
Introducing the shared desk concept in your company is an exciting endeavor, but youβll need solid management practices to make it work.
Luckily, at OfficeRnD weβve designed the right tools that help you stay on top of hot desk management. We won’t dive into much detail but we’d love to give you just a quick overview of the product.
The OfficeRnD Hybrid platform allows you to automate desk booking and other shared resources such as meeting rooms. This means less hassle for you and for employees! The floor plan booking option allows booking rooms and desks with a few clicks on an interactive map. On the other hand, the in-depth workplace analytics such as desk occupancy, and who has been sitting where help you make optimize office footprint and costs.
ββIf you’re curious to learn more, check out the full list of product features or book your demo to see the platform in action. We’d love to show you around!
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