What is hot desking?

Hot desking is a type of community workspace where desks aren’t assigned to just one person. They become shared workspaces where employees can use a desk when they need one. The office typically has a limited number of workstations instead of having one for every employee. Some offices allow employees to reserve desks ahead of time. This is sometimes referred to as hoteling. Others simply let employees choose an empty spot when they arrive at work.

Benefits of hot desking

Here are some benefits of hot desking:

• Efficient space use: When space is limited, hot desking can maximize that space. Having a dedicated desk for every employee can waste space if they don’t work from the office every day.
• Room for social distancing: Cramming enough desks into the office for everyone to have a dedicated space can make things tight. Eliminating some workstations and spreading out the desks makes it easier to keep adequate distance between your employees.
• Flexible teamwork: Working from different desks allows employees to easily collaborate with colleagues, which can promote teamwork. This can be beneficial if teams change frequently or employees work with different departments.
• Less clutter: Since employees don’t work at the same desk every day, they can’t leave behind any personal or work items. This creates a cleaner look in the office without the usual piles of paperwork and other items on desks.
• Reduced cost: Hot desking can save you money by allowing you to have a smaller office space than you would with a dedicated desk for every employee. Fewer workstations mean fewer desks and other necessities. However, you may have higher technology expenses to set your employees up to work remotely and from different workstations.
• New interactions: Employees tend to limit interactions to their team or friends they’ve made at work. Hot desking can help your employees meet new people or learn more about colleagues they don’t talk to frequently. This can improve the company culture and foster new friendships.

Drawbacks of hot desking

Consider these drawbacks of hot desking:

• Inconsistency: For employees who like a routine, sitting at different desks can be unsettling. The inconsistency can interfere with their focus or take them longer to settle in for work.
• Lack of personalization: A constantly changing desk means employees can’t add photos and other personal items to the workspace. Those little touches make the office feel welcoming and some employees miss it.
• Difficulty finding coworkers: Sitting in a different spot each time you’re in the office can make it difficult to find you, especially in a large office. Employees may waste time tracking each other down and communicating where they are instead of working.
• Lack of workspace: An open desk office setup usually has fewer desks than employees with the idea that not everyone will be in the office at the same time. This can cause issues if lots of people plan to work in the office on the same day. Some employees may be left without desks.
• Separation from team: When employees choose desks a day at a time, there’s no guarantee they can get a workstation near their team. If team members are spread out, collaboration can be more difficult. Dedicating different zones to specific teams can help.
• Cleanliness: While hot desking eliminates piles of clutter, it can raise some cleanliness issues. Not all employees clean up after themselves as well as others. They may leave a shared workspace dirty. You also have to worry about germs left behind. Setting expectations for leaving the workspace clean and having them cleaned regularly can help.

Spaces in a hot desk office

When you implement a hot desk office arrangement, you need various areas to accommodate your employees. Here are some of those areas.

Workstations

Workstations make up the bulk of the space. Many hot desking setups feature desks in a large, open space or clusters of desks designed for collaboration. You may decide to create some private workspaces in enclosed offices for employees who want a distraction-free space or work with sensitive information that needs to be kept private.

When designing the layout, consider the different work activities your employees do in the office. This helps determine the size of the workstations, the ideal layout and special features they may need, such as a tilting desktop. You can also offer some stations with standing desks for more flexibility.

Conference rooms

Collaborative arrangements with several desks together can work well for teams, but sometimes they want a separate room where they can close the door and discuss issues as a group. Having a few conference rooms around the facility gives teams a dedicated place to collaborate. This option offers a solution when team members can’t reserve desks next to one another.

Community printing stations

If your employees need to print items while at work, create one or more community printing stations. Have a central location with remote printing capabilities from all office laptops to allow your employees to print no matter which desk they use.

Lounge areas

Some flexible workplaces have lounge areas with sofas and armchairs where employees can meet informally. You can decide if these spaces are free for anyone to use or if employees can reserve them for brainstorming sessions and other uses.

Specialty workspaces

Depending on the nature of the work, you might need specialized areas for your employees. For example, you may need a recording room if your employees frequently create videos or a soundproof booth if they record podcasts or other audio projects.

Is hot desking right for your company?

Hot desking isn’t ideal for every workplace. Consider the implications before you move to this model. Take these factors into consideration:

• Company size: An open desk office is often easier when you have a small team. There’s less competition for spaces, and it’s easier to keep track of people. If you have hundreds of employees and everyone constantly works from a different spot, it can be challenging to track down specific coworkers.
• Scheduling: If all employees report to the office every day for regular work hours, having set workstations makes more sense. If you allow a flex schedule or hybrid model where employees can choose to work from home or the office, a hot desk situation may be ideal. When an employee chooses to work in the office, they can reserve a spot, but you don’t have to leave a desk open for them every day even when they work from home.
• Employee opinions: How do your employees feel about giving up dedicated workspaces? Younger employees tend to embrace flexible work arrangements more than older workers, but people of all ages might resist this change.

Tips for implementing hot desking

If you think hot desking is a good option for your office, take time to plan the implementation. A strategic approach cuts down on problems with the shared desk situation. Here are some tips to help.

Choose the right technology

In a traditional office setting, employees often have dedicated computer setups that stay at their desks. Even if employees work from laptops, they can have external hard drives, printers, extra monitors and other components that stay in place.

In an open desk office, the seating arrangement can change, so employees need technology that travels with them. Desktop computers aren’t feasible in this setup, so each employee needs a laptop that’s powerful enough to operate all of the software programs they use. Cloud technology is essential to help employees share documents and collaborate when they’re not physically in the office together.

Each workstation also needs to be equipped to handle any technology the user might have. Include plenty of power outlets at each workstation. You might also include a work phone at the station to make work calls easier.

Make workstations adjustable

Since lots of people use the same workstations, find ways to make them adjustable to keep everyone comfortable. Office chairs with adjustable lumbar support, height and armrests can help. You can also get adjustable-height desks that raise and lower easily. These options make office ergonomics easier for different users.

Provide space to store personal items

While employees may not stay at one desk station for long, having a spot to stash personal belongings is important. Equip each workstation with a cubby or drawer for purses, bags and other items. You can also have a general locker or cubby area where employees can store items while they’re working, which can be helpful if they work in different areas throughout the day.

Create a hot desking policy

Outline the rules and expectations for the flexible work arrangement. This might include things like how to reserve a spot, procedures for picking a desk and expectations for how employees leave the station when they’re done for the day.

Express the benefits

If your employees are resistant to the change, it might take work to sway them to your side. Put a positive spin on the announcement when you switch to hot desking. Highlight the benefits of the flexible workspace to get them more interested in exploring the arrangement.

Manage how spots are chosen

You can leave the desks open on a first-come, first-served basis, but this can create a chaotic workplace. People who arrive early always have the choice of the best desks, which can cause tension among employees. Having a scheduling system in place to allow employees to reserve specific workstations in advance can reduce some of the conflicts. This ensures the employee has a space instead of driving to the office to find all of the desks are taken.

Consider partial hot desking

For employees who work in the office every day, having a dedicated office space is often easiest. That’s especially true if you have set teams that very rarely change. However, if you have some employees who work in the field frequently, you might set up a hot desk office area for them when they’re in the office. This gives your permanent office staff their own space and reserves hot desk space for people like technicians or salespeople who spend lots of time out of the office.