Corporate Hot Desking: What You Need to Know

In recent years, there’s been an increase in the number of businesses who have introduced ‘hot desking’ into their working environment. Formerly used as a means to save money, hot desking is also innovative; in that it’s a cost-effective way to provide working space for more employees. It also provides staff with a more flexible and mobile working environment.

But could it work for your business? Here’s all you need to know hot desking, including what it is and its advanatges and disadvantages.

What exactly is Corporate Hot Desking?

Simply put, hot desking is an office system whereby one work station is used by multiple employyes during different time periods. Usually employees work on different shifts or have flexible schedules.

While some workplaces adopted the hot desking model as far back as the late 1980s and early 1990s, it’s taken the expansion in technology to make it a more viable option for most businesses.

Due to improved communications, some employees were able to reduce the time they spent in the office and work from home, or other locations instead.

This enabled companies to reduce the number of workstations they needed in their workplace, as more than one member of staff, and often several people, could use one desk.

Advantages of Corporate Hot Desking

There are several benefits to be gained by having a hot desking policy:

1. Flexibility — If your team work from home or from other locations, hot desking makes total sense. Rather than having an office full of empty desks, you’ll have an environment that is tailored for today’s flexible and mobile employees.

2. Cost effective and efficient — With hot desking you’ll not only save on your overheads, but you’ll save space too. However, remember that the success of hot desking is all down to technology and you’ll need a good booking system in place to ensure that there are no double bookings.

   You’ll also be able to free up space in your office and, if your work force is mainly mobile, you could get rid of your permanent office altogether in favour serviced offices instead.

3. Interactions — Some businesses find that hot desking gives employees an opportunity to meet employees that they wouldn’t normally meet in a regular office environment. Often people working at the hot desks at the same time are from different industries and departments. This can result in a more social office culture and better communication and connections between departments.

Is Hot Desking right for your company?

If you’re considering trying hot desking in your business, take time to put a proper plan and system into place. You may want to involve your team in the decision and planning process but don’t forget to review how your system is working before you decide to implement it on a permanent basis.