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In recent years, hot desking has gained popularity in many workplaces with the increased demand for flexible work. Despite headlines of major companies mandating a full return to office (RTO), nearly 70% of U.S. companies have flexible work policies in place.
That’s because flexible work remains a competitive advantage:
Hot desking—also known as desk sharing, agile working, or hoteling—serves as a solution to managing office space in a flexible work model that maximizes space utilization and collaboration while reducing costs for the organization.
Let’s dive into the details of hot desking and its role in the modern workplace.
Hot desking is a concept in which employees share desks at the office, rather than each employee having their own assigned desk. It is a flexible and agile way of working. Employees are not confined to one area but can choose from available workspaces throughout the office. At a time when many employees work and prefer to work virtually, either full-time or a few days a week, hot desking provides this flexibility and a more efficient way of utilizing desks and workspaces.
While many people still desire remote work, 86% of executives believe employees should be in the office at least three days a week to maintain company culture (PwC research). Implementing hot desking satisfies all parties and makes it easier to set up a hybrid work strategy.
Being in the office allows employees to socialize with their colleagues and collaborate with their teams, leading to higher engagement and productivity. Being able to work from home on some days helps employees achieve a better work-life balance by providing them with flexibility in managing their professional and personal commitments. Employers can also minimize their real estate footprint and save on costs.
Hot desking enables a streamlined hybrid work setup, offering numerous benefits. Many companies have downsized their spaces post-pandemic and are realizing that they just don’t have enough desks for the employees returning to the office. Hot desking offers employees flexibility without compromising company performance.
Here are seven reasons hot desking is on fire:
Employees care a lot about their work autonomy—being free to choose when and where they work. McKinsey’s survey showed that when people have the chance to work flexibly, 87% of them take it. Hot desking arrangements support the desire for a flexible work culture while still maintaining some in-person interactions. Hot desks can be made available on short notice, allowing individuals or teams to work and collaborate more agilely. This flexibility enhances employee satisfaction and productivity.
Hot desking facilitates a hybrid work setup, enhancing employee collaboration and productivity. According to Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA), hybrid workers produce just over 9.5 extra days of work a year. With such positive output numbers, hybrid work remains a popular work model, with employees generally going into the office two to three days a week.
Setting up a full-scale office and signing a long-term lease can be very costly. Hot desking optimizes office space utilization and reduces the chances of empty or overcrowded desks. By reducing their real estate and the resources that support it, organizations can lower their environmental footprint and achieve cost savings.
Employers can use data gathered from desk booking software to observe how individuals and teams work in the office. Before the rise of coworking space software, employees were usually assigned to a desk for the longevity of their careers in that company. Where and how often teams met was a matter of guesswork, as no one was tracking these patterns.
Now, organizations can analyze where and how often individuals book a desk or workspace, and then use the data to inform business decisions. Employers can become more efficient at allocating space, implementing more of what’s effective, and improving or taking away spaces that aren’t being used.
Since hot desking involves shared space, it prevents individuals from accumulating personal belongings or clutter in their work area. The nature of hot desking lends itself to a cleaner and more organized workspace, which studies have shown can lead to better productivity. Scientists at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that disorganization can reduce our ability to focus and that when the area is tidier, people are better able to concentrate and process information.
The next generation of workers highly favors a flexible work environment. A report by ZipRecruiter found that 44% of graduates want a hybrid work arrangement, and that a flexible working arrangement is a top three motivator for employees to find a new job, according to McKinsey & Company. Leveraging hot desking to create a flexible work environment where employees can choose the location that best suits their job responsibilities can help attract more talent and retain current employees.
Hot desking supports flexible work arrangements that are more inclusive of employees who need some freedom to adjust their schedules, like parents or those caring for elderly family members. In the office, hot desking enables a more fluid exchange of ideas. When employees aren’t fixed to a desk, they’re better able to mingle and interact across diverse groups, such as different levels of seniority, departments, or backgrounds, breaking down silos and encouraging collaboration.
Hot desking can also help reduce the barriers created by hierarchical seating arrangements that stem from traditional desk assignments, fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace where employees have equal opportunities to connect and collaborate with others.
The term’ hot desking’ comes from an idiom used by the U.S. Navy called ‘hot racking,’ which described how the rack-mounted bunks aboard a ship—where sailors slept in rotation—would remain hot from the person who last used it. Hot desking has grown in popularity recently, but the concept is not new. Hotel business models—in which guests “share” available rooms—may have inspired the idea. That’s why hot desking is also referred to as desk hoteling or office hoteling.
A 1994 New York Times article also mentioned the concept of ‘hot desking’ as we know it today. The report was about Jay Chiat, the advertising executive of Chiat/Day, instituting the ‘hot desking’ concept in his offices. Workers kept personal possessions in assigned lockers, picked up necessary equipment from a concierge window, and were free to move around the office space to work.
With hot desking, employees gain access to desks or workspaces on short notice. Often, these arrangements can change periodically throughout the workday or the workweek as people come and go. Hot desking is great for implementing a hybrid work strategy, as it allows employees and teams to be flexible about when they come to the office.
With desk hoteling, workspaces are typically reserved for longer durations, from several days to a month. Hoteling may be the preferred choice for teams that need a specific collaborative space (e.g., for greater privacy, such as a legal team) or specialized equipment to complete their work.
Learn more: What Is Desk Hoteling? Desk Hoteling vs. Hot Desking
While hot desking offers flexibility and cost-saving opportunities for organizations, it is not without its challenges. From gaining employee buy-in to managing logistics, navigating the complexities of hot desking requires careful consideration and proactive strategies.
The concept of hot desking is straightforward, but implementing it can be challenging without the right tools. From finalizing policies to managing expectations, here are six potential hot desking pitfalls to be aware of before implementing:
Companies usually need desk booking software to implement hot desking effectively. Integrating desk booking software may present technical challenges if you have specific requirements or unique tech infrastructure. Implementing a desk booking system requires time and effort to set up the software, train employees, and integrate it with existing systems or processes. That requires coordination with facilities or IT teams and proper planning to ensure a smooth transition.
It’s challenging for humans to adapt to change. Introducing a new system to employees may require change management efforts to ensure smooth adoption. Employees who are used to having an assigned desk that they can personalize may be hard-pressed to let go of that comfort. If the desk booking software is not intuitive or user-friendly, employees may find it frustrating or time-consuming to reserve desks. This can lead to a negative employee experience, reduced usage, and decreased adoption.
Hot desking requires a well-designed office layout and infrastructure to support flexible work arrangements. Organizations will need to consider whether they have an adequate number of desks, suitable seating arrangements, access to technology, and other necessary amenities. Retrofitting existing office spaces or designing new ones to accommodate hot desking can pose logistical challenges.
With increased desk sharing among multiple employees, it becomes critical to clean these spaces regularly to maintain hygiene and sanitation standards. Setting up a ‘Hygiene and Sanitation Standards’ Checklist helps ensure that all employees follow the same protocol for maintaining office cleanliness. Additionally, employees who share desks may struggle to adjust their work environment to fit their needs. Providing ergonomic equipment, guidelines, and education on workspace setup becomes critical to mitigating potential health-related challenges.
The potential for disruptions increases when employees work in a shared space with others. Even though the casual “Hey, you got a minute?” or “Could you look at this real quick?” aren’t time-consuming individually, they can disrupt employees’ focus on their work throughout the day. That is especially damaging to deep work productivity, as employees often struggle to find extended periods of uninterrupted time to concentrate. Adjusting the office to cater to a blend of asynchronous and synchronous work can help your team stay collaborative and productive.
Employees may face difficulties finding an available desk during peak times, which can lead to frustration and decreased productivity. Developing clear policies and protocols for desk booking—while considering factors such as priority groups, team needs, and reservation limits—can help address this challenge.
Webinar: Set customized booking conditions for various users with Skedda’s rules and roles engine.
Hot desking is a flexible workspace arrangement that can adapt to meet the needs of all teams. Whether you’re coming into the office two to three days a week or more full-time, hot desking provides a solution for organizations with limited space.
If your organization is fully hybrid, hot desking enables employees to maintain a flexible work schedule, leading to a better work-life balance. Employees benefit socially and creatively when they go into the office to collaborate with others, which can improve employee engagement and lead to more innovation. Employees can allocate work-from-home (WFH) days for deep work, which can increase productivity and employee retention.
If your organization is fully remote, there is still an opportunity to leverage hot desking for productivity and collaboration. While remote workers are not required to come into the office, they might still want the ability to do so for specific projects or on certain days. At a time when more Americans are experiencing feelings of loneliness, your remote employees can benefit from a physical space where they can socialize and collaborate with their colleagues when they want to.
For fully in-office teams, hot desking can promote collaboration, flexibility, and efficient use of space. Employees work in various office areas, depending on their tasks, projects, or personal preferences. Specific industries (e.g., highly regulated markets) can benefit from the ability to reserve particular desks and spaces in an office. In such situations, organizations can partition office areas according to people’s job roles and levels of access to meet compliance requirements.
See more: How to Create Hybrid Office Neighborhoods With Skedda
When implemented strategically, hot desking can foster a vibrant work atmosphere, but many seem ill-prepared to make the transition. Only 26% of CEOs have a future-ready strategy that holistically focuses on changing how, why, and where we work (Accenture).
With a lack of strategy and the right technology, hot desk management can feel like a frustrating game of musical chairs—and negatively impact your employee experience. To mitigate this, here are nine tips to help you transition to hot desking:
Before implementing hot desking, consider planning your workspace to optimize efficiency, savings, and productivity. How suitable is the space for hot desking? Is there anything you need to change to create physical workspaces that are ideal for both collaboration and individual work that requires focus?
Consider factors like layout, furniture, and technology infrastructure. When you start designing, consider the number of desks you will need, whether you will have permanent computer stations or just spaces for laptops, and storage spaces for employees’ personal and work items.
Read more: From Mandate to Magnet: Office Design for Great Hybrid Workplaces
Change is hard, and managing change can be challenging when trying to convince employees to adopt hybrid work. Inform all employees about the upcoming hot desking implementation in advance. When doing so, ask employees for feedback on how they envision a smooth transition to hot desking models. Seeking input from employees helps identify problems and gets employee buy-in.
Provide training sessions or workshops to familiarize employees with the new system and to explain the benefits before changes are implemented. Be open and ready to address any concerns or questions that may arise over time. Making the process streamlined and easy for employees to understand while involving them in the decision-making process helps ensure that the policies do not feel imposed.
Develop a clear and comprehensive hot desking policy to maintain a tidy and welcoming office environment for all. The policy should clearly outline the rules, procedures, and expectations for employees. What are the expectations for holding conversations or eating in shared spaces? Should employees clear their desks at night?
Include guidelines for reserving desks, keeping the workspace clean and organized, and handling personal belongings. People have different standards of cleanliness, so it’s essential to foster a culture where employees are empathetic about their coworkers’ needs.
Investing in desk booking or space management software can help you implement hot desking more efficiently. Centralized desk booking software allows employees to reserve desks in advance, ensuring they have a designated workspace upon arrival at the office. That can help avoid conflicts or overcrowding.
Some desk booking software even allows users to see in real-time when spaces become available, so employees and teams have more flexibility in choosing when and where they work. Consider desk management features you want and need for your workspace, such as the time increments you can book desks, workspace maps, and the ability to set neighborhoods where specific teams can collaborate.
Read more: How to Create Hybrid Office Neighborhoods With Skedda
Successful hot desking requires IT infrastructure to ensure that desk booking runs smoothly and consistently. Slow Wifi can cause frustration for employees trying to book desks, access the internet, or hold video calls in the office.
Using desk booking software also poses security and privacy risks, as well as the possibility of noncompliance. Implement security measures to protect sensitive data and encourage employees to follow data protection practices. As more employees work in the office, ensure they have access to reliable Wifi, printers, scanners, and other necessary technical resources.
Ensuring that all employees receive the necessary equipment when they need it becomes even more challenging in a hybrid work arrangement. Therefore, setting up an equipment management system can be extremely helpful in improving your hybrid office.
As a starting point, equip the hot desking areas with essential amenities, such as power outlets, docking stations, ergonomic chairs, and adjustable desks. Consider providing additional amenities, such as whiteboards, projectors, and video conferencing facilities, to support collaborative work for both in-office and virtual employees.
Continuously monitor the hot desking implementation and gather feedback from employees.
Use feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements to the system. Regularly assess the effectiveness of hot desking in meeting the organization’s goals and make modifications as needed.
Establishing metrics to measure the success of hot desking can better inform the organization on how to improve hot desking. Basic metrics should include employee satisfaction, productivity levels, and space utilization. Are employees able to book desks that they need when they need them? Are spaces allocated so that teams can collaborate effectively without disruptions? Regularly evaluate these metrics to assess the impact of hot desking on your organization and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.
In addition to a centralized hot desking area, consider providing alternative workspaces, such as quiet rooms, collaboration areas, or breakout zones. Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) research found that 61% of employees’ time is associated with working alone, with more than half of that time requiring a distraction-free environment to allow for focused work. By creating spaces that accommodate diverse work preferences, you can help enhance productivity and foster employee well-being.
Employees are increasingly demanding flexible work. Nearly 70% of organizations have implemented a flexible work model, with structured hybrid work remaining the preferred work model for U.S. companies (Flex Index). Workplace flexibility should be accompanied by hot desking for optimal space usage and cost savings.
Hot desking offers flexibility and cost-saving opportunities for organizations when done right. Navigating the complexities of hot desking requires careful consideration and the implementation of proactive strategies. Organizations must address these challenges head-on to optimize the benefits of hot desking while ensuring the overall satisfaction and productivity of their employees.
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