Hot Desking: Everything You Need To Know

Recent changes in the modern office environment have already led to the emergence of an effective
strategy that guarantees the maintenance of a flexible and efficient working atmosphere. The hot
desking definition is easy to understand. It is a new concept that should be taken into consideration
by any prudent employer and the self-employed. Serving as a newly developed working practice in
the post-Covid era, this office improvement approach provides massive opportunities for daily
interactions between team members in companies that employ a hybrid work model. However, this
strategy poses some challenges for both an employer and employees to solve.

In this article, you'll find valuable information about the value of hot desking for an organization.
You'll learn how to save workspace and improve team performance, using hot desking! Finally,
you'll understand that applying the proper software becomes very important in this situation

Hot Desking Meaning

The term “hot desking” stands for a well-elaborated organizational workplace system that is based
on using desks by employees on an as-needed basis. In other words, there's no urgent need for an
employee to move into the same seat every morning. He or she can sit down at any office table that
is vacant when he or she enters the office room. The major goal of this innovative strategic
approach is to foster the maximization of office space efficiency and a reduction of real estate costs
to a great extent. Hot desking ensures more flexibility if compared with office hoteling, which
requires preliminary booking of desks.

An Overview of Advantages and Disadvantages of the Hot Desking Strategy

The major advantages of hot desking

It's not a secret that hot desking is beneficial because this innovative method of workspace
arrangement results in early organizational progress. Learning the hot desk definition is not enough
to draw relevant conclusions on how to utilize this pioneering trend for your business benefit.
Here are the multiple benefits you'll get from the hot desk solution.

• Office space reduction

This working approach allows for a reduction in office space per employee. Due to the
compensation of area, companies that are focused on collaboration rather than on individual
activities can succeed in teamwork. A possibility to hire more people emerges if companies take the
hot desk method

• Convenience

In a hot desk context, people work collaboratively based on their assigned job duties and
responsibilities. They do not need to occupy the same seat every working day. Instead, they can
choose any available desk in the office room.

• Cost-efficiency

Saving money is important for any organization. As real estate costs are really high today, renting
offices requires a considerable investment. Thanks to the emergence of hot desks, it's possible to
pay less for office areas. You can save money on rent by moving to a smaller office area.

• Improved employee interaction

Staff members get along with one another easily, if they are seated in the same office unit. They can
interact with their colleagues, which allows them to stay highly motivated, open to communication,
and to strengthen inspiration for creativity. Their activities contribute to enhanced productivity,
successful cooperation, and improved interpersonal relationships.

The major disadvantages of using hot desk practices and how to address them effectually

Although hot desking provides many benefits to companies of different sizes and from different industries in terms of office space flexibility and performance efficiency, certain problems can arise in the process of this system's implementation. Among them are the following ones:

• Low workspace awareness

Employees can lose their awareness while being engaged in co-working practices. This problem
arises as a result of the lack of reliable smart office technology.

• Lack of group cohesion

It is possible to confront the problem of lacking group cohesion if employees have no access to
relevant tools like video conferencing service and meeting rooms.

• Poor communication

People face the problem of improper mutual understanding if their working conditions are
insufficient for their everyday business communication. Some employees are not informed about
their colleagues' locations. They either start searching for the workstation of the persons they need
to share their ideas with or abandon their ideas altogether.

To deal with the above-mentioned hot desking challenges, it's critical to introduce the system
reasonably, efficiently, and rationally.
First, undertaking preliminary work is essential for the elimination of any negative effects of the hot
desking approach.
Second, staff members should be well-trained on how to apply the hot desk strategy effectively.
Third, it is very important to choose and configure the necessary software to allow all employees to
become competent users of various office management programs.

How to properly organize office space and employees' workplaces in the trend of hot desking?

There appeared to be a tendency for people to go to hot desk offices. How to arrange hot desk
seating to stay satisfied with the company's operating results? Some employers and the self-
employed need advice from knowledgeable experts on this issue, as the new concept is still
unfamiliar to them. For them, the road to generating a successful hot-desking office space can be a
difficult and confusing one if they are unaware of the principles behind hot desk rules.

To determine how to ensure the successful organization of your hot desk office space, you should
consider the following recommendations:

• Making out a schedule

One of the key requirements of the hot desking method is planning schedules for staff members.
Every employee should know what time he or she needs to arrive at the office. Working processes
should be controlled to avoid any inconsistencies that can slow the execution of key business
activities.
If an employee is absent from the workplace, his or her seat will be unoccupied. Tracking systems
allow us to detect vacant seats and support full compliance with the schedule. Hence, planning the
most appropriate ratio of desks is what can help you to avoid a wrong distribution of office area.

• Building highly productive, activity-based, and goal-oriented teams

The effectiveness of teamwork while hot desking depends on the way staff members are grouped.
Hot desk teams represent several desks that bear responsibility for certain tasks, specific functions,
or business operations. Due to collaborative practices, team members from different departments
maintain community spirit and a sense of confidence in the company. They set actual goals and seek
the best methods to achieve these goals with enthusiasm.

• Deciding on the usage of relevant computer-based tools

If an employer has a great desire to organize office space in the proper way, it's critical to apply special equipment like computer supportive cooperative work items. People can work together using the required software. These computer-based instruments contribute to the creation of influential groupware. For example, meeting group support software that works well both in traditional and flexible offices is essential for hot-desking office space. Having the right IT tools in place is a key to success while adopting a hot desking technique in your office,in which employees do not have their own laptops or computers. They need to access their document folders or files from any location in the office. It's critical to ensure the right connection of staff members' personal devices to the single corporate network. 

• Taking a solid self-management strategy to ensure a transition to a new working environment

The hot desking trend differs from desk hoteling, which requires reservations of workstations in
advance. This approach facilitates the process of work organization because it is less structured and
more flexible. However, employees should be ready to take their personal items home because their
co-workers who arrive earlier may use their workstations. They should be ready to adjust to new
computer monitors, new pedestals, and new tables.

• Introducing a clean desk policy

Thanks to the timely introduction of a clean desk policy in your company, your people will leave
their working tables empty at the end of the working day. They should take their personal
belongings (e.g. coffee cups, books, printed scans, documents, photos of family members) away
with them to make others feel comfortable at the beginning of the next working day. A perfect
working atmosphere is guaranteed if every employee follows a clean desk policy and avoids leaving
messy desks.

How to make hot desking work?

Don't you know how to start hot desking? It's as easy as one, two, three. Don't think it's very harsh.
Patience, providence, energy, and optimism will assist you in attaining the set aim. Hot desking
statistics show that many organizations have already adopted this fantastic approach for the
operation of their hybrid work model. You should join the community of happy entrepreneurs who
implement the hot desk strategy too. You should remember that you need to support your organization's model by incorporating hot
desking practice in the following way:

• Make use of relevant technology

Space optimization can be achieved with the help of innovative technology. One of the sound
solutions is to refer to reputable product developers who offer creative approaches to hot desk
spaces.

• Create a co-working environment

The development of a powerful corporate culture will foster effective cooperation at different
organizational levels. It's necessary to organize after-work events, let like-minded employees share
their personal interests with others, and participate in various joint meetings and competitions. You
should put your corporate culture at the heart of the co-working environment promoted by hot
desking.

• Support a positive workplace atmosphere

The availability of desks in the hot desking office environment should be supported by a user-
friendly office management system. Everyone should be satisfied with the provided working
conditions, feel comfortable in the office space, and enjoy going to work according to the schedule.

What kind of software is needed to set up hot desking?

With a powerful tool, you'll be able to locate your colleagues in a hot desk environment. One of the
coordinated solutions that ensure accessibility to the hot desk approach is utilizing the appropriate
software. This is the best option for any entity that focuses on creating a highly productive work
context.

The hot desking software incorporates several useful instruments that permit multiple people to
share the same office without any organizational problems, interpersonal conflicts, overcrowding,
or availability of unused space.
These are the main products developed for hot desk offices. Please find below their key features:

• A desk booking system

Thanks to a well-elaborated desk booking system, you'll be able to adjust your organization to the
newly adopted hybrid workplace. This useful product allows you to see all the desks in the office on
the virtual map, make reasonable schedules in accordance with the assigned roles of your staff
members, and check the availability of desks at any time of the working day.

• A tracking system

Due to the tracking tool, it's easy to check occupancy rating, space utilization, desk optimization,
foster office design improvement, and prevent in-office inconvenience.

• A video conferencing service

The virtual conference software is a reliable tool for addressing the communication needs of your
teams. With this product, you can organize meetings, hold webinars and presentations, use chatting,
make video calls, and arrange different online events.

• Meeting room software

This smart product enables you to foster activity-based teamwork and increase the optimization of
your office space utilization. With this valuable instrument, you can manage conferences, meetings,
and other collaborative events.

• A tool for hybrid team communication

Without effective communication, it's impossible to achieve flexibility in hybrid work environment.
With this hot desk software, you'll be able to access your co-workers any time you need to share
information or resolve some pressing issues. The key goal is to enhance the office experience,
making it easy for remote and on-site employees to maintain a flexible work structure, meet
deadlines, and achieve the set strategic goal.

• A workplace scheduling tool

This software is designed to provide reliable and safe management of your teams' schedules and
shifts. Every staff member will be informed on which days he or she will go to the office. This
approach to work organization assists in generating business activities free from any disruptions to
foster your organization's success.
There's no doubt that a well-elaborated hot desk system is a new trend in the business world.
Considering the pros and cons of the hot desking approach, you can make the right decision to
integrate this workplace strategy into your organization.
Having a set of hot desking software is a great solution for every company because it's user-
friendly, reliable, and highly functional. Why should you actually make use of these innovative
products? The prompt response is that these tools are essential for your business's growth in a
competitive market.