Hot Desking is a concept that involves multiple members of the workforce using a single physical workstation or desk during different shifts or time periods.

With real estate prices going up in prime locations, if a business wants workspace optimisation, the way to go is to optimise the existing office infrastructure

Hot Desking is a concept that involves multiple members of the workforce using a single physical workstation or desk during different shifts or time periods.

With real estate prices going up in prime locations, if a business wants workspace optimisation, the way to go is to optimise the existing office infrastructure as opposed to every staff member having their own personal desk.

One of the main benefits of desk booking system is cost savings by reducing office space and using it when needed.

Though hot desking has gained popularity in the recent past – the practice of reducing office space and using it only when needed, without individually assigned desks is not so new. An interesting reference is from a Harvard Business Review of 2014, where the company in question sorted 2 issues with a single solution of hot desking:

• Bringing staff scattered in different offices to one location
• Better workspace utilization due to various reasons

While the practice has its benefits, it may also present some challenges such as company culture, policies, and hierarchical structures. This is where the Human Resources and the Top Management needs to evaluate the usefulness of hot desking solutions and take it forward by sensitising the work force.

Here is another powerful statistic: There is data from 2018 that says as much as 40% of an office’s dedicated desk space was unused on a given day. Employees are on vacation, work a flexible schedule, or are stuck in meetings. With their desk being idle, it is an unnecessary overhead.

Let us translate that to sheer numbers for you, let us say you have a team size of 100, on average, only 60 people in the office on a given day. A seating for 40 people translates into expensive office space and maintenance, which could directly add to the bottom line of the company.

Adopting a Hybrid Work Practice  

Hot Desking or the Desk Booking system leverages the power of IoT in real-time tracking, managing, and controlling the utilization and auto allocation of space. Which includes the complete workflow around desk identification, booking, check-in and check-out.

The meeting room booking system prevents ghost reservations, no-show reservations and late arrivals.
It makes the workplace more interactive, flexible, and transparent which brings efficiency. For example, one can reserve any meeting room in just seconds using intuitive tablets or even check if a meeting room is occupied with the help of colour-coded display.

Introducing hot desking makes more sense and offers a number of advantages. It impacts operational costs, influences company culture and how individuals feel in the workplace.

Benifits of hot desking

• Cost-Effective
• Improved Productivity
• Inclusive Culture
•  Improves Communication
• Expansion Plans

1. Cost-Effective
To begin with, hot desking is much more cost-effective than traditional office arrangements. Due to the reduced number of desks, the operational costs are lowered freeing up resources. Remember the 40 people who are not using their dedicated space on a given day?

2. Improved Productivity
Reduced desks or workstations enables better space utilization and may even be aesthetic, which could lead to enhanced productivity. It also creates a good impression on clients who are visiting the Smart Office. Fixed seating can create silos and limit interaction/communication among team members.

3. Inclusive Culture
Have you ever visited the corporate office, if you are working at a branch office in another city? Well, you will appreciate the Hot desking practice. It is very inclusive and remote workers can utilise the office workplace like the staff from the Corp office who are typically allocated fixed desks.

4. Improves Communication
Depending on the policy, it can equalise hierarchies and facilitate easier communication between teams.  It allows for networking both horizontally and vertically. It can provide a greater clarity to top management with a better understanding of on ground realities.

5. Expansion Plans
Hot desking could be your saviour if your company is into rapid expansion mode or if your company works in shifts. The infrastructure required to manage the sudden increase in manpower can be a challenge for the traditional office seating.

Moreover, you can always try out hot desking on a smaller scale, such as with only one team, before making decisions about shifting the whole company. You could include a mix of traditional and hot desking based on the job roles or based on mobile workers in mind.

The crucial aspect however, is to improve the employee experience, productivity, and communication.