Reduce Overhead with Hot Desking – Learn How

Is your office layout working for you? In recent years, many organizations have embraced fully remote work. But there are plenty of cases where in-person collaboration is necessary. That’s where the hybrid model works best: employees split their time between onsite and offsite work.

A hybrid employee might be in the office three days per week, or just a few times a month. Without 100% of your workforce on site every day, you can have a smaller office footprint and use a system like hot desking to accommodate your onsite employees on any given day. Find out more about how switching to hot desking can offer cost savings.

What is Hot Desking?

In a traditional office layout, each employee has a designated office, cubicle, or desk. Hot desks, in contrast, do not have a permanent occupant. They are flexible spaces that can be reserved on demand by an employee, often using desk booking software.

A hot desking setup is a great option for hybrid workforces, which can have a mix of onsite and remote workers, as well as employees who alternate between working at the office and working from home. Before a team member arrives at the office, they can select and book a workspace. At the end of the workday, they check out of the space and take all their belongings with them so the desk can be used by someone else the following day.

Hot desking is not to be confused with desk hoteling, another flexible seating arrangement. In a hoteling system, employees can reserve a specific workspace for a week or even a month. With hot desking, longer-term reservations typically aren’t allowed.

How Does Hot Desking Lower Overhead?

As more and more workplaces switch to a remote-first or hybrid model, hot desking is becoming a popular way to accommodate workers while optimizing the office space. Here are a few areas where hot desking can offer cost savings:

• Office technology and equipment: Without a dedicated desk for each employee, you can significantly reduce the number of workspaces. This means your company will save money on office furniture like desks, chairs, and dividers, as well as costly computer equipment like keyboards and monitors.
• Rent: If you lease your office space, your monthly rental payment is likely to be a major expense. If you switch to a hybrid model, some of your employees will be working remotely on any given day. That means you have the opportunity to reduce your office’s square footage and significantly decrease what you pay in rent.
• Utility bills: With a smaller office space, your utilities will decrease too. By using hot desking, companies can spend less on utility costs, such as gas, electricity, water and sewer, phone, and internet.
• Cleaning services: One office expense that sometimes gets overlooked is cleaning services. If you have third-party janitorial or trash removal services, having fewer desks and a smaller office can lower these costs, as well.

With these major opportunities to reduce overhead, companies of all sizes may find that hot desking is an attractive option for supporting hybrid teams.

Other Benefits of Hot Desking

Moving to a hot desking setup doesn’t just help lower overhead. Additional advantages include:

Streamlined Processes

If you’ve already embraced a hybrid setup, you know how important having clear policies and procedures for where and how your teams work is. If you offer flexible seating but no system for reserving workspaces, you risk having frustrated, confused employees.

A hot desking booking system lets employees choose a desk before they get to the office, so they can get straight to work upon arrival. This also takes the burden of managing desk reservations off of your administrative staff, freeing them up to focus on other priorities.

Increased Productivity

Providing a variety of on-demand workspaces gives each employee the flexibility to reserve the space that best suits their needs. For example, if two team members need to collaborate on a project, they can book adjacent desks. In contrast, if an employee is spending the day on conference calls, they can book an office or a more isolated desk to get the quiet space they need.

Scalable Flexibility

The hot desking model isn’t only for employees. Flexible seating arrangements can also make it easier for organizations to accommodate freelancers, interns, consultants, and other office visitors. In addition to helping visitors find workspaces, desk booking software can assist with wayfinding and notify staff members when their guests arrive.

Improved Collaboration

Working from home can be great for projects that require deep focus. But when two or more employees want to work together on an assignment, they can use a desk booking platform to reserve adjacent workspaces or even a meeting room. Some reservation systems also let users see who else is in the office, which can help encourage ad-hoc meetings and check-ins.

Hot desking can even help disrupt the hierarchy of a traditional office, where entry-level workers have cubicles and executives have corner offices. Flexible seating arrangements can break down silos between different departments and teams, improving communication across your organization.

If you’re planning to embrace hybrid work long-term – or even just for the next few years – using a system like hot desking or desk hoteling can help you ensure a positive workplace experience.

Optimize your hybrid office today

Set your team up for success by streamlining your hybrid work practices. With desk booking software, it’s much easier for employees to find the right workspaces and safely return to the office. Plus, you’ll get the added benefit of reducing your overhead costs – which is great news for your bottom line.

At Robin, we help you get the most out of your space. Our user-friendly platform lets you create drag-and-drop maps, reserve desks or conference rooms, track space utilization, and even filter workspaces by amenities. With built-in reporting tools, you can get helpful insights into office occupancy, meetings, and more.

If you’re ready to see how Robin works, schedule a demo or start your free trial today.

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