What Is Hot Desking?

Going to the office looks different than it did two years ago. Companies are embracing flexibility, and teams are going in for collaboration, rather than every day work. Since everyone isn’t in the office at the same time companies have an opportunity to shift how their space is used.

Shared spaces are an effective way for businesses to save money while ensuring their employees have a physical space to work from. With hot desking, people use desks at different times on an ad hoc basis. It’s one alternative to a conventional office setup, and can help you optimize your workplace and eliminate friction for your teams.

How Does Hot Desk Booking Work?

In a typical office, while there are shared resources, such as conference rooms, each employee is assigned to a specific desk. Hot desking treats each desk as a flexible workspace people can book day to day. 

This setup encourages people to work in different locations throughout the office, improving collaboration while circulating valuable knowledge and skills. Hot desk booking empowers staff by giving them more control over where and how they work.

If done incorrectly, hot desking can lead to a lot of frustration. People won’t want to come in, if they don’t know where they can sit. That’s why it’s important to utilize a hot desk booking system or software. 

An employee may use the reservation system to book an on-demand, same-day hot desk. And at the end of the day, they check out of the space, allowing someone else to use it the next day.

Create a seamless workplace experience with the right tools and technology.

Advantages of a Hot Desking Model

Deploying hot desking provides a modern infrastructure for maximizing the efficiency of space. Hot desking software allows an enterprise to run lean, while still offering convenient workspaces for employees whenever they are in the office. 

Setting up hot desking within the work environment offers greater autonomy to each individual. The benefits of this setup include:

• Lower Administrative Burden: Because each employee can book the space they need, your managers and admin staff will spend less time coordinating employee schedules and assigning desks, freeing them up to focus on other priorities.
• Flexibility: With hot desking, employees work where they want, when they want. Hybrid or remote employees may reserve an in-office workspace on short notice, making it easier for them to collaborate with colleagues. 
• Better Space Utilization: Paying for the physical office space for every employee to have a dedicated desk doesn’t make sense for companies that permit remote work. Hot desking allows you to reduce your square footage, which may significantly decrease your overhead costs.
• Improved Guest Experience: Reservation management software can also notify you when staff when guests arrive at the office and assist them with wayfinding.

Employee productivity within a co-working environment relies on strict rules for allocating available space. Hot desking is the best option for businesses looking to streamline processes and reduce overhead.

Implementing Hot Desking at Your Workplace

Embracing hot desking is a powerful solution that businesses of all sizes can take advantage of. Implementing hot desking at your workplace, however, isn’t so straightforward. Different workplace cultures and environments will need to make adjustments according to their needs. 

With hot desking, businesses can effectively mitigate many of the pains associated with hybrid workspace allocation. Of course, the hot desking setup that works for another company may not work for yours. Here’s how you can help make the switch to hot desking a success.

Prepare for Change

Hot desking creates a fundamentally different work environment from what most employees will be used to. It essential to properly prepare before deploying hot desking within your business, so your teams can prepare for the change. 

Make sure everyone is in the loop about when you’ll switch to a hot desking model, and how you’ll roll out your new system. Teams should receive a thorough and straightforward orientation to the reservation process, no matter how simple it is.

Provide Core Support

Employees may have problems dealing with hot desking when implemented in the real world. Businesses should make sure to have the necessary systems in place to provide support to those who need it.

Additionally, make sure all employees know who they should contact with questions or feedback, especially if hot desking is part of a broader cultural shift at your organization. With a little proactive planning, you’ll be able to make sure the new arrangement is beneficial for everyone. 

Find Hybrid Work Solutions from Robin

Managing a hybrid workplace is simple when you have the right tools and technology in place. Workplace experience platforms, like Robin, can help you empower your teams to utilize the office as a resource for collaboration.

Interested in learning more about how Robin can help enable a seamless workplace experience? Schedule a demo or start hot desking for free today.

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