How to Do Hot Desking the Right Way

Hot desking can be hugely beneficial for companies that are seeking to enhance their workplace utilisation. This solution has become much more popular over the past 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people worked remotely during lockdowns, and even now, as people return to offices, there is a high demand for flexible working arrangements.

However, there is more to successful hot desking than simply scattering some desks and moving your employees around the building. Therefore, you should be aware of some of the potential issues associated with hot desking to avoid them in your organisation. Continue reading for more information.

What is Hot Desking?

First, let’s cover what hot desking actually entails. It is a flexible workplace strategy where employees do not have assigned seats in the office. Instead, they are free to choose where they work on a first-come, first-serve basis. This can be done with or without a formal booking system, but generally, allowing people to reserve workspaces is better for employees and facilities management.

In the modern world, flexible working is more feasible than ever, so many companies have moved towards hybrid schedules to give employees a better work-life balance. This has left many businesses with unused office space when individuals elect to work from home. Therefore, by introducing hot desking to your office alongside a desk booking solution, you can maximise workplace usage while cutting down on the amount of space you need. 

What Are Some Common Hot Desk Problems?

While the practice is becoming more common in businesses across industries, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t some reasonable apprehension towards the hot desking. While the approach can bring significant benefits, you must understand the common issues and react to them effectively when they inevitably crop up.

One of the biggest problems employees face when their company implements a hot desk strategy is a loss of privacy. Transitioning away from a set space in the office allows individuals to bring some personal items into work with them and feel like they have a basecamp in the workplace. This can also bring feelings of a loss of personal space with it.

There can also be IT issues when it comes to successfully implementing such a strategy. In a conventional office, login credentials for specific computers and phone extensions are often tied to the desk they are associated with. When a different person is at the desk each day, it likely means you will have to rethink your IT infrastructure.

Another potential issue is the mental obstacle that exists around the practice. While some younger employees are probably more accustomed to flexible working, more seasoned team members may be put off at the idea of rotating workstations daily. Thankfully, this is less of an issue than it once was since people became more used to the notion of flexible working during the pandemic.

How to Hot Desk in the Right Way

So, now that the possible downsides of hot desking have been covered, what is the best way to do it right in your organisation? The problems mentioned above don’t need to be a reality in your business and can be avoided entirely by taking a considered approach to the workplace management strategy.

When integrating hot desking into your business, take care to consider options for private work. Giving your employees areas designed for privacy, such as quiet work areas and secluded offices with doors, will help your team adapt to the change in the work environment. This can be valuable to solve the personal space issue mentioned above and, when paired with communal relaxation spaces, will make the office a more enjoyable and productive environment.

You should also ensure the necessary IT adaptations are in place before you roll out hot desking in your workplace. Collaborate with your IT team to understand the challenges detailed above and how to overcome them. You will need to develop a system that allows everyone to remain connected regardless of their physical location. Thankfully, there are many solutions for overcoming these issues, so it is not an insurmountable challenge.

Carefully planning the approach by considering the human and logistic impact of hot desking will allow you to make the transition to a new working practice as seamless as possible. Gradually introducing the system will help your employees to adjust to the change more smoothly. Additionally, make sure you collect feedback about areas for improvement to help you identify any problems at an early stage.

In Summary

Overall, hot desking can be a valuable strategy for businesses in the modern world. We are more connected than ever before, which allows people to work more flexibly than they could in the past. As a result, office space requirements are not as high as they once were. While it is a valuable strategy, you should still take care to implement it correctly to minimise the issues that it could cause.