Hot Desking

What is
hot desking?

Hot desking is a workspace sharing model in which desks (or workstations) are occupied by different people at different times. In hot desking, desks are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Between the rise of hybrid work, activity-based working, and shared coworking spaces, hot desking is gaining momentum to help companies make more efficient use of their office space and resources.

How does hot
desking work?

The hot desking models vary depending on strategies adopted.

Some companies choose to only allow ad-hoc seating. That means no booking is required. Employees simply go to the office and grab an available workstation they can find. This option can be attractive on saving investment, yet the pitfall is obvious. There’s a risk of there being a day in which more people come into the office than the space can accommodate.

The other strategy is to allow pre-booking of workspaces days. This hot-desking model often involves with a desk booking software that allows employees to reserve a preferred desk for a specific time period. Compared with the ad-hoc seating model, it reduces chaos by offering real-time desk occupancy visualizations. Employees can reserve a desk based on availability, facilities, surrounding desk reservations (by who and when), etc. This enables teams to book clusters of desks appropriately and further drive productivity.

The benefits of
hot desking?

Cost savings. Hot desking cuts down used space and requires fewer desks & office facilities, considerably reducing the company operational costs.

Encouraged collaboration. People from different teams and department can book near desks to interact with one another. This helps build networks that cross the formal company hierarchy, encouraging collaboration and innovation.

Better space utilization. With space freed up, companies can create more activity-based areas to cater to employee needs and foster a strong company culture and spirit.

Hybrid work flexibility. Flexible seating makes hybrid and flexible working easier. Employees are free to work when and where they choose. And employers get the flexibility to grow teams where talent resides, avoiding the necessity to handle relocation costs.