It’s fair to say that the traditional office space has seen its fair share of change in recent years. From hybrid working to workations (combining work and vacation) businesses are heading into a more remote world.
If you’ve found some of your workforce is now working remotely, at least some of the time, you might want to reassess your physical office space. With a simple rethink, you could see more collaboration and fewer costs.
But how? This guide will be looking at the transformative power of hotdesking. We’ll help you create a successful workplace that supports employees working from anywhere. that doesn’t have rows of empty desks when your employees are working elsewhere.
What is Hot Desking?
Hot desking is a flexible workplace strategy. In other words, it does away with rigid practices and helps you make the most of your office space. Instead of every employee having their own assigned desk, there’s a set number of desks available and they can be used by anyone.
There are two main ways businesses implement hot desking – desks are either assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, or via a booking system.
What are the Benefits of Hot Desking?
But why should you choose this system? Let’s look at some of the main benefits of hot desking and why it could be the solution for you.
Reduced costs
By far and away the biggest benefit of hot desking is that you can cut costs. As mentioned, more and more people are now choosing to work remotely. In 2022 the number of hybrid workers increased by 16%.
Let’s imagine that you employ a team of ten employees. But because you use a hybrid working system, no more than five are generally in the office at any one time. This means that half the workstations will typically be going unused. You’re paying for a bigger room, which means more heating, lighting, and maintenance costs.
But if you switch to hot desking, you can start looking at high-quality flexible office solutions like those found with CORT Permanently Flexible™ Solutions. The pairing of space utilization sensor technology and data found with 4SITE by CORT and CORT Furniture-as-a-Service allows you to better understand how your workplace is being used, where and when to optimize, as well as the speed of furnishing quickly with office furniture rental.
This system cuts costs for businesses of pretty much any size. But it’s the biggest organizations that will see the most rewards, potentially saving thousands of dollars.
Increased flexibility
A happy workforce means that employees are less likely to seek positions elsewhere. And the fact is, a majority of staff want to work remotely. The more flexibility that you can provide, the happier your employees will be.
Hot desking allows you to adopt a hybrid system. This means you can get the best of both worlds. You can keep staff happy whilst also cutting costs with a partially remote workforce. But you retain the face-to-face benefits of in-office working.
Better collaboration
With hotdesking, staff will typically be sitting in different places surrounded by different employees. Offering them more chances to engage and interact with other teams. If these employees need to work together on future projects, the collaboration will be improved.
And when it comes to remote workers, hosted VoIP systems allow for effective collaboration. Teams can stay connected no matter where they are.
Challenges of Hot Desking
Now you have a clearer idea of the many advantages of hotdesking, it can be tempting to jump right in. But before you start making any changes, it is worth knowing some of the new challenges you’ll also face.
You’ll have to invest in new tech
There’s no avoiding that you’ll have to spend some money to allow for smooth and secure working. Workers might not always be in the office, but they’ll still need the technology to do their work.
That means work laptops to facilitate remote working, specialist software, and tools that enable remote collaboration. Not to mention the ever-important security software to keep important documents safe and (potentially) a booking system for hot desking.
Remember, when investing in software, it’s always better to choose one option that encompasses multiple features rather than a few different ones you’ll need to integrate. For example, Dialpad’s enterprise video conferencing allows you to call, message, and meet virtually, all from a single app.
One solution to the challenges of hot desking is considering investing in desk booking software. This software can help streamline the process of reserving a desk, making it easier for employees to find available spaces and ensuring that everyone has access to the resources they need. Plus, a booking system can provide valuable data on desk usage, allowing you to optimize your office space and improve overall efficiency.
People don’t like change
It’s a simple fact that many people are resistant to change. Hot desking, especially if it’s done alongside a move to remote work, can mean significant change. Don’t be surprised if your employees are a little unsure at first. It’s your job to make this transition as smooth as possible.
That means preparing them thoroughly. For instance, make sure they understand how HR processes will apply to them when away from the office, and provide training on privacy vs security when working remotely.
One way to make the process run smoothly is to try it for one team or department. Once they see the benefits, their positive experiences can help encourage more reluctant employees to give it a try.
Consider the Switch
Hot desking could be the solution for your organization, but you need to ask yourself a few simple questions. Do you want:
- Ways to cut back on costs?
- To offer more flexible working arrangements to staff?
- To improve collaboration between team members?
- To boost the ‘Green’ image of your business?
If you’re answering yes to these questions, there’s a good chance that hot desking is right for you. Just remember, that whilst there are many benefits to hot desking, there are also a few challenges. It’s better to prepare before the change rather than be caught out.
Hot desking can unlock the potential of your office space. So, why not consider making the switch?
