Skip to content

Why Go With Hot Desking In Finsbury Park

As the workplace shifts and evolves into a hybrid environment, the traditional methods to organize office spaces will follow. Employees seek greater flexibility and freedom while organizations rethink the necessity of huge offices with everyone having the same desk.

This is the root to the rising increasing popularity of hot desks – the practice of reducing office space, and only using it for the time that is needed, with no assigned desks.

Although the practice can have its benefits for certain kinds of employees, and it is definitely more economical, it could create challenges for certain companies. For example, reducing desks or moving to a less personalized space can affect the company’s culture and disrupt employees’ routines. It could also be a problem for companies who have rigid hierarchical systems and require them to revise their organization.

Therefore prior to deciding on hot desking policies HR and operational managers need to consider its advantages and disadvantages. They should consider whether and how they can implement it locally. To help you understand hot desking and consider its benefits to your company, we outlined its major advantages and drawbacks.

Are you curious to find out if hot desking is right for you? Keep reading!

What is hot in the world of desking?

Hot desking – also known by the name desk sharing, or desk hoteling – is a method of office design and desk allocation , in which employees don’t get their own assigned desks. Instead, the number of desks is reduced and, based on business policy, desks are reserved ahead of time or are filled in a first come, first serve basis.

The reason for this practice lies in the necessity for companies to adapt to changing work culture and the rise in the number of employees who work remotely at least part of the time. If an organisation adopts an approach that is more diverse to work, adding hot desking can be more beneficial because all of its employees rarely if ever get together in the workplace simultaneously.

Like every shift in the operations of an organization, hot desking provides a variety of advantages as well as disadvantages. It affects the cost of materials, but it also influences company environment and the way people feel at work. Here are some of the benefits and disadvantages for hot desks.

The advantages of hot-desking

It’s no surprise the hot-desking trend is becoming more popular. There are a variety of tangible benefits that this practice brings to workplaces. This includes:

1. Cost-effective

In the beginning hot desks are cheaper than traditional office layouts. Due to the reduced number of desksused, the employee overhead expenses are cut. This means resources can be put to other uses.

2. Inclusion of mobile workers

Hot desking is very accommodating to remote workers and mobile users because it lets them join in the office more freely. If desks are not “owned” to employees by the company, it’s less emphasis on filling the desk or being in the office. This allows for more flexibility and acceptance of the fact that some employees have more mobility than others.

3. Facilitates collaboration

A more social culture in the workplace is naturally promoted when desks are not allocated individually and desk neighbors are changed daily. Teams communicate more effectively and the workplace can be more cooperative. This also creates a certain newness that can often be absent in traditional settings. But, remember that you’ll most likely require an effective hot desking policy to avoid issues that can hinder collaboration and teamwork.

4. Increased utilization of space

Space is typically better utilized when desk numbers are reduced or fewer desks are used. The clutter is lessened and a more tidy environment is created as desks need to be cleaned and cleared daily. This opens up the space and decreases the amount of visual stimulation which can have a positive effect on productivity and concentration. It also creates a good impression on customers visiting the office.

5. Promotes equality and enhances communication

If everyone is equally treated prior to the desk calendar, the hierarchy of the workplace are naturally flattened and offices become an even playing field. This promotes more networking and relating with greater speed both horizontally as well as vertically.

Additionally, this can also help to aid people in positions of decision-making get an understanding of how things work “on the ground”.

Advantages of hot desk Finsbury Park

Of course hot desking isn’t all sunshine and roses. It’s better to be familiar with the downsides so that you’re aware of these or be prepared to deal with them right from the start. Some of the negatives that are often reported by companies are:

1. The less personalization

Some employees might feel their workplace as less personalized because of the lack of allocated spaces. If the workplace begins to lose appeal, it might feel sterile and alien which could affect the culture of the company and people’s sense as belonging to the company. This will, in turn reduce productivity and increase satisfaction.

2. A reversal of hierarchy

The greater equality of people promoted by hot desking could be perceived as a sneering form of disruption in organizations with the most rigid vertical and rigid structures. If your business is adamant about the distinction between managers, employees and the executive level Hot desking strategies must be adapted to accommodate this aspect.

3. The increase in IT resources

While hot-desking can decrease office usage and overhead costs it can potentially increase the costs associated with IT. At the very least it will strain the IT department’s resources.

One option to address the issue is the introduction of hot desk scheduling software. This system opens to IT tools for managing the new office configuration for maintaining working stations and networks, while employees are given the freedom to pick their own desks.

4. Strict health and safety policies are required

In order to create the neat and tidy environment that hot desking promises You may have to adopt new health, safety and cleaning guidelines. The employees will have to exercise greater care and responsibility and possibly develop new habits.

Also, it is important to be aware of employees who have special needs. In a traditional workplace, employees with specific needs can be assured of a work environment that is specifically designed for their needs. In a hot-desking environment it is necessary to make changes that will allow them to participate with the same ease as before.

5. Changes in routine

Employees who are accustomed to the routine and fixed configuration and want more privacy could experience some disruption. Although they might be able to adapt however, these disruptions could result in a decline in productivity. Be prepared for instability in the meantime!

6. Intermittent communication breakdown

While communication may ultimately improve at first, it is not always easy to maintain. Since employees are in various locations each day, tracking employees may be difficult. To deal with the situation, you’ll likely have to establish new communication channels and policies to make sure that important messages reach everyone in the company.

However, this is not an issue if have remote work policies implemented that already require you to set up reliable communications channels.

Is hot desking right for your company?

One method to determine if hot-desking could be beneficial to you is to conduct an employee survey. If you have more input it is possible to determine that your business is fit for the challenge and that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Or, alternatively, you might find very little support for this type of arrangement.

In addition, you can try out hot desking on a smaller scale such as by using a small team before taking any decisions on the company’s overall strategy. If it doesn’t pan out, you could scale back to the standard arrangement.

Hot desking isn’t for everyone. Whether it is right for your company depends on the culture of your company and how well your employees are comfortable working at the office. You should also include in the mix what importance is given to having a distinct and distinct space. The main reason for hot desking is to increase productivity by facilitating collaboration and communication. This is what you should be thinking about when coming to the right decision.