As facility managers contemplate newer ways to brace for a full capacity return of the employees to the workplace, a heated discussion in every company’s breakout room continues to be whether to adopt hot desking or not! To all those new to the lingo, hot desking refers to an arrangement that permits the employees to choose their own desks as per their suitability and convenience!
Why is hot desking gaining more traction today than ever before? Well, the reason is pretty simple. With the paradigm shift that the covid induced lockdown had created, employees had to shift to the work-from-home arrangement. However, now as all corporate places prepare to welcome them back, hot desking has found itself to be of paramount relevance.
There are myriad reasons why one should or should not adopt hot desking. Like every coin, the two sides of this debate are overly discussed. Let us see what would work best for you and your workplace.
Why does your office space require hot desking?
Cost-effective
One of the driving reasons for adopting hot desk management software has been cost-effectiveness. Hot desking is capable of cutting costs by up to 30%. Given the profitability scope, facility managers are naturally enticed by the proposition. It permits the organization to utilize the office spaces fruitfully by only maintaining the areas that are required for operation. This is rather cost-effective and improves communication and productivity. Hot desking is a modern and highly efficient office arrangement serving as a low-cost solution to attract and further retain staff.
Suitable for remote and mobile workers
With the advent of technology, we have witnessed the services industries booming more than ever. These workplaces and the service providers and interns do not require a permanent office layout. Multiple sectors like consulting and sales have a team that is usually mobile and majorly traveling as part of their corporate routine. That being said, a hot desk booking system allows utilizing the space effectively by only maintaining what is required. The additional space created can be utilized for better, newer purposes.
Encourages a better office culture
The hot desking arrangement allows free-flowing conversations and interaction between peers. A flexible office layout allows different people to engage and brainstorm innovative ideas to improve productivity and efficiency. Hotdesking promotes synergy and increases internal cooperation within the team. Interactive space also works well in breaking corporate monotony.
Tidier and more minimal environment
Office space booking system allows the workplace to remain neat and tidy. The uncluttered office spaces also give the correct impression to potential clients and visitors. It further also ensures that the employees like their working environment.
Easier management for Covid protocols
With the Covid 19 induced safety protocols and the safety concerns of employees in returning to the office, the hot desking booking system allows the management to maintain real-time records of the office layout and efficiently sanitize the premises.
Arguments against Hot Desking
Resistance to change
While hot desking allows maximum creativity and flexibility in the workplace, the workforce might resist adopting new ways. But isn’t this the pattern of the universe? With time, training, and awareness, the mentality towards possessing a good hot desk reservation system could be easily worked upon by the organization.
Blurs the office hierarchy
Due to flexible seating arrangements, oftentimes, the rigid workplace hierarchy lines are blurred. This should not be viewed as a disadvantage but rather a positive change brought about in the office setup. However, today, it is rather promoted that everyone works together as colleagues to promote free-flowing learning and boundariless interactions.
Requires an efficient platform
The dilemma of being able to deploy the right kind of platform could seem a challenge for some. However, hiring experts in the workplace domain with effective hot desking software customized as per your needs is crucial. Smooth operations, installation, and analysis is critical to making the right decisions by the relevant stakeholders.
Hot desking: The way forward
This is a debate that continues to date. The answer to this question lies in what your workplace and employees seek for better functioning. Conducting surveys or taking mock runs of such an arrangement can open the minds of the workforce to the idea of hot desking and might prove to be highly lucrative for the business in the long run.
As one of the leading global partners in the SaaS domain, Veris strongly advocates the concept of hot desking to be the way ahead. The future of the modern workforce is one that’s flexible, resilient, and agile. It’s time for you to figure out whether to hot desk or not; what works best for you?
*The statistics have been derived from a Zenefits (Workest) survey and an Inc. article, titled “Here’s What Happens When You Take Away Dedicated Desks for Employees.”
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