Hot desking: 5 advantages of flexible workspaces in the company
Given that people spend a large part of their lives in the office, it is only natural to imagine that employers' efforts to contribute to the comfort of their employees are focused on providing satisfying workspaces.
Hot desking, hybrid working and flexible working are models that test the workplace and its ability to provide employees with the conditions they need to engage with their work and generate better results.
While national projects such as the four-day working week are being endorsed by the government, companies in Spain continue to focus on office design and shared workspaces as measures to improve employee health and productivity.
Stay with us and find out what hot desking is all about in this article. Also, how to ensure that its implementation in your company provides the necessary advantages for your business to continue to be a benchmark of quality, wellbeing and success.
What is a hot desk?
Origin of the concept
The origin of this concept dates back to the 16th century, when in the US Navy, more than one crew member was assigned a bed on board a submarine. This was known as " hot racking" and was intended to optimise the physical space available.
☝️ It was hot because the bed remained "warm" when the new occupant arrived to use it.
In a modern workplace context, the term appeared in the 1990s and began to be applied in business centres as individual workstations became unnecessary.
English definition of hot desking
A hot desk is defined as a desk made available to workers under the premise of using it when they need it and within a rotational work model.
In this sense, the concept of hot desking designates the practice of implementing shared desks in the office, instead of assigning them individually or permanently; that is, in exchange for them belonging to a particular worker.
It is also known as "hot desking" or "hot table" when we refer to the fact of not having fixed and immovable desks.
Hot desking: advantages and disadvantages
Rising rental values are a phenomenon that has been occurring for some time and tends to intensify as cities become more dense.
Fortunately, similarly, technological advances have allowed companies to require less and less physical presence of their workers, offsetting, to some extent, the growing need for office space and facilities.
Because of this, it is no surprise that methods such as hot desking are being implemented in the enterprise as a cost-saving strategy. But this is not the only advantage this model offers. Properly implemented, it can bring many other benefits.
Advantages of hot desking
A study by Steelcase and Ipsos on work behaviours found that only 13% of workers worldwide are satisfied with their workspace. What is striking about this figure, according to the study, is the relationship between satisfaction with the workplace and the degree to which people are committed to their missions.
Hence, it is important to consider new models that contribute to improving the way workers feel when they are in the office. In that sense, some of the benefits that hot desking could offer for this purpose are the following:
Higher levels of creativity 2.
A well-designed, welcoming, comfortable and clean workspace becomes the ideal setting to encourage the inspiration of the people who work in it.
Boehringer Ingelheim 's new offices in Connecticut are proof of how spacious, modern workspaces can promote well-being and collaboration.
2. More pleasant working environments
A properly managed hot desking system helps to keep the office cleaner and frees up space. Minimalist desks where there is no longer an abundance of personal items, as well as a larger area available to provide for breakout or recreation rooms, become the norm.
3. Significant cost savings
Considering that around 40% of office space remains empty throughout the working day, opting for a space-efficient model is only logical. The logical consequence? A reduction in operating costs of up to 30% (source: Verdict, English media).
4. Better networking
Having to move from one position in the office to another necessarily means discovering new colleagues and their positions and ways of working. This fosters the creation of connections between colleagues in the same company who, not being part of the same team, would never have met before.
5. Modernisation and business transformation
The world of work has had to adapt rapidly to the changing demands of the market. Models such as hot desking or coworking encourage the digital transformation of companies, thanks to the fact that they are supported by automated and deployable tools in the cloud.
Potential challenges of the hot desking model
It is possible that if hot desking is not implemented correctly, it can become a double-edged sword for the companies that opt for it. In contrast to the advantages it offers, here are some of the challenges it brings:
- Increased logistics in business management. Since in this model workers take the position that suits them best when they arrive, more logistics are needed at management level to ensure that work is well organised and that the functioning of the teams is not affected.
- Disconnection of the worker from the workplace. As the office is a place where people spend a considerable number of hours a day and a space in which they develop professionally and personally, it is normal for them to feel the need for a customisable space. Flexible workspaces, on the contrary, eradicate this possibility and tend to make offices impersonal spaces with which people feel no connection.
- Detrimental to communication. As opposed to a possible improvement in terms of business networking, hot desking could be degrading communication. With the reality of teams having to split up and spread out across the office, communication between teams can be hindered and this can be reflected in the long run in the bottom line.
- Inequality in the workplace. When rules are not applied to all members of an organisation in the same way, it creates a sense of differentiation and favouritism that is generally not appreciated by employees.
- Lack of concentration. In open workplaces, while having the opportunity to talk to different colleagues can strengthen team bonds, the noise generated by constant chatter can be a major source of distraction.
How can the hot desking model be successfully implemented in Spanish teleworking companies?
Today, much more than before, workers are becoming aware of their work context. This leads them to demand better contractual conditions and higher quality in the physical environment.
This is why companies must be able to offer the necessary wellbeing to attract the best talent and allow them to remain competitive.
Here are some aspects to consider if you are exploring the possibility of implementing a hot desking model for your company.
- Interior design. Pay special attention to the design of the spaces to ensure that they are pleasant, bright and well organised. In the same way, you make sure you allocate areas that people can use depending on the work they have to do (in groups or individually, for example).
- Don't neglect privacy. Even in companies whose workspaces are open and shared, it is important to set aside places where people can:
- Work without distractions,
- make phone or video calls without being interrupted,
- hold meetings.
- Organise and coordinate face-to-face work. If you are thinking of introducing this modality for your company, perhaps it is because you do not have enough space to accommodate all your staff at the same time. Create a calendar and organise the face-to-face work of your employees, suggesting a few days of presence per team.
- Implement adapted tools. To ensure continuity of activity and good teamwork, be sure to include in your flexible work plan collaborative tools such as:
- Task and project managers,
- communication tools,
- collaborative work software.
- Sensitise workers to change. Beyond the technical and operational aspects, bear in mind that at the beginning, some people may not want to be part of a flexible work environment. This will require support and explanation of the reasons for implementation and the benefits of this model.
As you have seen, transforming the way organisations work requires changes not only in terms of the configuration of the physical space, but also in terms of the business culture and people's mindset. So that you don't have to deprive yourself of novel proposals that can revolutionise your business, make sure you take the necessary steps to make the most of them.
Article translated from Spanish