Ah, hot desking, you either love it or you hate it; a little like Marmite, there are few people who have an in-between opinion on this, one of the most contentious modern office systems around.
In case you’re not aware, hot desking is a type of working situation in which nobody in an office has a set desk. No more desk personalisation with fluffy toys and endless photographs, and as a result, employers can actually streamline the amount of stylish office furniture they own, thus saving cash and space. The idea is that there staff will then choose where they want to sit every day, i.e. sitting next to a certain person if they’re working closely with them on a project, or choosing to be away from the main office space, in a quieter part, for focused work.
The idea is the hot desking is a way to increase productivity within an office space, but it certainly has its haters, as well as those who love it. For instance, you may have an employee who likes to have everything ‘just so’, e.g. they like to know where they’re going to sit and they like to have the same desk every day - it’s their desk, after all. On the other hand, you may have an employee who likes change, who finds motivation in different spots on a daily basis. Whether hot desking works for you or not really depends on your employees and the type of work you do.
For a slightly light-hearted take on hot desking, check out this video.
Whilst this video might make you smile and certainly isn’t in the camp of hot desking lovers, it does raise some very valid points.
Some employees simply don’t suit a hot desking arrangement. Whilst modern office chairs can easily be adjusted these days to fit any person and their specific needs, some people simply like their own space. Helping your staff to embrace change is key, but it’s certainly not an easy task.
This brings us back to our original question, is hot desking here to stay?
Some say yes, some say no. The Guardian, for example, thinks that flexible working is the future, and even remote working.
Allowing employees to sit where they want is a form of flexible working to a degree, but the thought is that more flexible meeting room furniture and general office choices need to be implemented, e.g. long desks for collaboration and zones where people can brainstorm. The idea that work is a formal spot is probably going to disappear as the years roll on, and a more team-working, collaborative ethos, a more informal vibe, is likely to take over.
How does that make you feel?
It sounds good, but then again, most humans don’t like change, and every office has employees who resist any type of change.
Again, strong leadership and the ability to show employees the advantages over the disadvantages is key.
Regardless of whether hot desking is here to stay or not, it certainly requires a planned focus. For example, each member of staff will need some form of contemporary office furniture, store their belongings. You might end up with a ‘storage trolley park’ of sorts! Doing your research and looking into how you can make hot desking work for you, or not as the case may be, is therefore vital, but shopping around and finding the best office furniture supplier to actually kit out your hot desking endeavours is important too.
What do you think about hot desking? Is it something you’ve tried and love, or is it something you really can’t take to? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!