Desk sharing - Your way to a hybrid work environment

Desk sharing, coupled with hybrid working, is on everyone's lips. Today's working world knows the home office just as well as the office, but we are wrong to assume that the latter is threatened with extinction. Remote work has many advantages, but on average employees only want to work 2-3 days away from the office.

What exactly does desk sharing mean in this context?

Desk sharing describes a workstation model in which employees do not have permanently assigned workstations, and this in an office in which there are usually more people than seats. The hybrid work model can be perfectly combined with the concept of desk sharing.

The Corona pandemic forced most companies to radically rethink rigid workplace models. Now, flexibility is the name of the game. Either you work from home, or you come into the office from time to time. But if everyone can spontaneously decide whether to come into the office or not, many desks may remain unoccupied. To minimize costs here, desk sharing is being introduced. Employees can either book their seats in advance, which is known as hotelling, or look for a free seat every day at the start of the workday, which is known as hot desking.

What are the advantages of desk sharing?

The concept enables companies to significantly reduce operating costs, as office space can be downsized, thus saving on heating and lighting costs.

Apart from the question of money, desk sharing has one advantage above all: flexibility. Employees can choose the right working environment depending on the work to be done.

Furthermore, desk sharing is synonymous with an exchange of knowledge and experience, because employees who change jobs every day are constantly in new contact with different teams and departments. Informal discussions in particular can lead to mutual understanding, which positively influences the cohesion and loyalty of employees and can drive the company's innovativeness in the long term.

What are the challenges of the desk sharing model, and how can they be overcome?

In addition to all the advantages, desk sharing also represents a major change and thus potential stress for employees. To prevent this, it is recommended that the introduction of desk sharing always be coupled with a change management process.

In addition to the psychological impact, the setup time and associated effort can also be a challenge. However, this can be kept to a minimum by integrating height-adjustable desks and the necessary technology.

Companies should also consider implementing a clean desk policy. Creating and maintaining order may sound trivial at first, but it is nevertheless a basic requirement for a workplace that is designed to promote productivity.

Last but not least, companies should invest in a software tool that is easy to use and makes booking the individually desired workstation as simple as possible. Flexible workplaces can be established efficiently in companies if supporting software is available.

Conclusion

Implementing desk sharing in a company ensures better use of existing resources and a better monitoring of office occupancy, thereby significantly reduces costs for office equipment, energy, and even rent. In addition, desk sharing can be a great motivator for employees by alternating working from home and presence in the office. Employees network organically, and their creativity and productivity are boosted by frequent changes of location.

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