What Is Hot Desking? Definition, Advantages, Requirements and Alternatives
Hot desking is a flexible office concept where employees don't have fixed workstations but instead choose available desks daily, allowing companies to optimize space usage while promoting collaboration and flexibility, though it requires proper equipment, digital tools, and clear guidelines to implement successfully.
If you're new to office management, you may have never heard of hot desking If that's the case, it's time we took a closer look at this exciting office concept! In this blog post, you'll learn everything about the meaning of hot desking, the advantages it offers, and what you need to implement it in your business. Let's go!
Hot desking definition: what is it?
Hot desking is a flexible office concept in which employees do not have a fixed workplace, but instead look for a new desk every day or even several times a day. The idea behind it is to make optimal use of the available workstations by only providing as many desks as are actually needed.
The advantages of hot desking
Hot desking offers some interesting advantages for companies and employees:
1. Flexibility: You can choose the workplace that best suits your tasks and needs every day.
2. Cost savings: Companies can save on office space because they don't have to provide a fixed desk for each employee.
3. Collaboration: Changing workplaces allows you to come into contact with different colleagues and exchange ideas.
4. Modern work culture: Hot desking is perfectly suited to agile working methods and flat hierarchies.
What do you need for hot desking?
To successfully implement hot desking, a few requirements are necessary:
1. Flexible workplaces: The desks should be equipped with everything you need for work (e.g. monitor, keyboard, mouse).
2. Digital tools: You need the right tools to book workstations and communicate with your team.
3. Clear rules: There should be rules about how workstations are used and left clean.
4. Open corporate culture: Hot desking works best in companies with an open, flexible culture.
Alternatives to hot desking
Hot desking is not the right solution for every company and every employee. Alternatives include:
Desk sharing: several employees share a fixed desk, using it on different days.
Home office: if employees work from home, fewer desks are needed in the office.
Hybrid working: a combination of home office and on-site work in the office also enables flexible use of workstations.
By the way: our Desk Booking Tool is the perfect complement to hot desking. It makes it easy for employees to find and book available workstations. Why not give it a try!