Hot desking is a growing post-COVID trend and knowing hot desking advantages and disadvantages could put your office space ahead of the game. This type of trend may not be as well-known as more popular types such as the hybrid office or flex space. However, hot desking has definitely become a much more recognized addition that the post-COVID world has handed office workers.
What is Hot Desking?
Hot desking is a new strategy many offices are taking on where workers have full reign of the space they work in and no area is ever reserved for one person or another. This method of working can also be known as “free address” because every worker finds their desk or couch or chair on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Hot desking examples would be a worker walking into an open concept office space and deciding to work at the row of computers that day rather than the cubicle. Another hot desking example would be that same worker deciding to work on their laptop from the couch that same afternoon. There is never a set space for anyone to work at during their day and the flexibility to seek change is constant.
Advantages
Self-Employed Success
For those who are entrepreneurs, freelance workers or self-employed, working in a hot desking coworking space or office could benefit your business routine. When you create your own schedule and have the choice of where to work, finding a hot desking office where you can snag the nearest computer or hop on the comfiest couch is ideal. Without the rigidity of needing a strict place to work, those who travel often for their job could definitely reap the benefits of hot desking.
Less Clutter
Hot desking does not confine anyone to one space for a long period of time. It also means no one person can leave their work bag and notebooks on the desk. This prevents clutter from accumulating at the hot desking stations and wasted space is not normally an issue. Desks and tabletop work spaces are easier to maintain without personal belongings being left overnight or being used to “reserve” a desk for the next day.
New Collaborations
Research done by the Academy of Management showed that relationships and collaborations easily occur in coworking spaces where hot desking options are available. This is because hot desking offices where workers from all different niches can come together allows for unique conversation. When you put diverse workers into the same setting, innovative experiences are bound to happen.
Disadvantages
Lack of Privacy
When working in an open space, privacy can be an at-risk element. Cubicles and business offices allow for protection of important documents. Using the same computer in the same space also increases security. Depending on the kind of work being done, a hot desking office may not be ideal if most of the work is very private.
Struggles to Find Space
Since there are no reservations on spaces at hot desking offices, finding a spot can be extremely difficult during certain parts of the day. It can sometimes take fifteen or more minutes just to find a spot if it is a busy time of the day. On top of that, you may have a preference regarding work space or maybe you need a standing desk, but none are available. These issues happen often and play a huge role when it comes to the pros and cons of hot desking.
Cleanliness Concerns
Even though reduced clutter is a benefit of hot desking, cleanliness is a different scenario when it comes to this kind of work space. With COVID-19 forcing people to increase their sanitary protocols, hot desking spaces must sanitize and clean often because so many different people come in and out of their doors each day. The diversity and number of those who come to coworking offices is great, but that also means more germs and more of the unknown comes through the doors. This can cause issues when maintaining the cleanliness of these spaces.