Hot desking

“Hot desking” refers to reserving flexible workspaces in an office that aren’t assigned to a specific employee. These spaces act as a perfect solution for hybrid work by giving people a physical place to sit when they visit the office, rather than a dedicated personal desk—which takes up space and goes unused when people are working remotely.

Prepandemic, dedicated cubicles for each employee were extremely popular, with other employers opting for a mix of cubes and individual offices and some choosing open-concept floor plans. Today, as many offices begin reopening, hot desking has become a popular option for hybrid workers.

Hot desking typically uses a form of hot desking software that allows employees to view which flexible desks are available at the office on a given day and time. They can then book the seat they’d like to work from for a full or partial day so it’s ready for them when they arrive. Depending on how an office with hot desking spaces (or a “hot desking office”) is set up, workers might bring their own laptop or might already have a computer at the desk that they can sign in to with their credentials to access company drives, files, and folders.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed work life forever. Suddenly, organizations were rushing to figure out how to make remote work fit their needs. As global health concerns diminish, it’s become clear that the return to physical offices won’t look like it did prepandemic. According to a 2022 Work Trend Index report, several reasons contribute to this:

• What people want out of work and what they’re willing to sacrifice for a job has evolved—53 percent of workers are now more likely to prioritize their health and wellbeing over work, while 18 percent of respondents quit their jobs last year.
• Leaders need to make the office worth the commute—38 percent of hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office.
• Rebuilding work relationships looks different in a hybrid world—while most hybrid workers have been able to maintain their team bonds (58 percent), only half of remote workers say they have a thriving relationship with their direct team, and even fewer (42 percent) have a strong relationship with those outside their team.

Hot desking provides a strong solution for these concerns and obstacles by enabling a balanced mix of at-home and in-office time. In an office, employees still get the benefit of seeing coworkers in person, resulting in greater bonding trust, and teamwork, and hot desking allows employees to achieve this with flexibility.

When it comes to strengthening coworker relationships, hot desking can also be a great aid. Even though virtual meeting technology has advanced significantly since March 2020 to become more engaging, for some situations, there’s nothing quite like face-to-face in-person interaction. In a hot desking office, employees still get the benefit of seeing coworkers in person, resulting in greater bonding, trust, and teamwork.