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Hot desking has become the magic solution for hybrid work environment today. From ensuring safety protocols are met to fostering a more collaborative space, this office arrangement helps in optimal hybrid space management.
Unlike the traditional method of one desk per employee, hot desking ensures optimal office space and resource utilization through desk sharing.
Besides, the concept of hot desking is nothing new. It has been around since the 1990s. Back then, the staff would reach the office and choose whichever desk was available.
But today, they can use a desk booking app to reserve desks in real-time or in advance. This has allowed flexible work to thrive.
Hot desking is an arrangement where employees who want specific workstations, conference rooms, and resources for a productive day’s work can get so. The benefits of hot desking also includes helping managers with better space management. Once they know how many desks will be in use the next day, they can deploy staff to sanitize them and prep them with the right resources.
Yet, many companies remain hesitant due to certain myths.
7 Hot Desking Myths Busted
Myth 1. Employees Do Not Want a Different Desk Each Time
Managers feel that employees, especially those who have been around for a long time, develop an affinity toward a particular workstation. While this may have once held true, it is certainly not the case post-pandemic.
Today, most workers are willing to give up assigned desks if they receive the flexibility to choose their own desks. And the co-workers they can sit next to.
Myth 2. Hot Desking is Only Useful for Freelancers
Certain companies feel that hot desking leads to a make-shift arrangement, which is too casual for an office setup and more suited for contractual workers. But, if this was the case, why are some of the world’s largest companies like Microsoft, Samsung, and others opting for more flexible office space?
Hot desking renders a less stressful vibe to the office atmosphere and allows employees to focus on work rather than arranging desks and resources each time they show up at the office. It also helps companies optimize the space available.
For example, due to hot desking, several firms realized they did not need bigger offices, but only better desk management.
Myth 3. Employees Will Not Use Hot Desking Even If It is Available
Some may believe that the sheer inertia of adopting something new will deter workers from hot desking. However, workers today prefer on-demand amenities. For instance, most workers are already used to booking tables at restaurants and theaters. The office space need not be different.
All IT managers need to do is equip employees with a user-friendly hot desking booking tool that allows them to reserve a seat through their smartphones. This grants employees the autonomy to plan their week ahead of time.
Myth 4. Sharing Desks is Unsafe
Desk booking applications that allow hot desking also alert facility managers whenever a desk needs cleanliness and sanitizing after use. They can visually check the workstations in use on any given day and schedule thorough cleanups by deploying the janitorial staff.
Once workstations are spick and span, the managers can post the updated floor plan on the desk booking app. So when employees log in for hot desking, they will only find clean desk options.
Myth 5. Offices Will Require Hordes of Lockers
This is untrue. Employees who are hot desking and coming to the office once or twice a week will not bring a lot of personal belongings. Since they do not spend as much time away from their loved ones as they did in a traditional office setup, they will most likely bring only the bare necessities.
It could just be a laptop bag and a lunch box. So, they will not need hordes of lockers to keep their stuff.
However, there is a precondition here. Managers will need to make sure that every hot desk has appropriate resources for the job.
Myth 6. Potential Clients Will Not Take Businesses Seriously
Certain managers feel that clients see flex offices as casual workspaces. They may think offices with rotational desks lack structure and hierarchy.
This is a myth. Many clients feel the open atmosphere and flexibility of desk choice promote productivity rather than being chained to a desk. It does not take away from an employee’s commitment to work.
Myth 7. Hot Desking Risks Privacy
The final myth around hot desking is felt by both managers and employees. They think sharing desks may lead to data loss, or worse, data breach.
This does not happen as most employees work on laptops, which they carry home afterward. But, more importantly, facility managers always have visibility on who uses which desk at what time, thanks to the desk booking solution. So, it is near impossible for any data breach or loss to occur.
To Sum Up
There is a reason why hybrid workplaces facilitated by hot desking systems are becoming popular with each passing day. With the kind of flexibility and space utilization they promise, companies can save money and keep workers happy simultaneously. So, believing in the many myths around the concept is foolhardy.
To pull off hot desking successfully, however, a desk booking solution is a must-have. If you are looking for one, turn to WorkInSync desk booking solution.
It is a one-stop solution for all your hybrid workplace needs. From facilitating hot desking to desking hoteling, employee and resource scheduling to workplace analytics, there is a lot you can achieve with WorkInSync. Opt for a demo to learn more about the product.
