Hot desking is a useful way of working in an office space for companies both large and small. Instead of team members having their own desks, they choose an available desk and work there. That could be on a first-come, first-served basis, or there could be a hot desk booking policy.

Hot desk workspaces can complement a flexible office especially well. They’re also able to augment the traditional office by giving employees options of where to work, all while freeing up space for part-time or hybrid staff.

For some companies, there are benefits to going 100% hot-desked. But, if you’re thinking about providing hot desk facilities for your team, you need to make sure it’s right for them.

Below, we’ll cover the pros and cons of hot desking, as well as looking into how you can determine whether hot desking is right for you and your business.

The advantages of hot desking

Hot desk office spaces work perfectly for some work environments, but not for others. While considering your workspace, think about how the benefits of hot desking can apply to you and your business.

1. Better use of office space

If each employee has a dedicated desk, it can sit idle when they are on holiday, off sick, or working away from the office. That’s wasted space, which means higher office costs.

Having a hot desk arrangement means you need fewer desks and therefore a smaller office. Overall, this leads to a greater cost-efficiency, a business only pays for the space that they use.

2. More flexibility with teams and groups

Hot desking makes it easier for workers to form ad hoc groups to work on projects. An example of this flexibility it temporarily set aside adjacent desks for team projects, without having to move others around.

3. Attracts more talent

A less rigid arrangement can attract creative talent. After all, hot desking helps promote a healthier work-life balance, allowing employees to work in an environment they feel comfortable in.

4. Tidier workspaces

Hot desk spaces tend to be tidier and clutter-free, as people can’t leave their personal belongings or work-related equipment lying around. Hot desk sites often have guidelines to promote cleanliness, which is that users should leave the desk as they found it.

The disadvantages of hot desking

It’s worth remembering that there can be drawbacks to the concept of hot desking. Some of these drawbacks can explain why companies may be hesitant to make use of hot desking.

1. Less cohesion with teams

Some teams work better together, rather than being broken up or regularly disrupted.

If there’s a group that needs to constantly bounce ideas off each other or work together (such as sales and marketing), they’re often better off always sitting together.

Managers and leaders also have to think about different ways to engage and communicate with their teams in hot desking setups.

2. Doesn’t allow personalisation

It can be inconvenient for staff who store items they use in their desk drawers. It's also harder to personalise desks, such as with family photos and seasonal decorations.

3. Can make hierarchy difficult to determine

A visible hierarchy might be beneficial. That could be to let staff know who to turn to when they need help with work.

Some companies might simply like their managers and team leaders to have eyes on employees constantly, to keep them working efficiently. Laid-back office environments, such as primarily hot desk-based offices, don’t suit every organisation.

It’s worth noting that you can minimise most of these disadvantages by having a hybrid system. This is where coworking and remote spaces work alongside regular open-plan and private offices.

How to assess whether hot desking is right for your business needs

Before deciding on hot desk spaces for your business, make sure it’s what you and your team need. The pros and cons above are a good place to start.

However, you should consider whether the benefits are worth it, considering the drawbacks. No system is perfect, but if the pros outweigh the cons, you might unlock long-term benefits for your business.

1. Consider professional culture and work dynamics

Hot desk facilities are considered more relaxed than regular office spaces. Part of that is simply because it feels more easily accessible.

This can help if your business doesn’t stick to conventional teams or departments, such as those that opt for ‘pods’ or a looser structure in their hierarchy.

An example would be where sales and R&D teams often collaborate but still have their own specific goals.

2. Analyse current workspace and infrastructure

A compelling reason to choose coworking spaces is the underutilisation of resources.

A full-time employee gets four to six weeks of annual leave. With sickness, work-from-home days, using coworking locations, and visiting clients, a desk might only be used 50% of the time.

Multiply that by a team of 30 and you’ll discover you’re needlessly paying for dozens of square metres of space.

Businesses have been edging towards more flexible offices for a decade or so. Now, it’s normal for companies to blend flexible working with a traditional office setup.

That usually means team members choose between working at their own desk, from home, or at a remote coworking space. Introducing hot desks also means the benefits of being in the office are fulfilled, but the flexibility and cost savings remain.

3. Evaluate employee preferences and work styles

It’s important to really determine what type of working structure your team works best with. Providing a setup that’s attractive to what’s typical in your sector, such as creative industries being more flexible with team setups, can benefit your overall business.

Consider factors like meetings. Whether your team engages in daily briefings or they simply opt for the occasional catchup can determine if hot desking will be a good fit.

For example, teams who regularly keep in contact and prefer consistent meetings may work better with dedicated desks. On the other hand, hot desking suits a team that’s regularly in and out of the office.

You simply need to ask your staff how they prefer to work and whether they’d like to engage in hot desking. After all, workplace arrangements such as this often work best when both management and employees agree to them.

4. Implement a hot desking trial period

If you’ve weighed up the push and pull factors and have the blessing of your staff, it’s time to research this new business model. Luckily, you don’t have to go all in straight away.

You can try hot desking away from your current office for a week or two. Research the coworking space businesses near your office, and find out if they provide day passes or short-term contracts.

Regus offers day offices and can grant your employees short-term contracts to work in our shared office spaces.

At the end of the trial period, have a debrief session. Don’t forget to include those who didn’t hot desk, as it might have affected them too.

5. Assess hot desk coworking providers

If you’re happy with the trial run of hot desking, it’s time to find the perfect office for the setup. In most cases, businesses want a hybrid system, where there’s a set number of employees working in the office, such as those at a management level, while the rest are hot desking.

It also helps if there are meeting rooms to hire, printing facilities, and a receptionist to greet guests and help your team.

Regus has custom offices all over the world, so wherever you want to set up shop, there are flexible, fully supported spaces available.

6. Provide training and support

Some team members might have worked in traditional office spaces for decades. Considering this, you must help them through the process of adjusting to hot desks.

If you have a desk booking system, whether it’s through a website or mobile app, people will need to be trained on how it works. Otherwise, you risk double-booking and leaving desks empty.

7. Monitor and evaluate the results

Finally, give the hot desking up to six months to smooth out initial issues. By then, you should be able to determine how your employees have adjusted to hot desking.

You should also be able to see how it affects your bottom line. You might save money compared to managing an oversized office, but if low productivity counteracts the savings, it’s time to rethink.

Find hot desks with Regus

If hot desking turns out to be perfect for your business, you’ve got two options.

You can keep your entire operation under one roof and dedicate an area to this new alternative. Or, you can maintain a small regular office, but let your staff use hot desks in other locations.

Either way, Regus offers working solutions for you and your business. We’ve got fully serviced coworking spaces in every major city around the world. Wherever your staff are, and wherever they want to be, they can always drop in and get productive.

With day passes and custom offices, you can tailor your spaces to meet your exact needs and keep costs to a minimum. Talk to an expert to find out more today.