Office flexibility has lengthy been an vital part of worker expertise and productiveness. Flexibility sometimes means giving folks extra alternative and management, which helps drive their productiveness, as we’ll focus on intimately under.
Flexibility within the office was an vital dialogue earlier than the pandemic, however COVID-19 accelerated these conversations and moved flexibility from a nice-to-have to a necessity for all staff and their organizations. Hybrid work is only one of many versatile work practices spurred on by the pandemic.
Sizzling desking has develop into a particularly well-liked resolution for contemporary workplaces. In actual fact, almost 90% of organizations have absolutely or partially carried out room and desk reserving software program to accommodate issues like scorching desking and streamlined assembly room administration.
Sizzling Desks and Versatile Work
Earlier than we start exploring the rising recognition and use of a scorching desk strategy in corporations around the globe, we’ll start by clearly defining the idea. At its easiest, scorching desking means folks don’t have assigned desks within the workplace. A list of desks are as an alternative open to, and bookable by, everybody.
Sizzling desking makes eminent sense in a world of hybrid work the place maybe 30% of staff come into the workplace on a Tuesday and 25% are available on a Friday. What’s the purpose of sustaining the pre-pandemic system of designated desks when most of these desks will go unused? If 40-60% of your 100 pre-assigned, mounted desks are going unused throughout the week, you’re losing numerous workplace house and cash.
Implementing scorching desking sometimes implies that organizations want fewer desks to accommodate their staff. For instance: if 40% of your 100 staff are available on Tuesday you might fulfill your weekly wants by having 50 scorching desks as an alternative of 100 designated desks.
A scorching desking work surroundings is typically related to the idea of open plan places of work, however they’re two completely different concepts. Open plan places of work implies that the group’s bodily workplace has no walled-off places of work, so everybody sits in a big, open plan house the place they will simply see one another.
A scorching desking coverage and an open flooring plan workplace hierarchy can go collectively, after all, with each encouraging staff to speak within the open, however the two practices don’t must go collectively: an open workplace format can have pre-assigned desks and a set seating association (simply not personal places of work).
The Development of Sizzling Desking
Whereas scorching desking was round for a few years earlier than the pandemic, it’s develop into considerably extra widespread immediately, particularly when built-in right into a hybrid work mannequin. One in 5 US staff shouldn’t have an assigned desk proper now. For the reason that pandemic, organizations have gotten much better at understanding the way to implement scorching desking in an workplace surroundings in a method that:
- Reduces their workplace footprints and associated CRE price financial savings
- Makes it simpler for warm desking staff to e-book desks and assembly house as wanted
- Helps the worker expertise and other people’s productiveness in immediately’s hybrid office
- Permits organizations to regulate their scorching desking strategy based mostly on utilization knowledge and office analytics
From an worker perspective, scorching desking encourages folks to maneuver round, permitting for extra open conversations with folks from throughout the group. It could actually additionally encourage collaboration in a complete new method, sparking cross-functional innovation.
Some Potential Cons of Sizzling Desking
When managed poorly, there are some cons of scorching desking corresponding to:
- Individuals competing over desks
- Difficulties finding colleagues and staff members across the workspace
- A lessened sense of possession over shared workspace
Every of those cons of scorching desking maintain the potential to negatively affect worker productiveness and improve worker turnover. As we’ll see under, whether or not scorching desking promotes folks’s productiveness (or not) relies upon largely on the way it’s carried out and managed.
Does Sizzling Desking Enhance Productiveness?
The reply is determined by how scorching desking is carried out. When finished badly, scorching desking causes disruption that damages productiveness, however when finished properly it helps folks work higher. One report from the UK famous that 54% of workplace staff believed that hot-desking made the workplace a extra open and welcoming house. That very same UK supply discovered that 46% of staff reported a lift in productiveness by way of scorching desking.
46% of staff report a lift in productiveness when scorching desking.
Furthermore, when made a part of a holistic workspace resolution, scorching desking can higher accommodate folks’s evolving wants in how they like to work. Completely different duties could require completely different work environments: scorching desking permits staff to pick a workspace that most closely fits the duty they’re specializing in that day. As an example, a scorching desking worker can e-book a desk in a “quiet zone” for targeted work or a private house in a collaborative space for group discussions.
A report from Robin notes that 70% of corporations have been redesigning workplace house with a purpose to cater to extra collaborative methods of working and improve office experiences. However simply because so many organizations try to extend flexibility and drive advantages doesn’t imply it’s working.
Think about when a better price of in-office visits than anticipated implies that not sufficient shared desks can be found for the individuals who want them. An inadequate variety of desks is the other of productivity-boosting: it forces your folks to work remotely and/or discover their very personal private house or off-site workspace.
Sizzling Desking Executed Proper: 4 Suggestions
Right here’s the way to do scorching desking in a method that drives price financial savings and productiveness, whereas avoiding the cons of scorching desking described above:
1. Begin with Small Pilots
It is best to begin small when scorching desking so you possibly can study classes at a low price, and scale up what works. For instance, implement scorching desking on a single flooring or with a single division with a purpose to easy out any bumps within the highway. Search enter from impacted staff as a result of when folks assist create the plan, they develop into invested in its success.
2. Make Sizzling Desking A part of a Holistic Workspace Answer
Alongside your scorching desking initiative embody a number of workspace preparations that holistically assist flexibility, corresponding to:
- Room hoteling: making convention and assembly rooms bookable for a number of days for staff and venture work
- Desk hoteling: so folks can e-book their very own desks for a number of days
- A diverse menu of bookable assembly areas: to serve staff’ completely different wants, assume: one-on-one conferences, staff conferences, all-hands conferences, and many others.
You’ll want housekeeping insurance policies too, particularly round folks cleansing up their very own desk, their work surroundings, and in what situation a shared desk must be left after every sitting.
3. Present the Expertise Instruments to Versatile Areas
If scorching desking turns into a sport of musical chairs the place folks present up early to seize the favored spots after which waste time combating over the remaining areas, chaos ensues as an alternative of productiveness. Many staff would in all probability favor working remotely to this model of every day workplace chaos. Sizzling desking wants a supportive know-how infrastructure and tech instruments that allow folks to plan their schedules and simply e-book desks.
Friction is the enemy and know-how is your finest ally to remove it. You’ll want to supply house reserving software program, in addition to assembly room reserving software program to allow scorching desking and hoteling.
4. Use Office Analytics to Evolve Versatile Options
No scorching desking resolution is ever set-and-forget. Chances are you’ll want so as to add or subtract desks or assembly rooms, and even change the combo of accessible desk and assembly areas relying on desk utilization.
In an effort to evolve and iterate your versatile working methods, together with scorching desking, you want visibility into what’s taking place, which implies accessing office analytics that you could overview and use to tell decision-making.
Versatile Instruments for Versatile Working
Sizzling desking, when properly carried out, actually can scale back prices and concurrently improve worker productiveness and worker engagement, a large win-win. It could actually additionally promote collaboration. However with a purpose to reap these advantages, you need to be following the 4 suggestions described above, particularly round investing within the enabling know-how that helps scorching desking.
Robin exists that will help you flexibly handle your office and sources. If you wish to lower your expenses on workplace house and improve workplace productiveness, attain out to us immediately. We can assist with implementing a scorching desking surroundings or some other versatile work strategy.
