Decades ago, any employee would tell you that what will get you far in life is hard work and structure. But the modern Millennial professional knows that, nowadays, you can’t achieve success, work-life balance, and longevity in your career without flexibility.
Flexibility translates to different areas of your work life, from what type of job you pursue, the hours you actually work, and even what workspace you choose for yourself. While some prefer the traditional office setting, many now gravitate towards something more fluid, like hot desking at co-working spaces.
Hot desking is a hybrid workspace setup that has its advantages and disadvantages. But today, we want to focus on telling you all the good things you can get out of a hot desking setup for work. Here are six hot desking benefits that might get you interested in this modern workplace system.
What is Hot Desking?
But before we get into the nitty-gritty of hot desking benefits, there’s first an important question that must be asked…
What is hot desking in the first place?
Any remote worker knows that co-working spaces are becoming more and more popular nowadays. They’re even expected to emerge stronger than most real estate markets in the next year. A lot of this has to do with how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped remote work. However, most of it is because people have realized how important flexibility is when it comes to their work schedules and setup.
One key offering of many co-working spaces (including Circle Hub) that leverages this need for flexibility is hot desking. This desk-sharing setup is a far cry from private offices and the traditional office rentals you might be familiar with.
When an office has a hot desking setup, it means there is one large common area with tons of desks. Anyone can just grab any spot or chair to work for the day without having an assigned, exclusive spot. That way, you can sit and work in a new corner of the workspace each day.
Where Did the Hot Desking Concept Come From?
The term “hot desking” is borrowed from “hot racking”. This is an old practice amongst sailors where one group would sleep in the ship’s bunk beds at a certain time, and when they woke up, the next batch would come in and sleep on the same beds.
This sharing system is exactly how hot desking works too. It’s a first-come-first-served kind of thing. You come in, sit where you want, and work. When you’re all done, you tidy up and leave, making room for anyone else who wants to come in and work in that spot next.
At Circle Hub, we call our hot desks “hot spots.” You can drop in whenever you want and sit anywhere in the community space. The best part is you don’t need to make a long-term commitment when you do it. Just jump in and out when you need a seat!
Hot desking has pros and cons. But we like to think that the hot desking benefits outweigh the small inconveniences you may face when you opt to book a hot spot with us. Here are some of the most important hot desking benefits you should consider if you’re interested in this trendy work setup:
1. It’s a More Affordable Option for Companies with Remote Workers
One of the most practical hot desking benefits is that it can help cut down on overhead costs. This is awesome for companies that want to save money on desks, cubicles, and private office spaces.
Instead of spending so much on a huge space with tons of bulky tables and chairs, you can simply design a wide-open workspace that everyone can share. This reduces costs for renting out an unnecessarily big office. Not to mention desks that don’t even get used every day, plus maintenance expenses.
And it’s not just companies and employers that will benefit from hot desking being a more affordable option. It’s also a huge plus for freelancers and small biz owners who have a tight budget as well.
It can be difficult finding the perfect workspace as a self-employed person. It’s especially challenging if you have financial constraints. Hot desking can solve a bit of that problem.
Instead of spending a big chunk of your capital on a private office rental, you can always do hot desking at your fave co-working space. It’s much cheaper and requires less commitment than a rental. Plus, you get your money’s worth because a co-working space has all the office tech you need, from speedy internet to printing services.
2. You Have More Flexibility with Where You Work
Flexibility is a huge factor in employee happiness. Gone are the days when workers can tolerate being cooped up in one spot eight hours a day.
Today, people know they work better when their environment and work times are fluid and flexible. In fact, flexible work hours and styles can help people be more productive. This is because it gives them a semblance of control in their life.
Hot desking is an incredibly flexible way of working. Because you can choose a new spot to work every day, you never get sick of the same view or stuffy desk.
If you want to work at a desk in the morning and then feel like moving to a comfier sofa later on in the day, you definitely can! And if you don’t feel like being around a lot of people because you don’t like being extroverted on an extra busy day, you can always choose a quiet corner of the room to work. Nothing is permanent, and everything is fluid.
3. You Work in a Different Space and Ambience Every Day (And It Will Always be Clean!)
Routine can be drab for many workers, especially those in more creative fields, like writing and content creation. It may feel like day in and day out, you just stare down the same desk and out the same window, and there’s nothing new about your surroundings.
When you work at Circle Hub’s hot spots, you can move around any time you want. And this gives you new, fresh scenery and a different environment every time.
Setting up somewhere new each day and having a different ambience makes working more exciting. This then boosts your productivity levels. It’s also terrific for video meetings, since you can show off different backgrounds on each call instead of looking like you’re stuck in the same boring corner all the time.
The best part of it all is that anywhere new you sit, it will likely be super neat and tidy. This is one of the more underrated hot desking benefits.
Everyone at a hot spot understands that it’s a common area that is shared by all. You can’t exactly leave your empty coffee cups and notes scattered all over the table. Being organized is a must when hot desking. It’s common courtesy for the people who will be using the spot after you.
4. You’ll be Around More People, Increasing Chances of Networking and Collaboration
When hot desking, you’ll always be surrounded by the coworking community that you’re sharing the space with. You’ll meet many types of people at the co-working space, from freelancers to business owners you might collaborate with or learn from.
This is awesome for expanding your network of professional contacts, especially if you’re self-employed and don’t have many opportunities to meet new people in your industry. For all you know, you could be collaborating on a project with the person you sit next to on your first day of hot desking!
Or if you want to keep it casual, you can also use hot desking as an opportunity to simply make new friends. After all, working around people you like always makes the hardest tasks more bearable.
5. No Hierarchy Here — Everyone’s Equal and Shares the Same Space!
In a traditional office setup, everyone is perched on tiny desks or cubicles arranged next to each other. In the meantime, the big bosses have corner offices and private suites. This can often make employees feel small. Even an open-door policy isn’t enough to blur the very stark lines of hierarchy in an office.
But when a company practices hot desking, every employee works in the same shared space. This diminishes that suffocating feeling of hierarchy — that your job is less important than that of your boss. Regardless of rank or position, everyone mingles and works side by side in a more casual setting.
This is one of the hot desking benefits that has a huge, positive psychological on workers. There’s a sense of camaraderie and equality, making employees feel more valued and seen.
Sure, the higher-ups have to work a little harder to remind their subordinates of who’s boss when it comes to decision-making. But you can’t undermine how nice it is for people to feel like their rank at work does not define them.
6. You Have Quick Access to Other Rooms and Amenities in the Co-Working Space
The hot desking benefits above had a lot to do with relationship-building and improving how you work. But this last one has more to do with maximizing the co-working space you’re hot desking at.
The hot spots at Circle Hub are part of a bigger community and facility. By hot desking with us, you’ll also have access to all kinds of amenities as well, like gaming rooms, break areas, complimentary refreshments, and high-speed internet.
You can even maximize your time at our locations and book other areas you might need, like our event spaces or even the fitness center to work up a sweat between work tasks.
Things to Watch Out for When Hot Desking
Although you can enjoy a plethora of hot desking benefits (like the ones we listed above), it’s not always perfect. There are still a few cons to working at a hot spot that some people might even get hot desking anxiety over. Here are some of the things to watch out for when hot desking, and how you can fix them:
- Not getting your favorite seat: When you arrive at your hot spot after the place gets crowded, you might lose your favorite desk or area to others. This is natural when you’re sharing a space with a huge group. One workaround is to come as early as you can!
- No privacy for team meetings: A hot spot is a wide-open common area. If you were to have confidential discussions with some colleagues, there’s a chance some people might hear what you’re saying. Instead of forcing yourselves to whisper at a hot spot, take advantage of your access to the rest of Circle Hub’s rooms by booking a private office suite or a conference room for the team.
- You can’t personalize your work desk: Since you’re sharing the space with others, you can’t exactly decorate your desk with photo frames and cute paperweights as you would in a normal office setting. If you want a workspace that feels like it’s all yours, at least for a short time, try booking a designated desk between your hot desking days.
Conclusion
There are plenty of hot desking benefits for you to reap if you take a chance on this kind of work setup at Circle Hub. You can be as flexible as you want with when and which part of the common area to work. You’ll have a buzzing community around you to support you. You’ll even have access to the wonderful amenities our locations have to offer!
Of course, although hot desking has tons of advantages, it can also be a bit tricky to manage, especially when you run out of seats or want a bit more peace and quiet on some days. But as long as you know how to manage your time and energy, you can score the spot you’re most comfortable with.
Interested in seeing our hot spot areas? Book a tour with us today to check them out and see whether it’s a good match for you! You never know — maybe a more flexible desk setup will be the best thing for boosting your productivity at work!