If you’ve been looking into coworking spaces, you’ve probably come across the term ‘hot desking’ a few times. It’s a workspace system that operates on a first-come, first-served basis, where professionals are able to choose any available desk when they arrive at their coworking space, rather than being restricted to the same desk day in and day out.
In recent years, hot desking has become increasingly popular. More and more professionals, from freelancers to larger organizations, are recognizing the many benefits that this working model can provide. Wondering what those are? Read on as Circle Hub shares seven benefits you need to know about if you’ve been considering giving hot desking a try.
1. Hot Desking is a Great Way to Save Money
Everyone raves about the cost-effective nature of hot desking, and this is definitely one of its biggest perks. After all, whether you’re an individual working for yourself or you’re managing a team of your own, keeping costs down is always a priority.
How does hot desking help to save money?
If you’re an individual, you’ll save big time on overheads. You won’t have to fork over huge sums for a restrictive lease on an office space and then have to pay for electricity, water, WiFi, and more on top of that. Instead, all you’ll need to spend on is a monthly fee for your hot desking space. All of those other overheads will be taken care of for you. Plus, you’ll also save on the added perks that many coworking spaces offer. At Circle Hub, this includes free refreshments, including as much coffee as you’d like!
If you run a business, then, once again, you’ll save on not having to lease a private office space. Even if you pay for the coworking membership fee for all of your employees, you’ll still end up saving big time. Real estate is a huge expense for a business, especially if you operate on a hybrid policy, meaning that only some of your employees will be in the office at any given time.
2. Collaboration Becomes Easier
If you work on your own and don’t need to collaborate in person with anyone else, then feel free to skip over to the next benefit! However, if collaboration is a key part of your workday, then you’ll appreciate how hot desking makes this extremely easy.
Generally, hot desking workspaces are designed with an open-plan layout. You can see the whole room and pick and choose who you sit next to. If you happen to be working on a project with someone else, the two of you can pick desks that are next to each other. This will make it so much easier to work together. The next day or week, if you’re working on something with someone else, you can once again easily sit together. There won’t be any restrictions or physical barriers in the way that traditional office spaces with their confined cubicles are infamous for having.
This also means that workers from different departments of a business can choose to sit together if needed. This can lead to a more dynamic workflow, better problem-solving, and improved engagement.
3. Hot Desking Reduces Clutter in the Workplace
Research shows that a tidy workspace can be extremely beneficial in a few ways. Not only does it boost attention span but it can also send productivity soaring. Everybody wants that!
However, work from a traditional office space and you’ll likely notice clutter just about everywhere. People tend to adorn their desks and cubicles with personal items, be it photographs, plants, ornaments, or anything else. Sweep your eyes around a traditional office space and you’ll notice so many of these items.
On the other hand, at a hot desking coworking space, everything is much neater. One of the rules of hot desking is that you leave your workspace as you found it, meaning that it should be clean, tidy, and ready for the next person to use. Since you may not be using that desk again the next day, you wouldn’t want to leave any personal items lying around. This helps to keep clutter to a minimum. It doesn’t mean that you’re completely restricted from bringing personal items to work with you – it just means that people are less likely to bring quite as much to save themselves from having extra items to pack away at the end of the day. This results in a much tidier workspace.
4. Isolation and Loneliness Decrease
If you’re a freelancer or a remote worker that usually works on your own, you’ll know all too well how isolating this can sometimes feel. This is especially the case with those who work from home. You may find that you sometimes go all week without speaking to many other people, which can be extremely detrimental to your health. Human beings are social creatures and need interaction with others. Research confirms this, proving that isolation at work not only affects mental health but can have a big impact on physical health too.
The fact that hot desking sees you surrounded by other people immediately does away with that feeling of isolation. A good coworking space, like Circle Hub, will foster a sense of community. You’ll feel as though you belong, which can really help a person to thrive.
Socializing also becomes so much easier if you make the move from a home office to a coworking space. When hot desking, you’ll likely speak to the people who are next to you, even if only briefly. This will lead to further conversations when you bump into each other in our common areas. Not only will you make new friends but you’ll also be able to expand your professional network. As you probably know, networking can really boost professional growth!
5. A Change of Scenery Each Day
Whether you work from a traditional office space or you work from home, chances are that you sometimes get bored of the view that you’re greeted with when you look up from your computer screen. You may tell yourself that this shouldn’t matter but, in truth, it actually does.
Your surroundings can have a huge impact on your productivity. The same scenery each and every day has a dulling effect, whereas changing it up every so often will give you a boost.
With hot desking, you can choose a different desk each day, giving you a complete change of scenery. This will help to stimulate you as you work, enabling you to get more done in a shorter amount of time. If you’re at Circle Hub and you’ve found a desk with a view that you particularly enjoy, our Designated Desk service will allow you to book that specific desk for whenever you need that creativity boost!
6. Hot Desking Helps to Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance
The 9-5 routine of a traditional office space can be grueling. This is why many people have recently chosen to work from home, preferring to be in charge of their own schedule and workday. However, for many, this hasn’t worked out as planned. Working from home easily blurs the boundaries between work life and home life. As a result, many find themselves working longer hours, leading to burnout.
With hot desking, you’ll be able to differentiate between your work life and home life so much more easily. Work begins once you sit down at your desk and then ends once you pack away for the day. After this, your time is yours to do as you please.
Even better, unlike at a traditional office space, your start and end time for the day will be up to you to decide. Some coworking spaces, including Circle Hub, offer 24/7 access. This gives you complete freedom to choose when you would prefer to work. Whether you happen to be an early bird or a night owl, or somewhere in between, you’ll be able to work whenever you feel most productive rather than having to conform to rigid timings.
7. Hot Desking Flattens Traditional Office Hierarchies
Other than those at the top, the general consensus is that traditional office hierarchies aren’t appreciated by the masses. The glitzy private offices enjoyed by the fortunate few are often resented by the general workforce who spend their days folded into tiny cubicles.
With hot desking, these hierarchies completely disappear. As we discussed earlier, there are no rules as to who can sit where. No one will be receiving preferential treatment in terms of where they work, helping everyone to feel more equal. This has the knock-on effect of increasing job satisfaction and overall happiness.
Hot Desking at Circle Hub
Curious about giving hot desking a try?
At Circle Hub, we offer hot desking facilities at both of our locations; Northridge and Ventura. You’ll also find other services at our sites that enhance the average hot desking experience. Our private office suites, for example, can be booked by the hour if you’re working on a confidential project or want somewhere private to speak with a client. We also have conference rooms that are perfect for larger meetings or team brainstorming sessions.
Even if those are services that you’re unlikely to need, you’ll probably still appreciate the many amenities on offer at Circle Hub. We’ve already told you about our complimentary refreshments, but did you know that you can also tuck into a free breakfast every month? You’ll also be able to enjoy juice bars and complimentary yoga sessions. We have an onsite gym too, as well as a gaming room, plus comfortable areas where you can simply kick back and relax for a while. We try to offer so much more than just a workspace – something that our members love!
As you can see, this really adds value to hot desking service that we offer. Not only will you be able to turn to Circle Hub for all of your professional needs but some of your personal needs will be met too. This, in turn, should help with everything from professional productivity to mental health. With this in mind, it’s hardly surprising that hot desking has become such a popular concept!
Want to see Circle Hub’s hot desking areas for yourself? Click here to book a tour today!