How Hot Desks Work in the Office

During an office renovation, specialists try to organise the workspace in the best way — to make it convenient and flexible. One of the popular solutions of recent years is the hot desk model, in which shared desks are set up in the office. Employees have no permanent places and take them only after agreeing among themselves.

In this guide we look at what hot desking is, how it works, what its pros and cons are, and how to implement flexible workstations during an office renovation. It will be useful for companies that want to use their floor space more efficiently and save on rent.

What the hot desk system is

Hot desk is a model of organising space in which workstations are not assigned to specific people. It was first used in the USA around thirty years ago to save company money. Today hot desks are used more broadly — above all to easily transform furniture and the workspace to suit current needs.

The idea is simple: instead of “named” offices and desks, a company gets a shared pool of workstations that is flexibly distributed among staff. This removes a person’s attachment to a specific spot in the office.

How “hot desks” work

Every employee is entitled to take any of the free places. Those who arrive earlier have a wide choice; those who are late take what is left. Each has their own login and password to enter the shared computer network, so they can start work from any place.

Management can also set up a flexible schedule: after one employee’s shift, another comes and takes their place. This lets a company have a large staff but rent a medium or even small office — profitable and convenient. The lack of workplace personalisation is ideal for consulting, audit firms and IT agencies.

Advantages of the hot desk model

If you choose the hot desk model during an office renovation, you get a number of advantages:

• every metre of space is used efficiently;
• savings on renting a large office;
• savings on organising the space;
• the use of simple, practical materials and furniture;
• all office elements can be dismantled at any time, which eases future renovation.

In addition, an office with hot desks develops an atmosphere of shared employment, which benefits productivity. Problems are solved faster, staff become more flexible and adapt more easily to new conditions, and friendly ties between people strengthen — all to the company’s benefit.

Cons and how to overcome them

The model also has nuances worth considering in advance:

• No personal space. There is no “own” desk or drawers for personal items. The solution is to provide individual lockers or storage cabinets.
• Hygiene of shared desks. Since different people use a place, regular cleaning and surface-cleaning products are needed.
• Setup time each morning. Connecting and setting up a place takes time. The solution is docking stations, laptops and identical equipment on every desk.
• Finding a free desk at peak hours. Solved by a desk-booking system.

With the right approach these downsides are easy to neutralise, and the model works to the company’s benefit.

How to implement hot desk during a renovation

A renovation for the hot desk model goes smoothly: it is easy to change the desks’ functions and their location. Two solutions are especially useful for flexibility:

• A raised floor — under it you can rework the communications for a new desk arrangement at any time. More is in the article Raised Floor for the Office: Convenience & Practicality.
• Mobile partitions — their location is changed at will, quickly reformatting the zones. On the types, read the article Office Partitions: Why They’re Worth Using.

Furniture deserves special attention. The model doesn’t assume staff leave personal items on the desks, so ergonomic, practical and durable furniture, universal for everyone, is chosen. It is worth investing in what withstands heavy loads and needs no special care: transformer desks and height-adjustable chairs work best. All this is most convenient to plan at the design stage.

A flexible office with Partner Create

Hot desks are a way to make an office flexible, efficient and economical. Partner Create will design and deliver a space for the hot desk model — with a raised floor, mobile partitions and the right furniture — as part of a single complex of works.

Examples of completed offices are in the office spaces portfolio.

Hot desks in brief

• Hot desk is a model in which workstations are not assigned to specific employees.
• Logging into the shared network with a username and password lets you work from any desk.
• A flexible schedule lets a company have a large staff in a medium or small office.
• Advantages: efficient use of space, savings on rent, easy dismantling, a team atmosphere.
• Cons (no personal space, hygiene, finding a desk) are solved with lockers, cleaning and booking.
• Implementation is helped by a raised floor, mobile partitions and transformer furniture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Set up a flexible office with Partner Create

Hot desks mean efficient use of space, savings on rent and a flexible layout. Partner Create will design and deliver an office for the hot desk model and take responsibility for the result.

Explore our work in the portfolio, read useful materials on the blog, or get in touch to discuss your project. Call +38 050 388 24 49.

We also recommend Raised Floor for the Office: Convenience & Practicality and Office Partitions: Why They’re Worth Using — they will help make the space truly flexible.