Define Hot Desking: What is It and is It for You?

Posted Tuesday 8th May 2018

Do you know how to define hot desking? This is a practice used in many offices – both those that are dedicated to a single business and those that accommodate many businesses.

If you’ve worked in offices before, chances are you’ve had your own dedicated space to work in. This would probably be a desk, unless your position came with its own office. But not all businesses work this way. Some have open-plan offices filled with desks… none of which are assigned to a single person. That means everyone works in a different spot each day. You jump from one desk to the other. You may even work on one desk before lunch, and switch to another vacant one after lunch.

This is hot desking.

Hot desking in shared offices

Hot desks are often seen in offices shared by more than one business. Serviced offices provide numerous businesses with the chance to book one or more hot desks for one or more days, depending on their needs. This versatility is one reason why many small businesses like the option.

Key elements of hot desking

The first thing to note is that you cannot keep any personal belongings at the desk for longer than the day you are working there. When you finish your day’s work, you must pack up and go home – taking everything with you. If all you have is a laptop, that shouldn’t be an issue. But hot desking could present you with problems if you require more items during the average day. Think of notebooks, paperwork, pens… it soon starts mounting up, and these elements could make hot desking inappropriate for your needs.

Defining hot desking in the modern world

Rents are high in many cities. Hence why we are seeing an explosion in hot desking. It allows several businesses to rent the exact number of desks they need within a larger building. Hot desking is not ideal for everyone, but those who try it often find it meets their desire to be more versatile in the office.

And if you work solo, yet you still want the buzz of an office to work in, it is a good option to consider. Once you define hot desking in your mind, it will be far easier to work out whether this is the ideal working situation for you. And often, the only way to know is to give it a try.