Hot Desking vs. Office Hoteling: A Comprehensive Comparison in 2023
The modern workplace is evolving, and traditional office setups are giving way to dynamic and flexible workspace strategies. In the last two years, in order to stay competitive and meet the needs of their employees, organizations began adopting different agile workspace approaches, such as Hot Desking and Office Hoteling.
Both Hot Desking and Office Hoteling are innovative and flexible workplace strategies, that are easily mixed up and often used interchangeably. They are two different executions of the term “desk sharing”.
Desk sharing is a workplace arrangement, in which desks are shared among the employees. Meaning that there are no fixed (dedicated) workstations at the office. Hot Desking and Office Hoteling revolutionize the workplace and bring countless benefits to the business and its people.
In this article, we set on a journey to the modern hybrid work model with the aim to explore the worlds of different Desk Sharing Techniques.
Understanding Hot Desking
Hot Desking is an agile office organization system, distinguished with shared desks. This innovative approach characterizes with reserving a workstation for a short period of time, for example booking a desk to use for the day. This means that employees have the freedom to choose whatever workspace they want (or suit their needs at the given day) and reserve it prior to coming to the office.
Companies find an advantage, because they see Hot Desking as a cost-effective solution that allows them to track the used space and significantly reduce their real estate expenses. They can only use a portion of the whole office or even operate in smaller ones. Therefore, organizations can repurpose their unused office space, for example, to create collaboration or relaxation areas.
Hot Desking has a very dynamic nature that enhances team work and personal interactions. It encourages employees from different departments to share a workspace. This helps cross-team collaboration and enables workers to exchange ideas and build stronger relationships.
Without a suitable software tool, however, Hot Desking may have some drawbacks. Organizations may have less control over the available desks and employees may find it extremely challenging to find a free workstation during peak office hours.
All disadvantages can be eliminated by implementing the right hot desking software, which gives employees the opportunity to reserve a workspace for the day and provides the company with more control over the process of sharing desks. Research shows that using management software can reduce the office operation costs as 40% of dedicated desks sits unused.
Hot Desking has become so popular in the business world, due to its adaptability and cost-effectiveness. There are about 80% of organizations in different industries, that offer some kind of agile work arrangement.
Exploring Office Hoteling
Office Hoteling is another innovative flexible workspace model, that also uses unassigned workspaces. It operates by making employees reserve a desk prior to coming to the office. Office Hoteling is used for keeping the same workstation for a longer period – several days, a week or two or even a month.
The main advantage of this agile system is its central feature – the reservation arrangement for a longer time frame. Employees can book desks and workstations for specific dates and time. This allows them to secure suitable workspaces, prior to arriving at the office, without having to do this every single day.
This office management system contributes to the work-life balance and increases satisfaction levels. A market data report from 2023 shows that about 75% of employees believe workplace flexibility to be a key factor for overall job satisfaction and rank it as their top benefit.
Office hoteling benefits the company and its work environment by bringing a sense of certainty, predictability, and better work culture. The reserved-based principle for longer periods of time provides more control and removes the need to reserve a different desk every morning.
Implementing Office Hoteling optimizes the use of office space. It is perfect for companies offering hybrid work system, especially when they require a certain number of days in the office, because they can track the assigned desks for the week and reduce additional expenses for electricity and heating. Consequently, companies can operate in smaller workspaces, even if they have a lot of employees. Therefore, the costs of real estate can be crucially reduced.
Some potential drawbacks may occur without the right management software for Office Hoteling, such as difficulties booking the desired desk, especially during popular workdays. For eliminating such problems, organizations use a specialized desk booking software.
Office Hoteling has gained popularity among different kinds of businesses that seek greater flexibility in their work. When effectively implemented, this strategy can optimize office space usage, reduce real estate costs, and better the work-life balance of employees, as 71% of them believe that the flexibility in the workplace improved their work and social life balance.
Hot Desking vs. Office Hoteling
Hot Desking and Office Hoteling are often used interchangeably, although they have some differences.
The main contrast between the two desk sharing techniques is that Hot Desking works on a daily basis, while Office Hoteling is used for longer periods of time. This means that Hot Desking offers greater flexibility, but it may reduce workspace personalization. Office Hoteling, on the other hand, enhances the sense of belonging and personalization of the workspace at the expense of reduced flexibility.
Both desk sharing techniques offer freedom of choice, space optimization, and better work-life balance. The similarities between Hot Desking and Office Hoteling include the opportunity to reserve a desk prior to coming to the office, using desk booking software.
Desk Buddy is Proxiad’s office management system, perfect for small, medium, and large companies. It’s easy to implement and effortless to work with. Our desk booking software offers many integrations and real-time availability that allows for fast reservation on the go, even with a mobile device. Desk Buddy promotes collaboration in the office, helps with flexibility, and enhances visibility.
Employees can reserve a desk for their desired period of time, according to their needs, while companies benefit from a better organizational system, enhanced security, and cost savings on office expenses.
Productivity and Employee Satisfaction
Employee productivity and satisfaction levels are directly related to the office setups. Both Hot Desking and Office Hoteling influence the business production in a positive way. Employees enhance their overall performance by taking the advantage of cross-team collaboration and higher sense of work-life balance.
Productivity is vitally increased with the usage of the right desk booking software, because it offers structure, security, and better time management. According to a recent Market Data Report by Gitnux about 85% of businesses state an impressive increase in productivity after implementing a flexible work arrangement.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, employees value and enjoy flexible work system more than ever. Embracing some kind of a desk sharing strategy can positively impact satisfaction levels, as it provides freedom and structure.
Nowadays, flexible work systems like Hot Desking and Office Hoteling have become extremely popular, partially due to the fact that an agile working arrangement is in the top 3 motivators for finding a new job, alongside greater pay or hours and career opportunities (according to the third edition of McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey).
Moreover, about 59% of workers say they are more likely to choose one organization over another, if it offers some remote work opportunities.
Choosing between Hot Desking or Office Hoteling
Before implementing Hot Desking or Office Hoteling, there are a few factors, that need to be taken into consideration, including the size, structure, and industry of the company. Choosing the suitable workspace management strategy can be crucial for the overall success and performance of the organization, as it needs to serve the personal need of every business.
The technological advancement of the company should also be given a thought. Integrating a desk booking software or some kind of management system is essential for the seamless and productive workflow.
As we already mentioned, the majority of potential employees strive towards an agile work arrangement. However, prior to implementing Hot Desking or Office Hoteling, it is vital to understand the preferences of the current workforce in the company. A survey from FlexJobs, published in Forbes, states that 57% would look for a new job if their current company didn’t offer remote work or some sort of flexible work arrangement.
For the successful adoption of an agile workspace strategy, office managers should take into consideration the office layout and personal communication between the employees.
Organizations that want to stay relevant and competitive need to evolve from a traditional to more flexible and innovative workplace model. Choosing between Hot Desking and Office Hoteling depends on the specific needs and work dynamic of the company.
Desk Buddy is Proxiad’s innovative desk booking software, that allows employees to book workspaces on the go with just a few clicks. Easy to use and understand, our office management software is mobile friendly, intuitive, and flexible.
The right desk booking software empowers freedom of choice, flexibility, and collaborations, while providing structure, optimization of office space, and work-life balance.
Learn more about the key features of Desk Buddy.
The future of workplaces is here. Looking beyond 2023, the flexible workplace trends continue to grow, as 83% of employees prefer hybrid workplace model and view it as the perfect working environment. Hot Desking and Hoteling are expected to gain even more popularity, as they become more accessible with the advancement of technology and the variety of available desk booking software.
If you are interested in the agile workplace approaches, check out our article – Why do hybrid workplaces need office management software?
