As an office manager, your day is filled with organizing files, overseeing visitation, and responding to an influx of employee requests. While these tasks can be time-consuming under normal circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for organization and safety, requiring office managers to pivot and adjust to a new normal. As many employees start to return to the office, their workflows have been altered to maintain a sense of safety. The result: hot desking and hoteling. This concept provides a dynamic work environment that promotes safety and collaboration amongst employees, and with the help of a modern facilities management platform such as Intra, offices can maximize efficiency. Here, the hot desking software experts at SCLogic discuss the many benefits of hot desking and hoteling for employee safety, workplace collaboration, and more. 

Hot Desking & Hoteling Improves Employee Safety During COVID-19

So, you may be asking yourself, what is hot desking and hoteling, and what is the difference between the two? While often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between the two terms. Hot desking refers to the concept of allowing employees to choose their office space each time they come into work, rather than having an assigned office or cube. Hoteling, while similar, usually caters itself toward a period in which an employee will be at each spot. For example, if you have sales representatives coming into town for two weeks, they will use a reservation system to reserve a desk or office space for that short period. This ensures that your office has oversight into the locations of each space holder and can deliver any mail or packages that come to that space accordingly.

As it relates to safety during the pandemic, hot desking and hoteling are a fantastic way to ensure that employees remain compliant with social distancing policies while in the office. Additionally, since the pandemic began, many offices have adopted a hybrid work schedule, making it difficult to manage who is in the office on any given day and if their workstation has been properly sanitized. By utilizing hot desking and hoteling along with reservations systems through Intra and our various integrations, you will have proactive, detailed insights into office cleanliness, as well as the exact locations of each employee. For many of our hot desk and hoteling workflows, we integrate with workplace management software such as OfficeSpace to create an intuitive and seamless experience.

Hot Desking & Hoteling Promotes Collaboration Among Teams

Another benefit of hot desking and hoteling is the collaboration it promotes among teams. In a large organization, departments may be separated by a wing or even a building, preventing the cross-pollination of ideas that may lead to growth. By utilizing hot desking, you can create a flexible work environment in which departments can collaborate on a daily basis. This works well for departments that may be working on a project together, in which you can create custom restrictions on which departments or teams can reserve a particular space. Your marketing, advertising, and graphic design teams may have one section for reservation blocked off, while your UX/UI designers and developers may have another. This creates an environment of proactive collaboration, ultimately helping your team get through projects faster with a myriad of ideas at their fingertips. While safety is still the primary concern of offices as we slowly return to some semblance of normalcy, collaboration is a workplace tool that cannot be overlooked in the years to come. This pandemic caused a sense of isolation for many employees, leading to a halt in their creativity and personal growth within the workplace.

Hot Desking & Hoteling Cuts Down on Unnecessary Costs

One of the most important considerations for any office change is how it will affect your business financially. As it relates to hot desking and hoteling, this could be a wise financial decision to cut down on unnecessary real estate space for many companies. This is particularly true for offices with employees who travel often or for those who have implemented a hybrid work environment. Offices can cut down on the rental costs for spaces that are being left empty, providing funding to help you adapt to the changing post-pandemic work environment. Furthermore, for organizations that utilize laptops and cell phones more than traditional desktops and landlines, you will be saving on the cost of technology, which for many companies, can add up quickly.

It is important to note that hot desking and hoteling are not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Younger offices filled with Millennial and Gen Z employees generally find the concept of hot desking to be innovative and clever. However, companies with an older employee base may not be as fond. Rooted in traditional workspaces and resistant to change, many companies have struggled to implement this change without backlash from more senior employees. In response, our team has made it our mission to prioritize innovative, configurable solutions for your business’s unique needs.

See How SCLogic’s Hot Desking Software Experts Can Help You

At SCLogic, we’ve spent over a quarter-century helping companies of all sizes streamline their facilities management workflows. The modern workplace is ever-changing, and we know that the only way to stay on top is to stay ahead. With a dedication to constantly improving our software with inspiration from workplace and technology trends, we craft a configurable solution designed to eliminate your most stubborn office pain points. To see how we can help you utilize hot desking software for your business, email [email protected] or schedule a demo with us today.

 We look forward to hearing from you!