Is employee productivity important to your company?
What about the ability to collaborate?
How about morale?
Keeping costs down?
More than likely, you understand that all of these factors affect your company’s bottom line in a big way.
That’s why so many organizations make them a priority. It’s also why so many have turned to hot desking. This is a new perspective on working environments that – along with some very helpful hot desking accessories – is changing how companies get (more) work done.
What Is Hot Desking?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, hot desking is a concept that first found prominence back in 2014, though it has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds since then.
In short, it consists of numerous employees using the same workstation throughout different time periods.
So, in some offices, this might refer to three people using the same desk during different eight-hour shifts every day.
Other times, the concept refers to highly-collaborative work environments where certain employees need to be near each other, depending on the day. Someone from sales may sit with other salespeople one day and then sit with a marketing team the next.
Obviously, the upshot of this arrangement is that workers can structure their office environments around the tasks they need to get done each day. Traditionally, workers needed to retrofit their environments as best as possible to reach this goal. Often, that means finding conference rooms, but that solution isn’t always ideal – or possible.
However, the other big benefit of this kind of arrangement is that it seems to also improve employees’ overall productivity and morale.
This is supported by research from Columbia University. Psychologists there concluded there is “evidence for a biological basis for the need for control and for choice – that is, the means by which we exercise control over the environment.”
As it turns out, increasing an individual’s ability to exercise autonomy also increases their:
- Creativity
- Performance
- Persistence
Who wouldn’t like more of that from their workforce?
Consequently, plenty of companies would like nothing more. According to the 2018 Americas Occupier Survey, more than half the companies reported that they were implementing an unassigned seating arrangement.
In fact, according to a study done by Citrix, the future of office environments will consist of 1 person using 2/3 of a desk and 6 devices.
Lastly, the hot-desking craze is also a direct result of the skyrocketing costs of office space. In some industries, office space lease prices have risen 12% annually. Companies have no choice but to make do with less space.
Hot Desking Accessories: The Key to Unlocking This Environment
While hot desking certainly represents a big change to the conventional office environment, there are still plenty of opportunities to optimize it further.
If you want the best possible results, consider hot desking accessories that will allow your staff to get even more work done.
Mandatory Hot Desking Accessories: Docking Stations
The first type of device that we’ll cover is the essential hot desking accessory as they are necessary for this approach to work in today’s tech-heavy office environments.
You’ll quickly realize why so many offices – even those that don’t utilize hot desking – have implemented universal docking stations.
The benefits of universal docking stations include:
- Access to New Devices
- Improved Portability
- Use of Multiple Devices
Of course, these benefits also mean your office hardly has any need for desktops anymore. That’s why universal docking stations are essential for hot desking. Your staff’s device-specific needs probably differ quite a bit. They must be able to take their laptops with them to whatever workstation they use on any given day.
While the market is full of options, the Universal Dual 2K Docking Station is among the favorites for hot-desking enthusiasts. It works with USB-C and USB 3.0 laptops and is compatible with macOS 10.13, Windows 7, and Windows 10. This crossover dock also works cross-platform making it perfect for work environments that have varying devices from different manufacturers’ (HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, and more).
Again, universal docking stations are the essential hot desking accessory. It’s not as though your staff can haul desktops with them based on where they need to work each day. Choose a cross-platform, crossover dock like the one discussed above, and their laptops will work just as well as any desktop could.
Hot Desking Accessories for the Most Comfortable Office Environment
The importance of ergonomics in the workplace cannot be overstated. It’s not just about employee health, either.
Better ergonomics also leads to better employee productivity.
That’s why the other hot desking accessories most companies invest in are all for the sake of increasing the ergonomics of their office environment.
Fortunately, there are all kinds of hot desking accessories on the market that will support – literally – your efforts in this regard. SmartFit’s designs are based on military practices that utilize color-coded adjustment layers based on each user’s hand size. This is ideal for a hot-desk environment as it allows every staff member to quickly create the most ergonomic setup for their unique bodies.
Here are some popular options to consider:
- SoleMassage Exercising Footrest – Improve your circulation throughout the day by using this footrest to do simple exercises that will invigorate your ankles and legs. This is an office essential in a hot-desking environment where people are constantly moving around.
- Adjustable Memory Foam Wrist Rest with SmartFit® System – Typing all day can be tough on your wrists if they need to hold your hands up at an angle. This comfortable wrist rest gives you a nice, soft place to lay them while you type.
- InSight® InLine Copyholder with SmartFit® System – Have a document you need to reference while you type? This copyholder will make it easy to see without craning your neck all day. They’re also extremely easy to move around in a hot-desking office environment.
- SmartFit® Sit/Stand Desk – Standing desks have absolutely exploded in popularity over the last few years and there’s no reason to think that’s going to change anytime soon. While there are plenty of options out there, this model has the added benefit of color coded adjustment levels, making it simple to quickly set the stand to just the right level based on the user’s height. In a hot-desking environment, this is not only ideal, it’s essential. Whether people prefer to sit or stand, this desk is ready for them.
- SmartFit™ Backrests – When people do sit, it’s important that they have adequate support. The Smart Fit Backrest delivers and is easy to adjust, making it an ergonomic asset anyone can enjoy.
- ACCO Planner-Organizer Sets – If you rely on a wall calendar, hot-desking is impossible. Fortunately, you can use a DayTimer planner-organizer set to take your plans with you wherever you go.
- Quartet Dry Erase Solutions – As hot-desking is perfect for collaborative environments, it only makes sense that your office would include one of the most collaborative tools available: a dry-erase whiteboard. Quarter actually offers a number of different models, too, so you can use them in offices, meeting rooms, and cubicles.
These accessories will also help each staff member customize their workstations every day, better accommodating the work they need to do.
While hot desking has an impressive reputation for increasing employee productivity, you’ll find that implementing a few ergonomic accessories will go a long way towards even better results – and a much happier workforce.
The Future of Office Work Has a Spot for Hot Desking
There will probably always be work environments where certain people have their own offices. Those environments will probably also entail people who have their own cubicles.
But given the momentum it has and the benefits it offers, it’s hard to imagine that hot desking won’t continue to find more and more acceptance in the years to come.
As long as companies prioritize lower costs and greater collaboration, hot desking will be around.
If your company could benefit from these improvements, be sure to consider the hot desking accessories we mentioned above. They’re force-multipliers that will give your company even greater benefits from this growing office-environment trend.
Find Your Ideal Hot Desking Accessories