Difference Between Hot Desking and Hotelling

Working remotely has become a common practice in the recent past. More companies and businesses are moving from the traditional office settings to modernized ones, where employees can work from any location, they prefer so long they get the work done. This has also been heightened by the gig economy where employers do not depend fully on permanent employees but also on a contract basis. 

With many people preferring to work from home, the interruptions can be daunting. Flexible working places have come to the rescue of may by providing flexible and temporary working spaces. These are available in different settings including hot desking, hotelling and flexible working. In this article, we will look at the difference between hot-desking and hotelling. 

What is Hot Desking?

This is a working arrangement where employees can work from any workstation our seat while at the office any day. It simply works on a first come first serve basis, with no reservations whatsoever. Employees, however, tend to dislike this working arrangement as they are never sure where they will be working from each day or who they will be working next to. 

This working arrangement may disrupt employees’ schedules. To counter this, companies tend to create neighbourhoods where one department works from a different point from others. This enables the introduction of governance in the working environment. 

Since this working arrangement can be chaotic, companies may designate a quiet zone for anyone who needs to focus on their work. 

Advantages of hot-desking include: 

• They offer flexibility while still maximizing the use of available office space
• They are affordable as an office space gets more productive without the need for extra space
• Provides a temporary home for consultants, interns, remote workers and part-time workers who may not necessarily need their working desks
• Helps workers adapt to new challenges quickly

Despite the advantages, hot-desking has various disadvantages: 

• It leads to the loss of hierarchy which may disrupt the balance of subordinates and management
• Communication can be a problem with this setting 
• It may be a problem with the IT department especially if setting up a new working desk is required often
• Some workers may find it hard to get into the groove

What is Hotelling?

This is a working arrangement where employees can reserve a working space or workstation at the office. Since the workstations are not assigned to specific employees, they have more control over where they may sit. 

Some employers may also add software such as desk booking software to enable workers to find a desk before they get to work or even reserve a workspace for easier collaboration with other colleagues. Through this arrangement, employees enjoy flexible working arrangements. 

Advantages of hotelling include:

• It helps organizations cut down on wastage space
• Gives employees the flexibility to determine where they can work from
• Reduces the monotony of working from the office

 Similarities between Hot desking and Hotelling

• Both enable organizations to cut down extra costs
• Both reduce the monotony of working from the office

 Differences between Hot desking and Hotelling

Definition

Hot desking refers to a working arrangement where employees can work from any workstation our seat while at the office any day. On the other hand, hotelling is a working arrangement where employees can reserve a working space or workstation at the office.

Nature

While hot desking works on a first come first serve basis, with no reservations whatsoever, employees can reserve a working space in hotelling. 

Hot desking vs. Hotelling: Comparison Table

Summary of Hot desking vs. Hotelling

Hot desking refers to a working arrangement where employees can work from any workstation our seat while at the office any day. On the other hand, hotelling is a working arrangement where employees can reserve a working space or workstation at the office. Both, however, enable organizations to cut costs while also reducing the monotony of working from the office. 

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