Having Trouble While Hotdesking?

Pre-pandemic, most of us faced the familiar office setting every morning. Tables were assigned and office doors were closed. You rarely interacted with anyone else, save your desk neighbour. Today, organisations are relooking traditional office arrangements to promote better cross-departmental collaboration among employees. And with the rise of hybrid working arrangements, it’s no surprise that things have gotten a bit more flexible.

Enter hotdesking, an organisation system that involves multiple workers using a single physical workstation during different time periods. The "desk" in the term refers to a table or any other workspace being shared by different workers on different shifts.

Although this has been the norm with start-ups, hotdesking is still a new concept to bigger corporations. But this arrangement doesn’t just aid companies with cost reduction (through space and furniture savings), the flexible seating turns the office into a collaborative space. This can help strengthen cross departmental collaborations and allow employees to forge new connections.

Another benefit of hot desking is cultivating better workplace mental health and etiquette. It helps employees to be more open in communication and be more considerate, as the space is now a communal one. It also demands employees leave desks clean and tidy for the next user, as they may not return to the same desk.

But a change in environment can take some getting used to, especially for those who are used to working at a permanent spot or in the privacy of their own cubicle. Besides the lack of permanent space, a blurred physical work hierarchy, other factors like unfavourable chair and desk heights can create stressful posture-related problems.

Cut out the noise.

Noise can certainly be a negative factor if you’re going from closed-door private offices to open-concept hot desking. But there are solutions to reduce your exposure to office chatter and white noise. Work in peace with a pair of top quality noise-cancelling headphones or ear buds. With a pair of these, you can enjoy music to inspire your work and not disturb anyone else in the room while you’re at it. Plus, they’re wireless, blue-tooth enabled, and light-weight. For those who prefer to work sans music, just pop on a pair of active noise cancelling earplugs.

Create better lighting.

Office lighting never really works out to our favour - it's usually too bright or too dim. If you end up with a spot that's too dim, this portable soft-light desk lamp that mimics natural light will help sooth eyes that are tired from a whole day of staring at a computer screen. 

Type in peace.

Here's the truth, typing noises can get under your skin if you're trying to concentrate. But for most of us, we don't feel the effects of noisy keyboards when we're doing the typing. Take the peace and serenity of efficient hot desking to the next level with a silent typing wireless keyboard, which has minimal typing clacking and allows you to switch from laptop to smart phone.

Get comfortable.

With hotdesking, ideal seating can be hard to find. You can, however, up the shared office chair’s comfort quotient with a back rest and seat pad, which supports and reduces tension along the spine. Good posture will benefit your overall health in the long run. Those that come with acupressure massage nodes can take the strain out of sitting in the same position for hours.

Keep your area clean and fresh.

The impermanence of hot desking can be unsettling, but the right scent can help keep your workspace smelling fresh. Aromatherapy is a simple and pleasant way to create a positive ambience in a hot desking office. You can easily form a calming space around you with this portable USB electronic diffuser that infuses your environment with your very own power scent. 

For those who are still overwhelmed, you don't have to do too much to create a conducive work environment. These tips are enough to make a difference in your daily working life. Besides, a flexible working arrangement has multiple benefits - especially since it allows you to spend lesser time travelling to work.

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