Dedicated co-working work desk vs co-working hot desks
In the previous article we have looked at the concept of co-working space. Co-working desks bring you a mechanism to share the work space. You can also just take up only that many desks as required in that month, no need to block and pay for work space in advance in anticipation of future hiring. Through co-working, they get the flexibility
Broadly the general work desks in co-working places are of 2 types – a dedicated desk assigned to a specific individual and another allocation commonly called as hot desks. In a hot desk, a co-working patron has no fixed place to carry out their work. Each day, the desk can be different. The freelancers or professionals need to choose a desk to work from the available ones.
Who should go for a hot desk?
This option may work out well for a person establishing a startup in a town, without a partner or limited network of friends. “Hot desking” allows for greater networking opportunities, as they are likely to be exposed to new people every day. As a result, an ideation is fostered and you gain awareness about the different aspects of running a business.
This can work out well when you are having just a single laptop, and no paperwork or tools. In some cases, the entrepreneurs need to arrange for the table, stationary items, files and note pads. In such situations, hot desking can be cumbersome as you need to arrange your desk every day and also every day clean the desk at end of day.
The one advantage of hot desk is that it is cheaper than a dedicated co-working space and provides a financial incentive to opt for this facility.
Dedicated co-working space
A dedicated co-working desk is a space allocated to a specific person or company to do their work. This type of co-working desk is a bit more expensive, as compared to hot desk co-working spaces. Some additional facilities like lockable storage drawers, filing cabinets, pen stands and soft boards are provided for each of the desks.
One of the advantages of working in a dedicated co-working desk is increased productivity. The employees do not get distracted easily and they can concentrate on their work. If an organization takes multiple desks, they can assign the desks in a manner to facilitate smoother work flow. In the process, the organization benefits in terms of a greater productivity.
Having a dedicated desk in a co-working space brings you several advantages:
- The workplace can be personalized. The user can enjoy a greater degree of comfort in a dedicated co-working space.
- The employees can leave their laptops and other work tools at a dedicated desk.
- Storing of valuables and confidential papers is made possible by lockable drawers and filing cabinet at the work desk.
- Most people prefer to work in a reserved space in an office facility.
- Still, you can be a part of the overall co-working community.
Hot desk or a dedicated desk – which is better?
Hot desking works only for a particular section of people. A co-worker simply need to operate from their bag. No motivational quotes on the walls, no calendar or soft board at your disposal, co-workers cannot arrange the accessories every day when you work at a hot desk.
In case you are owning a startup, or your business is in the early stage of development, you should go for a hot desk. The incubator feel of these desks is something that entrepreneurs look out for. You can communicate with other members in these office spaces and get an understanding of how they grow their business. However, this does not indicate that hot desks are not only for startups. Business firms of various sizes can use these desks.
On the other hand, dedicated desks can work well for a more established business that needs to maintain records. Dedicated desks are also suitable for organizations whose employees keep stuff on their desk and use several tools in doing their daily work.