Hybrid Hiccups
Compiled by Prasanthi Vasanthakumar
Originally published in Director Journal (March/April 2022)
Hot desks are getting the cold shoulder. A popular part of the hybrid work approach, hot desking or hotelling requires employees to reserve random desks every time they work on site. But it turns out people aren’t crazy about losing their place in the office. In the Globe and Mail, Vanmala Subramaniam finds the booking system is a buzzkill, taking away the joy of coming into the office. What if your spot isn’t near your favourite colleagues? Maybe you’re not close to or far away from the boss? What about your family photos and other personal items? Your favourite chair? Trivial or not, these types of gripes can damage corporate culture, says experts in organizational behaviour.
For employers, it’s a different calculation. The hot desks of hybrid work present significant costs savings, Subramaniam reports. One interior design leader in Toronto says 80 per cent of his clients are considering concepts like seat sharing in their new version of the workplace.
But is it worth the trade off? Experts urge executives to think about the psychological functions of a personalized office space. Ultimately, these bosses need to understand exactly why their employees want to come into the office.