As organizations embrace hybrid work models and seek to reduce office space, employers are requiring their workers to reserve a desk or room in advance when they want to work in person — a phenomenon known as “hot desking.”

Hot desking existed before the pandemic when some management consulting firms required employees who often worked at client sites to reserve seating when they returned to the office. After the pandemic, hot desking has become more widespread, as many organizations are looking to accommodate hybrid work arrangements and optimize office space.

“We think of it as a liquid workspace … a boundaryless workspace,” Sanjay Rishi, the regional CEO of a global real estate services firm, said in an interview with CNN. By offering unassigned seating at work, employees are able to work remotely more frequently. This flexibility is highly valued by employees, as it can lead to a better work-life balance, higher productivity, and lower commuting costs.

Hot desking can save money, freeing up resources for other initiatives that improve business performance or company satisfaction. Hot desking can reduce overhead by up to 30%, as less office space and fewer desks are needed.

Hot desking also suits mobile workers and encourages a more social culture, fostering interaction between many more employees, as they can sit next to different people every day and expand their network and knowledge.

Additionally, hot desking can promote a cleaner and more organized office, as employees are expected to clear their desks at the end of the day.

In order for hot desking to be successful, however, there must be clear communication about the reasons behind implementing the system and its benefits. The physical layout of the office is also important to the success of hot desking.

Rishi suggested that teams implement an open-plan office, featuring a combination of private spaces for individual work and collaborative spaces for team activities. This arrangement not only enables seamless interaction between team members but also allows employees to easily find their colleagues.

If team-specific areas are not feasible, reservation software should allow easy access to information about available workstations and current assignments.

Transparency can be particularly helpful for junior employees, who may want to sit next to someone they want to learn from or assist.

Jessica Kriegel, chief scientist of workplace culture at the strategy firm Culture Partners, told CNN that one of her clients tried hot desking, but it was “widely disliked.” Employees were territorial about spaces they preferred to work from, and office culture declined.

If not well implemented, hot desking can make employees feel like they matter less, and it may be more difficult to find colleagues and hold impromptu meetings.

Accommodating employee preferences can ensure that employees feel valued. Offering permanent desks to those who work in the office more frequently, or facilitating desk sharing between two colleagues with different schedules, can make hot desking feel more personal and permanent.

A drawback to an open-plan office is noise; without physical divisions between workspaces, sound carries more easily. Acoustic privacy can be achieved with sound-absorbing materials and the placement of collaborative spaces away from individual workstations.

Hot desking provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for organizations embracing hybrid work. By optimizing office space and fostering a social culture, hot desking can save money and expand employees’ networks.