Hot desk or private office? Which to choose?

According to the “Zdrowy styl życia” (“Healthy Lifestyle”) survey, conducted by the Pracuj.pl portal, 70% of the respondents enjoy working in an open space, yet nearly half of them would prefer that space to be divided into offices. Having their own desk is important for 60% of the respondents. Does the hot desk idea work and is it better than a private office? Here are the pros and cons of both solutions.

Private office

Private office is a solution tailored towards the persons who prefer having a personalized workspace. Do you need a large desk and an adjustable chair to perform your duties effectively? Do you prefer staying in the same place rather than moving everyday? This is something for you.

The entire coworking equipment is at your disposal. You can use conference rooms, audio-video equipment and printers. You also have your own locker for documents, so that you don’t have to carry them with you. The office can serve as the seat of your company, where you can receive correspondence and use courier services.

“A private office is a perfect solution for company owners and project teams. When working with several or more than a dozen people, a private office makes it easier to communicate than hot desking, which reduces involvement in team building and maintaining relationships,” explains Rafał Wilk, COO of Solutions.Rent.

Hot desk

Hot desk is simply an unoccupied desk in a coworking space. Just come, choose a spot and you can start working. Just remember that the rule is: you snooze, you loose. Whoever gets up earlier and catches the better desk – wins.

Do you like changes? That’s the thing for you. You can work at one of the desks that are currently free. You get to meet new people, network. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up doing a project together?

See also: How to be more productive at work? 

Did you know…

The idea of hot desks is part of Erik Veldhoen’s „activity-based working” (ABW) theory. It advocates reducing workstations and increasing their diversity, in order for everyone to work by their own rules.

The solution is perfect for freelancers, remote employees or people on business trips. Are you looking for a place that inspires you to work? You just found it. 24-hour, flexible access to a coworking space is a definitive advantage of this solution.

“Hot desks allow networking with a greater number of people, as you get to sit next to someone new every day. Hot desking accelerates competency development, as it allows taking a seat next to an expert, who will help you or provide you with tips to complete the project,” Rafał Wilk adds.

Read also: 5 best project apps

Hot desking motivates you to clean up. Your workstation must be left clean by the end of work every day. But that’s not all. By choosing this solution, you become motivated to arrive at work as early as possible in order to occupy a specific desk.

There are however also disadvantages of working with this system. It increases the risk of losing documents, which may cause rivalry and create a sense of wasting time (constant packing and unpacking).

The office should meet your expectations and provide comfort for your work. It doesn’t matter which solution is better according to studies or statistics. Choose a coworking method that best suits your needs.

Are you looking for a private office or would you rather try a hot desk? Click here.