I am a weird kind of a person. I want to socialize, party and find my tribe. Yet, there are times when I want to be alone and enjoy the solitude. I want to see maximum followers and complimentary comments on my Facebook posts, yet my privacy is the most guarded. This has led to a conflicting personality spectrum in me, shaping my image amongst my peers as moody and sulky. I work at a plug and play centre; you wonder how I can still manage there? Dedicated Desk vs Hot Desks.
If you are a person who can relate to me then this post is for you. Coworking space has the potential to transform and nurture all kinds of people so that nobody feels ‘out of place’ or ‘left out’. You can choose one among both of the following options:
DEDICATED DESKS
It is a membership access that is pre-defined. A desk is reserved in your name and nobody can come and occupy it. It demarcates your niche within the coworking space and a seat that you can call your own. It is an arrangement within the shared office space where you can earmark the same workstation to occupy every day, while still enjoying the coworking space’s amenities. If you are a person to whom certainty and monotony is important to be productive, dedicated desks is the ideal choice for you. The pros and cons of dedicated desks are enumerated as follows:
PROS:
- You can personalize your workspace
- Dedicated desks give you more privacy.
- You can leave your work tools, including desktop computers and extra monitors at a dedicated desk
- The area is quieter for getting your head down to business. There are not so many distractions from other workers.
- Dedicated desks come with a locking file cabinet for valuables.
- You have access to meeting rooms, event space, phone booths and mail service
- You’re still part of an in-house network of potential collaborators. You can attend networking events in the space
- You have all the amenities a coworking space in Hyderabad provides, including a kitchen area, unlimited tea and coffee, printer and shredding services, reception and hosting services.
CONS:
- You lose some of the advantages of coworking, like making contacts, learning from others and social skills.
- Social interaction is minimum, thereby making it monotonous and isolative.
- They cost you more than a hot desk. Moreover, it is like renting your workspace and you will have to pay the rent even when you are not using it.
- The factor of heterogeneity and variation goes amiss.
- You are left to yourself, as a dedicated desk is arranged somewhere farther from the common area or collaborative spaces.
HOT DESKS:
Having its roots in the open office plans, this is a flexible-office practice as part of coworking space where places are not assigned to anyone. A pool of seats is allotted to the group and they are free to occupy and the seat of their choice. This may keep changing on a daily basis or even an hourly basis. This was traditionally used as a tool for saving space but is now widely known for its effect on the productivity of workers and how it aids in mitigating workplace stress and isolation. The pros and cons of hot desking are as follows:
PROS:
- Encourages collaboration and social interaction among coworkers. Teamwork, brainstorming sessions, open communication and contacts and bonding are all perks of increased interplay.
- You have a greater say in choosing your space. Some days you might want to curl up in a cozy corner and the next day you might want to occupy the seat beside the window for some sunshine and fresh air.
- Your social skills improve. Your mannerisms and etiquettes get sharpened with increased social stimuli and observational learning, whilst snowballing your professional network.
- Hot desks are pocket-friendly, drastically reducing the budget.
- Enhanced productivity: Monotony, prosaicness, dullness and boredom are all the factors that stagger one’s productivity.
CONS:
- Might lessen organization and efficiency of the employees, because it makes the desk congested.
- It can distract you from your task on hand to other irrelevant matters.
- Sometimes, the productivity of employees gets hampered because they don’t get their personal space and privacy to focus on work.
- May trigger social friction, especially when the employees aren’t getting along with one another.
Although, both have their own advantages and disadvantages you can choose according to your tastes and personal preferences. You can also upgrade your membership from hot desks to dedicated desks.