What it means
Hot desking removes the concept of assigned seating entirely. Employees arrive at the office and choose from whatever desks are free that day. The approach originated in the 1990s as organisations looked for ways to reduce real-estate costs, and it has surged in popularity alongside hybrid work models where not every employee is in the office every day.
The main advantage is space efficiency. If only 60% of your workforce is on-site on a given day, you can maintain fewer desks and repurpose the rest of the floor for collaboration areas, quiet zones, or meeting rooms. The downside is unpredictability -- employees may arrive to find no desks available near their team, which is why many organisations pair hot desking with a desk booking tool.
To make hot desking work well, companies typically establish clear guidelines around clean-desk policies, provide lockers for personal items, and use booking software so people can reserve a spot before commuting in.