Employees do not want to hot-desk: Staff missing their personal space in the office

Despite hot-desking becoming more common in the hybrid world of work, staff prefer to have their own personal space, according to new data from global workplace creation expert Unispace.

The organisation’s ‘Returning for Good’ study - which surveyed 9,500 office workers and 6,650 employers – revealed that the majority (83%) of workers who currently hot-desk would be inclined to be in the office more often if they had an assigned desk. Despite this, 48% of firms across the globe have a hot-desking policy.

According to the data, males are particularly driven by the need to have their own space, with 86% of men indicating they’d spend more time in the office – compared to 80% of females – if they had their own assigned desk.

Of the age groups, the younger demographic showed a higher-than-average desire for their own space, with 88% of those aged 18-34 stating they would head into the workplace more if they had their own desk. This drops to 84% for those aged 35-44 and 71% for those over 45.

Robin Dey, Head of Client Solutions at Unispace, commented.

“It would appear that old habits are beginning to return to the office and people are looking to once again have their own personal space at work. However, it does appear that some businesses are overlooking what their people really need and the fact that almost half of firms have a hot-desking set up, despite staff showing a desire for assigned spaces, suggests there is a disconnect between employers and employees.

“This preference for designated individual spaces is also likely another reflection of people seeking greater elements of their home office set up in the workplace. For many, working from home means they have a dedicated area to store their work equipment and personalise to suit their needs.

“The difference across the age demographics is particularly interesting and further supports the idea that businesses are making assumptions about the desires of their employees. Those who make up the younger segment of the workforce are often considered to be amenable to flexibility at work, yet our study shows they have a greater desire for their own assigned desk. Business leaders need to ensure they’re creating office spaces that people want to use, and to do that, they first need to understand what kind of workplace that really is, without making assumptions.”

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