Hot-desking

Kommunikations-experte KEN TAYLOR wirft einen Blick auf die Fähigkeiten und Sprachkenntnisse, die in der modernen Arbeitswelt unabdingbar sind.

“Hot-desking” means that a workspace can be used by any employee, at any level, from any department on any given day. As working remotely has become more and more common, organizations no longer require the office space they needed before. But what are the pros and cons of hot-desking? Have a look at the conversation below to familiarize yourself with the language you might hear when discussing this subject. We have highlighted the relevant words and phrases for you.

Rick and Sandra are members of an IT team. They are both working mainly from home. They chat regularly on the phone to exchange the latest news and gossip.

Rick: Hi, Sandra. How’s it going?

Sandra: Fine. I was just about to call you. Have you heard the news? Rick: No. What?

Sandra: The company is downsizing the office. We’re going over to

a hot-desking system.

Rick: Interesting. I suppose it will save a lot of money on rent. Sandra: Do you think it’s a good idea then?

Rick: If it’s done properly. It’s certainly cost-effective. It would suit a company like ours with lots of mobile workers. And we have more people working remotely now, too.

Sandra: But I’d miss having my own personal space ― my photos and desk ornaments!

Rick: If there are lockers, you could keep them in there. Hotdesking is designed to encourage collaboration. You meet people from other departments and even have the chance to interact with our bosses.

Sandra: I’m not sure I want to do that! And I think it would be stressful not knowing if there was a desk available or where you were going to sit. And how would you know whether your team members were in or where they were sitting?

Rick: That would be a job for us in IT. We’d have to develop the systems to manage that.

Sandra: I’m still not totally convinced. But I can see there may be some upsides for a company like ours. We have loads of people who are out of the office at any one time.

KEN TAYLOR is a communication consultant and author of 50 Ways to Improve Your Business English (Lulu Publishing). If you have any suggestions for topics, you can write to him at ktaylor868@aol.com Ken looks forward to hearing from you!