Advantage 1: Efficient use of space
People often think that desk sharing means that no one is assigned a specific desk, but chooses a workstation based on availability. This can cause a lot of people to worry because they don’t know where they will be sitting on any given day.
Within desk sharing, however, teams (or entire departments) are often assigned a certain number of seats at which they rotate. This means that you can always sit in the same seat. But on days when you’re in the home office, that seat will be taken and used by someone else, often just one colleague.
Advantage 2: Simplifying cooperation
People often imagine having to fight for a free desk in the morning or spend time looking for a place to work.
Desk sharing is entirely driven by technology or booking apps. These allow you to plan and reserve your seat in advance. That way, you always know where you’ll be sitting, and you can even choose the spot that works best for you – close to the colleagues you need to work with that day, by a window, or in a quieter part of the office.
Advantage 3: Hygiene compliance
Some people associate sharing tables with a lack of personal hygiene.
However, hygiene is often more emphasised during desk sharring than in its absence. Regular cleaning, disinfection of workstations and the availability of hygiene products such as disinfectant gels or wipes are part of the sharing process. Everyone also has the opportunity to re-clean their place before use.
However, when sharing offices, you can have your own keyboard, for example, which you lock in your locker with your other personal belongings before you leave.
Benefit 4: A productive working day
It is often mistakenly assumed that desk sharing leads to chaos, wasted time and reduced productivity. People may think that finding space or adapting the work environment detracts from work efficiency.
Desk sharing, if set up well, promotes efficiency. A flexible work environment allows people to choose a place to work according to their needs – sometimes it’s a quiet place to concentrate, sometimes it’s a desk close to the team.
Optimizing space also reduces the cost of idle space, which means more resources for technology, training or other employee benefits. The result is an environment that promotes efficient working while giving employees more freedom.
Why desk sharing makes sense – the numbers speak for themselves.
- Up to 30% savings in space costs by reducing the number of unused workstations.
- Flexible environments increase productivity by up to 15% – people choose their space according to the task at hand (quiet zone for concentration, creative space for brainstorming…).
- In the average office, 40% of desks are unused, which desk sharing effectively addresses.
What does desk sharing require in practice?
- Cleanliness and order: after work, it is necessary to leave the table tidy for the next colleague. Systems and rules called “clean desk policy” help.
- Data security: use lockers or digital tools to securely store documents and personal belongings
- Respectful: Shared space requires respect – quiet zones for focused work, proper use of shared technology…
Desk sharing is certainly not just about potential savings, but also about creating a modern working environment that promotes efficiency, collaboration and flexibility. With clear rules and well-designed spaces, it can become a natural part of everyday working life.Would you like advice on the overall strategy of your space as part of our workplace consulting services?
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Sources: Desk Bird 2024, Tableair 2023, Deskly 2023, JuiceUP 2024
