Hybrid Workplace Design: Desking for the Modern Office

Designing for Hybrid Working

The shift to hybrid working has fundamentally changed how offices are designed. With many employees splitting their time between office and home, the traditional model of one desk per person is giving way to more flexible, shared-desk approaches.

Understanding Hybrid Desk Ratios

Most organisations operating hybrid working find that only 40-70% of their workforce is in the office on any given day. This means a desk ratio of 6:10 or 7:10 (6 or 7 desks for every 10 employees) is often sufficient. However, ratios vary by sector, culture, and policy, so analysis of actual attendance patterns is recommended before committing to a specific ratio.

Hot-Desking vs Team Neighbourhoods

Hot-Desking: Complete flexibility where anyone can sit anywhere. This maximises desk utilisation but can feel impersonal and make it hard to find colleagues. Best suited to mobile workers who spend limited time at a desk.

Team Neighbourhoods: Designated zones for each team, with individual desks available on a first-come basis within the zone. This balances flexibility with team proximity and is the most popular approach for hybrid offices.

Desk Types for Hybrid Offices

Sit-Stand Desks: Highly suited to shared environments as each user can adjust the desk to their preferred height, reducing the need for individual ergonomic setups.

Bench Desking with Clean Desk Policy: Bench systems with personal lockers encourage a clean-desk approach essential for desk sharing. Provide adequate locker storage near each team neighbourhood.

Focus Pods and Booths: Supplement shared desking with enclosed pods for video calls and focused work, reducing the need for every desk to accommodate these activities.

Technology for Shared Desks