What’s your experience with Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) and Hot Desking?

As Slade Group is about to reconfigure its Melbourne office and move to part hot desking, we’re interested in your experiences. Here are the pros and cons we’ve been able to uncover so far.

ROWE
Results Only Work Environment is a management strategy where employees are evaluated on performance, not presence.

PROs CONs
People can manage their work time according to demands on their total time Lack of ‘together-in-the-office’ time can translate into diminished team and cultural and values
People focus on results not presentee-ism and personal accountability takes a front seat. Employees who can’t self-manage, will fail to manage the liberties
Optimisation of office space and resources Poor quality control because of isolated work practices can be a negative for the organisation
People feel privileged to manage their work and personal time allocation and engagement increases. ROWE demands highly capable leadership because of the rare time together and that activity can slip between the cracks
Less commuting time equates to better financial and health outcomes and further productivity. ROWE doesn’t work for all, as some roles require time and attendance – this may be seen as a negative for those who can’t participate

 

HOT DESKING
Workstations are available for use by multiple employees who work from multiple locations not just ‘the office’ during fixed periods of time.

PROs CONs
Productivity focus Other than a ‘locker’ there’s no defined personal space
It often goes hand in hand with more flexible work attendance guidelines  Difficulty for people to settle into a new spot every time 
A sense of modern work practices although time and attendance remains critical for some roles and careers such as GPs, teachers, cleaners, receptionists Desks left unclean, ergonomic re-adjustment
Employees mix with more people than their own previous pod of colleagues

 

We’d like to know your thoughts and experiences as both an employee and a leader.