Question: Senior management at my company are talking about possibly introducing hot desking\*, which might be introduced at the same time as an office move planned in a few months. The new location will be large enough to accommodate the company size; there will be enough desks for everyone, space is not a problem.

What problems does hot desking strive to solve, apart from not having enough desks?

Does it actually solve those problems?

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\*From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_desking): *"Hot desking is an office organization system which involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods. The "desk" in the name refers to an office desk being shared by multiple office workers on different shifts as opposed to each staff member having their own personal desk."* 

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*Update*

Etiquette is: I select only one answer, but several answers here answer this question; there are several other excellent answers.

Answer: 
I am not a fan of the hot desk principle, but here are a few reason why people might be for it:

1. Tidier working area. If people can't keep their belongings at
their desk, the desks are typically clutter free
2. Fresh perspective. Some people actually think differently when
they are moved around. I don't, but I know people who claim where
they sit affect them
3. Collaboration with new people. Depending on your field, this may
encourage to work with more people than before and it could cause a
rise in productivity

Again, I am not for hot desking; these are just reasons I have heard in the past.
> 
> What problems does hot desking strive to solve, apart from not having
>  enough desks?
> 
> 
> 

Management inferiority complex. Also, consultants need of a new car.

Many of these projects are buzzword bingo bullshit dreamed up by some consulting company after a short study of the workplace environment, and those profits only need to last (or seem to last) until the manager is promoted to his next position and the same consulting company can come back in with a new plan.

There are, of course, circumstances in which sharing desks is appropriate, as outlined by, e.g. Dmitry in his answer.

In a regular office setting, however, hot-desking is one of those consulting non-solutions. I've worked as a consultant, we always had one eye out for the follow-up business. No solution was ever intended to be permanent.