By Tracey E. Schelmetic, TMCnet Contributor

Shared office space search engine Office Genie (officegenie.co.uk) is hoping to introduce companies in the UK to the concept of “hotdesking,” or desk sharing – both within an organization for workers working different shifts as a way to cut operations costs and with outside individuals purchasing spare desk space from an organization that has free desks.

While it's not a brand-new concept – many call centers that are staffed 24 hours a day have first-, second- and third-shift workers who share work stations – interest in the practice has doubled in the first half of 2011, says Office Genie, probably in response to a still-sluggish economy.

One example Office Genie provides as a success story for the practice is the Greater Manchester Police, which has embraced hot-desking to the extent that it expects to save about £1 million per year in cost savings: a very healthy chunk of money in an era when police departments are under pressure to cut costs drastically without harming the level of service they provide to the public.

How does it work, exactly? Greater Manchester Police are moving 800 people into offices that have space for 550 desks. Staff members arriving for their work days, regardless of the time of day, are able to log into a computer at any desk, eliminating the need for office and desk space that is empty two-thirds of every day, which leads to extensive savings in space and money (not to mention the disorder and desk clutter that comes from personalized desks!)

Office Genie director Ciaron Dunne said, “It's great to see Greater Manchester Police saving millions in taxpayers’ money by hot desking, while also increasing productivity and reducing downtime for its staff. It sets a fantastic example to other businesses that may be nervous of trying new working practices: whether you have spare desk space, or a flexible work force, you can push your business forward by joining the hot desking revolution.”

While work forces across the UK are becoming more mobile, the recession continues to bite hard at business finances, says Office Genie. Renting out unused desk space can provide extra income that can be vital to keep your business in the black, while providing a string of other benefits.Many companies with desk space to spare are finding a way to make money off it via hotdesking: they can actually rent out unused desk space to mobile workers, freelancers, work-at-home individuals and others who may need office space irregularly or intermittently. (OfficeGenie also points out that the practice can help create new business opportunities, new friendships and generally refresh the buzz around the office.) Those individuals who rent the desks are buying access to a flexible workspace in a professional environment conducive to working, minus the long-term commitment and other expenses that normally come with renting office space. Office Genie, which acts a search engine and broker for available desk space, lists thousands of desks available for rent in Manchester at an average cost of around £120 per month in rented offices and £300 per month in serviced offices. It also lists desk space in London, Birmingham and other UK cities.

For more informtion, visit www.officegenie.co.uk.