What is agile working - and should you embrace it in your office?

In the business world, there are various buzzwords and trends that come and go - but agile working could be one that sticks. In this blog, we take a look at what this is to help you decide if it’s something you should embrace in your office. The basics In a nutshell, the term ‘agile working’ refers to a way of working whereby a company empowers and encourages its employees to work where, when and how they choose. Based around the idea that rather than a place we go to, work is an activity we do, the concept of agile working is thought to maximise flexibility while minimising constraints in a bid to optimise performance and delivery without the traditional limitations of where and when tasks must be carried out. The benefits Agile working is not a one size fits all approach, meaning that the benefits will differ for every organisation and its employees. However, some of the major advantages can include: A significant increase in productivity By giving them the opportunity to work how, where and when they like, you could expect to see a significant increase in your employees’ productivity levels. The fact that workers are not being made to stay at their desks gives them the chance to focus on the task at hand from a location that suits them. This has the potential to boost happiness and morale among your workforce, making them feel more motivated and engaged, causing their productivity levels to soar. A reduction in staff turnover The flexibility of this way of working is likely to appeal to many members of staff, meaning that a lot of your employees will see it as a perk of the job. As a result, you could see a reduction in staff turnover. In turn, you’ll be able to retain your best talent and not have to spend the time and effort that comes with interviewing and hiring as many new employees. A chance to meet your customers’ expectations Aside from advantaging your staff and business as a whole, your customers could benefit from this way of working too. With engaged, hard-working employees that consistently perform well, your customers will receive a significantly improved service that meets, and even goes beyond, their expectations of your company. How to achieve it In order to achieve an agile way of working within your organisation, there are a few key factors you should take into consideration. For example, you will need to suss out the locations from where your employees can work from. This could mean anything from introducing the concept of hot desking, where workers share workstations, to providing touchdown workstations that offer staff a ‘drop in’ area for the use of laptops for fast, short stay access to log-in and recharge. You may even want to introduce home working, where some employees are able to do their work without the need for travel. You should also put some thought towards time and ask yourself about the hours during which your employees will work. For instance, you may want to introduce a varied work hours approach where staff can choose irregular start and finish times, or you could allow a self-rostering system whereby employees are given the freedom to choose their own hours, perhaps within a fixed shift pattern. So, will you embrace this style of working in your office? If you do, you could stand to create a more productive and engaged environment for your employees and a better experience for your customers.