The Benefits of Agile Working
Agile working is the concept that refers to employees working flexibly whether in or out of the office. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its suitability for nearly all of the workplace and its cost-effectiveness for employers.
In the past employees worked strictly from the workplace due to lack of technology making flexible working more difficult. However, this is no longer the case and traditional (individual) offices and open plan offices are no longer seen as most effective way of running a business.
Agile working can modernise a company, change its ethos, and most importantly, meet the expectations of the younger generation, who expect a far more flexible office environment than past generations.
According to Paul Allsop, managing director of business consultancy, The Agile Organisation, “Its essence is common sense but it’s amazing how many employers don’t use it.”
The benefits of agile working are different for each company, but there many reports to indicate that there are, indeed, benefits.
- The first tangible benefit with agile working is that it means women and senior staff can remain in employment when they otherwise may not have. There are far more women in the workforce than ever before, it has risen from 59% in 1980, to 70% today. The workforce is also aging and career patterns are changing. Agile working can accommodate these factors. Women who have time off for maternity leave may be able to come back early knowing they can work from home. Senior employees who are about to go into retirement may feel less willing to leave if they know they can work flexibly. Also, allowing these employees to set their own hours can encourage loyalty.
- The second tangible benefit is the cost-effectiveness of agile working. The traditional office environment is expensive and often under-occupied. Agile offices have fewer overheads and by using methods such as hot-desking, can be far more efficient to run. Agile offices can also cut expenses and commuting time for employees. UK workers spend, on average, seven hours a week commuting which is the equivalent of working 47 extra days a year. They also spend a sixth of their wages on work-related costs. Saving on these can be a huge motivation for employees.
- Thirdly, agile working is environmentally friendly and does a huge amount for businesses corporate responsibility. Around 25 million commuters travel to work every day and 18 million of the se drive. Commuting in the UK alone produces 19.7 million tonnes of CO2 emission, and buildings, in particular offices produce 40% of the total UK emission of 153 million tonnes of CO2. This means that workplaces are by far the biggest enemy to the environment.
- Employee productivity will also increase when agile working is implemented. Whilst BT were rolling out their flexible working practices, they found that absenteeism was reduced by 63% when employees worked flexibly. Flexible employees were also, on average, 20% more productive than those that were office-based.
Having this flexibility also increases the motivation and engagement of staff because they can spend more time on personal productivity rather than commuting. They can also work in their own environment which accounts for factors such as fewer distractions, improved focus and concentration, better use of skills and less frustration because there are fewer barriers to working such as the commute.
- With the onslaught of globalisation businesses are also expected to be open for longer hours to accommodate customers overseas. Agile working means that businesses can do this. A study of UK business leaders by YouGov for Ring Central, a cloud computing business, found that people worked long into the evening, responding to emails and answering telephone calls as late as 10pm. Customer expectation is driving this change. Businesses are expected to respond to queries quickly and there is increased competition to provide excellent customer service. The general manager of EMEA, Ring Central UK, said “Working life no longer relies on location and traditional office hours, but much more on the customer service you can provide clients, irrespective of where you are”.
Agile working empowers staff to choose their own work setting and hours to suit their job. This decreases stress, improves the reputation of businesses towards customers and increases the motivation and engagement of staff.
- Last, but by no means least, agile working goes a long way to ensuring a good work life balance. The Academic and Business Research Institute’s 2008 study of Generation X’s materialistic attributes found that found that “Gen X is concerned about a balance between work and personal time. They want challenging work but also want the flexibility to perform it on their own terms.”
The London Business School’s 2009 research on young professionals’ perspectives on work, career and gender, The Reflexive Generation, found that “in respect to work-life balance one thing was clear: the single most important element in relation to work-life balance is that they want autonomy over when and how to work”.
The lack of commuting, saving of money and ability to choose their own hours makes an organisation much more appealing than it formerly would have been. The employees of the future are used to change and exhilaration and do not expect a job for life. For companies to attract and retain talent they need to find ways to accommodate modern expectations and agile working is a strong contender.
Lee Parsons, Office Principles.
Lee Parsons is the marketing manager for Office Principles, an office interior design and fit-out company based in Reading.
Category: Business
