‘We are investing, or have the capacity to invest, in top of the range ‘home access’ and ‘mobile working’ technologies, creating triplicate workstations – one at ‘home’, one at ‘work’ and one ‘on the road’. Yet in many cases we are not really joining the ‘dots’ in terms of what this means for our jobs and how they are designed and our workforce and how and where they work together.  An integrated analysis is required, not just a knee jerk introduction of siloised initiatives such as ‘hot-desking’ and ‘homeworking’’. – Catherine Corcoran Gearty

The modern workforce is increasingly mobile – both internationally and domestically – with mobility now considered to be a key component of agile working. Agile working is also becoming a key requirement for recruitment of the Millennial generation.  Employers hoping to win ‘the war’ for talent would do well not to ignore this ‘sure fire’ way of delivering employee engagement.

The IT revolution has irrevocably changed the workplace and where, literally speaking, employees sit in it. Employers need to respond strategically, with an integrated ‘agile working’ policy which if implemented properly, will deliver increased productivity, lowers rates of absenteeism, lower employee turnover and a more engaged workforce. Of course, firms are legally required to consider flexible working arrangements such as part-time work but rather than see this as a ‘must do’, organisations should see this as an opportunity to build their employer brand. Benefits will only be realised, however, if agile working is governed by a transparent policy and employees have clear parameters within which to operate. Managers must therefore consider a range of issues including hot-desking policy, management style, culture, flexible working agreements, performance management, IT infrastructure, HR policies and operational processes.

The business case for ‘agile working’ is compelling. It gives employers the opportunity to use the physical working environment as a base for defining their 2020 workplace culture while allowing for the possibility of substantial savings in office space. The modern workforce is also demanding more flexibility with Millennials in particular citing flexibility and work life balance as key components in talent attraction.

 

Triplicate Workstations

Agile working, driven by the IT revolution, refers to working arrangements at times and places outside normal working hours. It brings people, processes, connectivity and technology, time and place together to find the most appropriate and effective way of carrying out a particular task.

Employers now have the capacity to invest in top-of-the-range home access and mobile working technologies, creating triplicate workstations – one at home, one at work and one on the road. Yet in many cases, employers are not joining the dots in terms of what this means for our jobs and how they are designed or our workforce and how and where they work together.  An integrated analysis is required, not just a knee jerk introduction of siloised initiatives such as ‘hot-desking’ and ‘homeworking’.

 

Challenges

A number of challenges must be overcome if agile working initiatives are to succeed. While the key to success lies in a holistic and integrated approach, employers must be careful that they strike the right balance. Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, created a storm when she banned working from home from 1st June 2013 and ordered remote workers to report to the office. According to Jody Thompson, cofounder of workforce consultants CultureRx, “Mayer has taken a giant leap backward. Instead of keeping great talent, she is going to find herself with a workplace full of people who are good at showing up and putting in time.” Irish firms would do well to learn from Mayer’s blanket ban and imbue an agile working culture that strikes the right balance. To help you foster an agile workforce, follow the steps in the bullet points below. Once in place, productivity, engagement and employee satisfaction will follow.

  

A Blueprint for Agile Workplaces – take an integrated strategic approach

  • Appoint a champion and cross-functional working group, which should include senior management.
  • Analyse current working processes and procedures, and critically assess where and when they are done.
  • Critically assess the role of IT and imbue IT throughout your agile working initiatives.
  • Measure performance based on productivity rather than the number of hours worked.
  • Introduce accountability structures that have little to do with where people are located and everything to do with the projects that need to be delivered in order to deliver pre-determined and agreed results.
  • Change your organisation’s culture by demonstrating the desired behaviours at senior and middle management level.
  • Build communication structures that allow for collaborative thinking.
  • Engage with employees to effectively and successfully implement the programme but remember, agile working is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution so be prepared to be flexible.
  • Challenge traditional assumptions and departmental silos by thinking about how units interact and communicate.
  • Conduct an office space audit by assessing the occupancy rates of desks and also, the level of ‘possession’ employees attribute to their space.
  • Develop an integrated agile working policy document that is suited to your organisation, your jobs, and your culture.
  • Conduct a pilot programme. You can phase in or pilot the initiatives to gauge organisational readiness and address issues as they arise.
  • Build in regular review periods to monitor progress.