Agile Working - A Deconstruction - Guest Article by Uthman Yilmaz

Agile working has increasingly become a talking point during the pandemic, with many employers referring to it as their “new way” of working.

However, what does agile working really mean and how do you explain the difference between agile working and flexible working? Take a moment to think through how you might respond to this question. Not as easy as you thought?

Flexible working might be described as “statutory focussed thinking”, that is, flexible working arrangements based on part-time hours and some remote working. It is essentially about doing the same work in the same way but at a different time and place.

Agile working, however, can be described as flexibility’s buffed-up, more gutsy cousin. It is less about where or when work is done and more about how well work is done and what is achieved. It focuses on performance and outcomes and requires a fundamental change to thinking and behaviours.
True agile working is about empowering and supporting employees to work where, when and how they choose in order to maximise their output and innovation to deliver the best value in their role and for their organisation.
Transitioning to an agile working culture requires employers to go beyond flexible working and remote working. It requires a commitment to removing barriers that get in the way of motivated, innovative and productive teams.

Unfortunately, for many employers, the main stumbling block to agile working is their culture and mindset. Simply buying new technology to enable remote working is not enough. Supporting remote working to enable teams to get more work done is simply a cunning performance initiative in fancy dress. Agile working is about getting more value from the work that is being done. People are at the heart of agile working, which requires interest and investment in nurturing a culture of trust, support and responsibility.

Only when employers move away from the notion that agile working is flexible hours, hot desking or home working, and instead move towards embedding agile thinking and behaviours will they be able to reap the full benefits of agile working. And, if we accept that agile working is about culture, thinking and behaviours, it means that agile working practices can equally be applied to working in an office environment.
As employers consider new ways of working after this pandemic, agile working is less of a fringe idea and is becoming more of a mainstream concept. If you would like to explore your approach to agile working, please message Integrity HR where you can explore all or some of the following…

• Defining what agile working means for your business
• Reviewing the working practices of a team or teams, exploring opportunities for improved ways of working
• How to transition to a more agile working culture

My name is Uthman (Osman) Yilmaz, the founder and CEO of Integrity HR. I started Integrity HR to offer the very best of modern and contemporary HR perspectives that are grounded in ethics and best practice. I have worked in HR for more than 16 years, starting my career as an HR Officer. Since then, I have worked as an HR Advisor, Consultant, Business Partner, Senior Business Partner and Head of HR. This experience has been gained from a varied and diverse range of sectors to include Energy, Retail, Culture, Technology, Charity, Housing and Media. I am hugely passionate about supporting employers to create working cultures that are welcoming to all and where inclusion is for everyone. In addition, I am excited about enabling leadership styles that facilitate high performing teams that are healthy, engaged and motivated.

Connect with Uthman on LinkedIn