TECHNOLOGY
The birth of the agile economy
By Ross Cox, CEO and Co-founder of technology business Dispace, a leader in the agile working movement which provides a UK-wide network of flexible work and meeting spaces and a community for the rapidly growing self-employed and freelance sector.
DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Not since the industrial revolution have we seen such large-scale change in the way people can work. Technology, and the community and collaboration services it provides, has removed the rigid time and location requirements that have been commonplace since Henry Ford and Co brought in the 9-5 in the early 1900s. In tandem with a reliable solution
to work with fewer constraints on the when and where of employment is a growing sentiment around taking greater control of your professional life in the context of the things important outside of work: family, friends, health and wellbeing. The working population is
beginning to force a change in a tired model of working, and the younger generations are demanding we face up to irrational behaviour in how employers define work.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE Statistics prove that a big shift is underway. Seventy per cent of people work remotely at least one day a week, with 53% spending at least half the week away from the office. Self-employment is rising rapidly.
Since 2001, UK self-employment has grown 45% to account for over 15% of the working population and many believe this number will be close to 50% within ten years. Those employed by organisations
are starting to drive the flexible working narrative beyond maternity and paternity leave, with 25% of the workforce - and over 80% of mothers - valuing a flexible working policy over a pay rise.
Ross Cox
BENEFITS FOR EVERYONE Not only is there public demand for change, there’s a solid benefits case too. There’s strong evidence that operating flexible working policies is delivering bottom line results for businesses. Vodafone’s Flexible Working Survey found 83% of companies experienced improved productivity and 61% increased profit. It stands to reason. There’s
simple logic that makes it easy to understand that if people aren’t forced to lose unproductive time commuting to an office each day, or work rigidly to a set of hours that aren’t the most effective for their make-up as a human being, they’ll get more done. If you let them manage their time to suit their demands and needs outside work, they will be more loyal and motivated. I believe there’s a real utopia on
the horizon beyond flexible working, where businesses draw on a pool of self-employed talent as demand requires, giving a new level of efficiency and lowering
overheads, while letting individuals get the balance and variety they need from work and life. A truly agile economy.
TODAY’S REALITY We’re still someway from getting there. Kicking a 100-year-old habit is hard for both employers and individuals. There are legal, cultural and infrastructure challenges to be considered and solved. Trust remains a considerable, if
irrational, barrier to a new working model. While performance is about the individual - and a bad hire will always be a bad hire - and not a consequence of intense supervision, businesses still need robust structure and process to operate effectively and there is absolute sense in a gradual transition to more flexible working, starting with addressing cultural issues and testing your way into a roll-out. Likewise the right technology
needs to be in place to facilitate an effective model of remote working, as well as proper consideration given to how teams and individuals continue to get access to regular physical time together to forge human relationships and deal with isolation.
BEING PART OF THE
REVOLUTION In spite of challenges, businesses ignoring the change will undoubtedly suffer as employees seek a better work life. It’s better to take a proactive
stance on the things that will become important to them and their permanent and non-permanent staff in the coming years.
Companies like Invision,
Vodafone and Dell are advocating a remote working culture and proving the case for a revolution. The former has a 100% remote workforce, has rapidly grown to over 700 staff and provides its product prototyping solution to some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies. Addressing what’s required to
change the way you operate is the obvious first step in modernising. Businesses should start by:
1. Capturing all perceived and actual barriers in offering entirely remote and flexible working and considering how these could be overcome
2. Looking at the ongoing infrastructure and support needs required to service flexible teams in terms of work and meeting space, and access to physical communities
3. Considering the technology the business would need to manage a different type of employee and how best it solves some of the barriers in point one
4. Looking at the revenue, overhead and competitive advantage opportunities from operating teams in a more agile, demand-based way
Some of this will seem difficult
to swallow and impossible to implement, but there is so much grounded logic in making these changes, as well as real momentum among the individuals that make businesses tick. Sitting it out and hoping it passes isn’t likely to end well.
business network July/August 2019 85
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