Difference Between Agile Working and Flexible Working Explained

While flexible working aims to accommodate employee’s personal needs, agile working is more about improving performance and productivity by using very similar methods.

Here we explain the difference between agile and flexible working.

Agile and flexible working approaches are now commonplace. In order to effectively implement either of these policies, you need to first understand the differences between the two and it all comes down to their objective.

Flexible working aims to accommodate employee’s personal needs and meet their unique requirements and agile working is more about improving performance and productivity while using very similar methods. In agile working style, it is common to change processes and the way of working in relation to time and space where the work is carried out, in order to focus more on deliverables and outputs. 

While flexible working is employee-centric, agile working is more of a business-focused approach. Organisations that implement flexible working solutions do so to support their employees work and life balance and enhance employees wellbeing and happiness.

These companies may or may not see flexible working benefiting the workplace in areas such as productivity or performance. However, agile working will have a direct impact on both employees and employers. When agile working is implemented, employees have more freedom to work where and when they want for as long as they deliver specific results or perform at a certain level.

This means that employees get flexibility while the business benefits from being more productive, responsive to market and ultimately more effective. What’s more, it’s been noted that employees tend to be more motivated to generate strong outputs than in traditional working culture.