What is workforce agility?

Workforce agility is a business strategy prioritizing employees’ flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptability.

When a company’s workforce is flexible and adaptable in the business environment, it is considered agile. Agility has become increasingly important since digital transformation within a globalized economy. 

The need to adapt may arise from changes in the market, technological advancements, or unexpected events such as the pandemic. Workforce agility also plays a big part in workforce mobility, redefining the employee experience. 

Organizations must invest in employee training and development programs to improve workforce agility, build a culture of continuous learning, adopt agile work practices, encourage flexible work agreements, and leverage technology to boost remote work and collaboration.

Benefits of workforce agility

Prioritizing an agile workforce benefits businesses by giving them a competitive advantage which is the ability to pivot when needed.

An agile workforce structure can: 

• Increase flexibility to better cope with business conditions and market demands
• Respond to unexpected events and crises more effectively
• Boost innovation and creativity 
• Improve collaboration and teamwork, which contributes to improved productivity
• Increase employee satisfaction through flexible work arrangements, organizational learning opportunities, and upskilling
• Attract and retain top talent who value an agile and dynamic work environment
• Improve the company’s ability to meet diverse customer needs and markets
• Increase overall organizational resilience and long-term sustainability

By adopting agile organizational practices, organizations can keep business running smoothly as the business environment changes and introduces disruptions. 

Challenges of workforce agility

Implementing and maintaining an agile organization comes with several challenges, which can be managed with proper workforce planning. These include:

• Resistance to change as employees and managers struggle to adjust to new ways of working and new initiatives
• Lack of skills and training to work in an agile environment can lead to inefficiencies and resistance
• Difficulty managing remote or distributed teams, which contributes to decreased productivity
• Inadequate technology and infrastructure to support remote work and collaboration 
• Compliance and legal challenges, especially within highly-regulated industries
• Resistance to diversity and inclusion that comes with workforce agility as some may be uncomfortable with disrupting the status quo

Strategies for implementing workforce agility

Creating flexible job roles

It’s important to design roles that quickly adapt to changing business needs. For example, cross-training employees and creating project-based roles allows organizations to respond effectively to changes in market conditions and customer demands. 

The process involves developing clear job descriptions, establishing performance metrics, and adjusting existing roles. It’s important to communicate with current employees so that they understand their roles and responsibilities. A skills gap analysis will also reveal any shortfalls and highlight where additional focus is needed.

Providing training and development opportunities

Based on existing competencies, employees may need to develop new skill sets to adjust to future changes comfortably. Not only does upskilling employees contribute to psychological empowerment, but it can also boost the sense of well-being and create positive attitudes among team members who feel valued. 

Leveraging technology

Agility models emphasize technology that enables remote work and collaboration, allowing employees to work from anywhere and collaborate with colleagues worldwide. Cloud-based tools, information systems (ICT), and HR platforms facilitate agile project management and make it easy for teams to communicate, adapt, and adjust to deadlines as needed. 

Technology also supports continuous learning, ensuring employees have the skills to do their work productively and efficiently. It’s important to also consider cybersecurity in the workforce agility strategy to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance. 

Workforce planning

Proper workforce planning ensures that the right team is in place to adapt to changing business needs, maintain productivity, and ensure that the company remains competitive despite environmental changes.

Risk management

An agile workforce is exposed to certain risks, such as cybersecurity and compliance. Organizations must identify and evaluate these risks, develop risk management plans, and establish monitoring processes.