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Senior Content Manager
Content specialist in office design and build.
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Despite often being used interchangeably, the terms agile working and flexible working refer to separate styles of work, requiring different kinds of office design and infrastructure. We explain the difference between hybrid, flexible and agile working, what each looks like with insight from Oktra Creative Director Dominic Dugan.
We define agility in the workplace, by considering the ways of working that support it and typically this involves agile working, flexible working or hybrid working. There are a lot of similarities between the working models as well as the terminology used to describe them. To make things simpler, it is possible to think of these 3 working models as the how, when and where.
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Agile working is the how – it is enabled by specific working models such as core and flex and activity-based working. Agile working is activated by different types of furniture, zoning and principles that need to be followed.
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Flexible working is the when – flexible working is predominantly based on working hours and how the traditional 9-5 can be adapted to accommodate a better work/life balance.
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Hybrid working is the where – hybrid working is simply the combination of remote and office-based work. Hybrid working promotes a blend of environments and offers the best of both worlds.
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What is hybrid working?
Hybrid working is the combination of working in the office and working remotely. For some, this means working from home, for others, this means working in a third space, such as a coffee shop.
While many workers have only recently adopted this way of working, hybrid working is not new. Hybrid work has existed for many years, it was just never accepted on such a large scale. The pandemic accelerated the implementation of hybrid working, and it has remained a popular way of working due to employees having greater flexibility over where they worked.
Hybrid working means employees are spending less time in the office but now have more autonomy in their work. This shift has required office design to evolve to support a more transient workforce that is expecting more purposeful and functional spaces at work.
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What does hybrid workspace look like?
The defining feature of a hybrid office is how it is occupied by staff, and as occupancy rates will fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, the office layout and furniture will reflect this. For a lot of companies, shifting to hybrid working means they can reduce their space requirements.
Fixed desk positions will still be available in hybrid workspaces, but these will typically be hot-desks and only be bookable through a desk-booking system. A variety of spaces, such as touch down points, shared open areas and quiet areas that support video calling, will be prioritised, as they are best suited to a transient workforce.
As headcount will change so frequently, there is still an importance on having good acoustics, storage space and adequate meeting rooms with VC functionality to connect with colleagues or clients who are working remotely.
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What is flexible working?
Flexible working is a term whose definition has shifted slightly with use over the years, especially along with the recent rise in hybrid working. Most often, flexible working refers to the arrangements made between employer and employee to allow for flexible working hours. However, offering flexible working also means that you can accommodate employees with different access needs, and who might prefer remote working or have childcare responsibilities. This fluidity is why definitions of flexible working often overlap with those of hybrid working models, which allow for a balance between remote and office-based working.
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What does flexible workspace look like?
A flexible office space features multiple different working environments, from traditional desking to secluded phone booths and meeting rooms designed for digital meetings with remotely-based colleagues. Like workspaces built to support a hybrid working model, collaborative space and larger meeting rooms are a crucial part of flexible workspace design. These spaces ensure your teams have the resources to exercise their full creative and collaborative when they are together in one place. Our project with Crowe UK LLP is a great example of the way flexibility can be built into your workplace.
Flexible working is about allowing room for employees to tailor their working schedules to their working styles, which means greater engagement, improved employee wellbeing and better productivity for your business.
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What is agile working?
Agile working is on the rise, and it’s reshaping the way businesses approach their workplace strategy. While. As a concept, it can also include flexible working hours, agile working is geared towards breaking down traditional barriers between staff and their preferred ways of working. This enables people to work at their best and most efficient throughout the day.
Companies that embrace agility can respond rapidly to change, optimise their space, and create environments where people work at their best. Agile offices remove traditional barriers, giving employees the flexibility to work how, when, and where they’re most productive.
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The Age of Agility
Our agility guide explores how this approach can future-proof your workplace, from enhancing collaboration to designing a space that drives long-term success.
download now -
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What does agile workspace look like?
Agile workspaces, like our project with the Photobox Group, often include easily customisable features in order to ensure a fully futureproofed office space. Agile offices also tend to include a wide variety of workspaces, especially breakout areas, amenity spaces, collaboration space and domestically-influenced environments. These types of spaces are designed to support multiple working styles and optimise employee wellbeing and productivity. Behavioural design features such as hot-desking also contribute to a healthy agile working environment.
Agile working solutions aim to create a dynamic work environment where your employees stay alert, engaged and are less likely to sink into entrenched patterns of inefficiency.
Dominic Dugan, Creative Director at Oktra, explains that it’s “virtually essential for businesses to be flexible in today’s market. As for agility, an agile workplace is a healthy workplace: by creating the right balance in choice to support various work activities, you are offering your employees the opportunity to work at their best.”
While flexible working refers primarily to flexibility around working hours, agile working goes beyond that and focuses on removing boundaries traditionally placed between staff and their goals, in order to make your business as adaptable and efficient as it can be.
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FAQs
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What is agile working?
Agile working is a strategy that gives employees the freedom to choose how, when, and where they work, supported by the right technology and workspace design. It’s focused on outcomes, encouraging autonomy, collaboration and productivity.
How is flexible working different from agile working?
Flexible working typically refers to adjustments in working hours or location. This could mean changes such as part-time roles, remote work or compressed hours, and is often based on individual needs. Agile working is more holistic, combining flexibility with organisational strategy to improve performance and workplace efficiency.
Can a company have both agile and flexible working?
Yes. Many organisations combine both approaches. Flexible working policies address individual arrangements, while agile working looks at the broader workplace design, technology and culture to enable high-performing teams.
Does agile working mean employees can work from anywhere?
Not necessarily. Agile working includes working from various settings, but it’s also about choosing the right environment for the task at hand. It balances autonomy with team collaboration and business needs.
How do you implement agile working in an office?
Agile working is supported by workplace design. This often includes creating a variety of work settings, such as collaboration areas, focus zones and quiet rooms to ensure employees have the technology and policies needed to work effectively across different environments.
How does hybrid working relate to agile and flexible working?
Hybrid working is a form of flexible working that allows employees to split their time between the office and remote locations. It often forms part of an agile working strategy, where the focus is on enabling people to work in the most effective way—regardless of location. While flexible working grants the option, agile working provides the infrastructure and culture to make it successful.
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Contact us
Get in touch to discuss the right working style for your business
020 7553 9500
info@oktra.co.uk
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