Agile working at Stirling
Agile work is what we do not where we are.
At Stirling, we define work as an activity rather than a place, and we focus on performance rather than presenteeism.
Our working practices are underpinned by our Agile Working Framework. The Framework is an informal, principles-based approach to hybrid working designed to enable progressive working practices that support agility, growth, and high performance.
What does this mean?
8 out of 10 of our staff told us they have experienced our Agile Working Framework positively. Feedback has demonstrated that our principles are being translated into a positive staff experience, with our people benefitting from this new approach to how we see work. They feel enabled to deliver against their work priorities and respond to challenges flexibly whilst feeling trusted to make the right decisions about their working arrangements.
What this looks like
The Framework and associated principles enable managers, individuals, and teams to consider how their work and objectives can be best delivered to co-create working practices that align with business need whilst retaining individual flexibility.
Agile working arrangements are fluid and vary across different teams, roles, and projects. As the decision on agile working approach should be determined at a local level, there is no central mandate on the number of days staff are required to be ‘on campus’. We advocate balancing presence with purpose, and decisions on working arrangements should be considered against our five principles:
Performance matters
Working arrangements should enable a high-performance culture focused on outcomes.
Community
Working arrangements should seek to foster community, enable collaboration, and develop team connectivity.
Do the right thing
We trust our staff will do the right thing to self-manage their work without compromising individual or team productivity.
One size does not fit all
Work arrangements should be established in line with these university-wide principles and agreed locally, within teams, based on activities and deliverables.
Inclusive working practices
We recognise that you have other roles that sit alongside work and we want to encourage a balance between them.
What our people have to say
Building on our existing foundations to enrich our student experience is a key strategic priority for Stirling. As part of this commitment, staff across the University consider the needs of our students when considering their approach to work. Diane Davidson, Senior Faculty Administrator, recognises how the Agile Working Framework is used within the Faculty of Natural Sciences to determine working practices that meet the needs of our staff and our students.
"As a Faculty, it’s important to us that there is always someone available to support our students who are on campus. Our administrative team are empowered to collaborate together to agree working patterns to ensure there are always team members available face-to-face. Staff are flexible with office days and work with each other to ensure that on campus presence is flexible to individual needs. We have an all team meeting once a week, and most of the team are on campus on this day to connect and catch-up."
Diane Davidson, Senior Faculty Administrator
Employees using our Agile Working Framework are able to balance what matters in work and life while being trusted to meet the outcomes of their role. Claire Edgar, Lecturer, Faculty of Natural Sciences, is able to focus on detailed work at home and come on to campus to collaborate and teach.
"The Agile Working Framework allows me to work much more efficiently and saves me a lot of unnecessary travel. I still travel to campus regularly when I need to teach, attend a meeting or when collaborating face to face would be beneficial, but I can plan days working at home to allow me to work uninterrupted on tasks that need my focus and concentration – this space to focus is invaluable... I feel like I get a good balance between both parts of my life."
Claire Edgar, Lecturer, Faculty of Natural Sciences
Teams across the University community vary in size, this can create opportunities and challenges in equal measure. Jacqui, our Head of Student Support Services sees our Agile Working Framework as an opportunity to bring a flexible and inclusive approach to leading her team, underpinned by trust and business need.
"A combination of business need and individual need helps us to be inclusive and person centric. This helps me to enable my staff to do their best work without compromising on their wellbeing at Stirling."
Jacqui Lenaghen, Head of Student Support and Operations, Student, Academic & Corporate Services
Our Agile Working Framework is enabling teams to re-think what potential recruitment looks like and how this can impact new and existing employees, as explained by James Blair, Director of Development Operations in Information Services.
"The framework has made us more attractive to a diverse pool of talent, including those who live further afield. The framework has undoubtedly improved engagement and job satisfaction. As a department we have a keen focus on delivering to business needs and the Agile Working Framework enables us to do this by balancing on-campus and remote working. This contributes to improved well-being and helps to drive a highly productive work environment."
James Blair, Director of Development Operations, Information Services
Our Agile Working Framework can also enable people and teams to choose where they are most productive. For many this is on campus. Different jobs require different working patterns, and we recognise that one size doesn’t fit all. Sharon Martin, Senior Administrator of Undergraduate Studies, prefers to be office based on campus five days a week for a few reasons.
“I like to come into campus because I prefer the office environment and my home is not set up to help me be as productive as I can be. In addition to this I can take advantage of our beautiful campus and use the discounted gym facilities on my lunch break to achieve personal fitness goals while meeting business need.”
Sharon Martin, Senior Administrator of Undergraduate Studies, Stirling Management School
What this means for you
If you see yourself in a role at Stirling, then we want to hear from you.