Coodes partners with Smart Working Revolution to formalise agile working policy

At Coodes Solicitors, we’re always looking to be at the forefront of legal changes but also societal attitudes and trends. We particularly wanted to keep up with the changing work landscape following the pandemic, which is why we sought advice from industry experts, the Smart Working Revolution. With over 20 years of experience in implementing and transforming the workforce they helped with our transition to an agile working approach.

Like many firms, we began our agile working journey when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, but we identified a need to formalise our arrangements and policies into a clear strategy that could continue well into the future.

Now we have adopted the principles of both smart and hybrid working, we have created a more flexible and collaborative work environment staff can be confident in and which has enhanced employee productivity, attracted new legal talent, but also continued to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

What we implemented

Firstly, we had to overhaul our infrastructure to be able to accommodate those needing to work more flexibly or with hybridity. This meant embracing and investing in additional technology as well as implementing cloud-based systems and communication tools to facilitate collaboration and remote working capabilities.

We also introduced new hybrid working policies, methods, and guidance to empower employees to find a more agile way of working. It also allows for a choice of locations to work from based on their individual preferences and responsibilities.

As well as updating our policies and improving our technology, a successful agile working approach also relies on a solid culture. We have always fostered and built a culture of trust, accountability, and clear communication, which has continued into our new working arrangement.

We will be continually evaluating our policies, technology, and culture to refine these smart and hybrid working practices well into the future. This will rely on valued employee feedback and monitoring changing industry trends. We have committed to continue this approach while we fine-tune the system and examine how the legal sector evolves.

The results

Agile working is now a formal and permanent fixture for employees working at Coodes, adopted in our offices across Cornwall and Devon. We’ve already found it has yielded significant benefits both for us and our clients.

Our team have been able to experience more surety on both the present and future working practices of Coodes. The agile working arrangement has increased job satisfaction and work-life balance as a result. In turn, this has led to better productivity and engagement among our colleagues.

From a client perspective, our new technological infrastructure means that they have benefitted from improved responsiveness and accessibility. Virtual meetings can now be offered on top of our usual face-to-face appointments and have provided more seamless channels of communication. This has enhanced business confidence in Coodes for our clients. It shows that while we are the longest-established firm in the county—we are anything but old-fashioned. This new approach has also resulted in cost savings through reduced office space requirements and increased operational efficiency. This can be fed back into the business to make even more improvements to the services we can offer.

Jo Morgan Partner with Coodes commented: “Our agility project required a beneficial review of our working practices and procedures across each of our sectors, as well as our business support team.”

“Our local branch network gave an additional layer of complexity but with Ruth’s support we were able to engage with stakeholders at all levels to bring in new policies that will continue to develop into the future.”

Coodes Solicitors is an agile and forward-thinking organisation that embraces innovative approaches to meet client needs and attract top legal talent. If you’re interested in working for Coodes, view our recent vacancies.