Adaptability and Flexibility

One of the many Employability Skills.

The work environment is in constant flux, so keeping up to date with current affairs to see how political decisions and the economy can affect the working environment will help to provide some background information on what sort of adaptability might be needed.

Being adaptable or flexible involves being able to change your plans and help others if required, or to change your tasks as directed by a line manager. Modern business needs to be flexible to adapt changing situations, for example, if computer systems become temporarily out of action, what else can you do to help the business out? Or would you sit rigidly in your chair waiting for a couple of hours until the system problem has been fixed?

Annual leave and illness are part of everyday life in a business; are you one of these people that stick rigidly to your job description or who is prepared to adapt to the current situation to help out as needed? Obviously, this would have to be within your capabilities, but usually a flexibility to help with more routine and not too complex tasks would be the typical request. In a way it’s a bit like the old-fashion adage of 'we are all in it together' and so have to pull together at certain times to help each other out.

Are you able to work, occasionally if requested, outside of the normal working hours or at a different location? This might be to help in getting an order out on time to a customer or attending a training event or marketing activity. Normally, the type of adaptability and flexibility wanted from an employer is not that of working in a different part of the country or working unreasonable hours, it’s just that occasionally unexpected events occur, and they would like staff to be able to help the business in maintaining the service it provides.

An employer with a positive attitude to staff will also have a flexible give and take approach to these situations; the motivation for an employee to be adaptable and flexible may be satisfied by the promotion of a continuous development programme within an organisation.

An employer who does not understand the motivational requirements of employees will find a degree of resistance to flexibility, although it is probably not a good idea to express this last point at a job interview.