Legal eagles embrace move towards agile working
Mon 20 November 17
Legal eagles embrace move towards agile working
A survey into agile and flexible working across the legal sector has revealed that over 70% of respondents believe that agile working practices utilising digital dictation and voice recognition promote smarter and more efficient ways of working, while nearly one in four believes it leads to a better work-life balance.
The study
The research, carried out by SpeechWrite Digital, a leading player in the digital dictation and voice recognition market, has also shown that the biggest perceived barriers to flexible working within the legal profession are organisational culture, outdated technology and worries over IT security, as well as some concern over lack of supervision.
Almost all employees with at least 26 weeks continuous service, whether full-time or part-time, have the right to ask for flexible working via written request. A conservative estimate of how many people in the UK currently work remotely puts the figure over 3.5 million. Recent research by Lancaster University predicts that flexible working will be the main way of working for 70% of businesses within the next three years. An increasing number of law firms are following this trend by introducing formal agile working policies.
95% think that flexible working is a positive for legal firms
SpeechWrite Digital’s research among 78 law firms reveals overwhelmingly positive feedback to the policy of introducing flexible working, with nearly 95% agreeing it represents a good move for the sector. Along with a better work-life balance and more efficient working, other benefits identified included attracting new employees and retaining existing staff, as well as generally increasing employee engagement.
Emma Deakin, marketing manager at SpeechWrite Digital says, “Working 9-5, Monday to Friday doesn’t suit everyone. Putting in long hours in a stressful job can take its toll on health and relationships, as well as having a negative impact on work-life balance. Adopting flexible working practices can really boost a business. As our survey shows, there is a keen appetite for embracing this trend, even in a sector such as law, often perceived as quite traditional in its approach."
“It is encouraging to see that over 97% of our survey respondents say that their firms already have tech office systems in place that can be accessed remotely. Cutting edge software and hardware that facilitates remote working is readily available. Time and consideration need to be given to ensure the most appropriate solutions are chosen so staff can work seamlessly, regardless of location, whether it’s from one of a network of offices, from home, from a client’s workplace or on the move.”
Mobile digital dictation and voice recognition solutions
Designed to support agile working, SpeechWrite Digital’s mobile digital dictation and voice recognition solutions mean you can easily dictate documents of any length and format and send them speedily and securely for transcription from anywhere, whether visiting clients, at home, or your local coffee shop, just using your mobile, phone or tablet.
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