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From the post:

Leona Hobbs appears as part of our Leaders Series, conversations with tech and media leaders about influential trends and topics in their field. 

Companies are extending agile processes beyond software development. Many candidates we speak to are interested in working in this type of dynamic, iterative teamwork-driven environment. This could be a startup that uses agile software development or even the marketing department of a media company that runs a highly iterative workflow as an agile business.

Why are these types of organizations so attractive? Well, research suggests teams using agile methods increase innovation and productivity. For example, some research suggests agile teams get projects done 66% faster.

But one challenge many of these candidates face is their current job is anything but flexible, collaborative and iterative. In a job interview, an employer is likely to consider and assess a candidate’s ability to cope with an agile environment. And for good reason – for a startup, the wrong fit can have serious repercussions.

Here’s the dilemma for a candidate looking to make a shift to working in an agile style: How to demonstrate that you can successfully transition into a highly iterative, flexible and collaborative teamwork environment if you’ve never worked in one?

We brought this question to Leona Hobbs, a Toronto-based marketing and communications professional with expertise in social media and digital marketing. Currently running her own consulting practice, Leona is aself-professed “geek for workflow and agile.” Leona has built and run agile teams for communications and marketing at Tucows and during her tenure as vice president and partner at Social Media Group.

With this experience under her belt, we asked her for a few actionable suggestions for candidates hoping to transition into an agile role.