HR leaders have come a long way from using waterfall processes and are capitalizing on agile methodologies to enhance employee experience and run organizations successfully. Today, the agile manifesto is deemed as a fundamental necessity for HRs to learn from and improve their approach towards responsiveness, adaptiveness, problem-solving, and teamwork. In a situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations with an agile HR function have witnessed positive outcomes than those still invested in traditional practices.
Also, agile approaches have proven to be lucrative for the HR teams to understand, manage and develop their workforces while contributing towards the organization’s goals. Hence, it’s fair to state that agile is a catalyst that HR teams can capitalize on to improve an employee’s competency and help organizations thrive during disruptions.
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What is agile in the business world?
Before agile made a thriving entry into the business sector, it was an out-an-out tech practice used by programmers to improve and quicken their software development processes. Programmers realized that they could speed up their software development process with a smaller and more efficient team than adding more resources, which may result in mismanagements or communication gaps.
Similarly, an agile HR function breaks down complex or long-term projects into smaller tasks to witness consequences and respond with a solution quickly rather than following the traditional annual responsive cycle. In addition, they create prototype solutions to study consumer’s needs and reactions to increase overall productivity. So, unlike the tech term, agile in the business world is all about quick thinking, thinking-ahead, efficiency, and zeal for innovation.
Why should firms embrace an agile HR function?
With the age of agile dawning upon the business world, organizations are witnessing a paradigm shift in employee management programs and operations with an agile HR function. The employees are free to explore their independent potentials that will eventually help the company in the future. Earlier, HRs were predominantly responsible for overlooking talent management. However, an agile HR function encourages employees to take responsibility for their development and stretch themselves beyond their on-the-job goals to learn and explore new opportunities.
The HRs are using an agile approach to promote self-organizing, cross-functional team building, smaller teams, frequent feedback, and a culture where innovation, speed, and decision-making are appreciated and rewarded. Also, an agile HR function aims to work with a diverse and multifunctional team to improve team synergy and overall efficiency. Additionally, regular feedback is compelling the HRs to shift from their annual cycles to shorter cycles. Furthermore, the business leaders are being trained with agile methodologies too, so they can support the HR teams in restructuring the organization’s culture and methods of operations.
Today, it is evident that having an agile HR function is a progressive and pragmatic move towards improving the company’s and employee’s efficiency. However, no hard and fast rules should be adopted. Instead, methods and practices should be initiated and integrated into the system slowly but imperatively. By having a robust and agile HR function, the CEOs and leaders are not only carving a better and flourishing future for their organization but building a team that values the company’s core aspects and believes in team synergy, agility, and innovation.
References:
- Agile in HR Has Arrived: And It’s Growing Fast | Josh Bersin | 19 May, 2019
- What Does Agile Mean to HR? | Manpreet Randhawa | 31 October, 2019
- What Is Agile Hr? Your Step-By-Step Guide And Handy Infographic | Agile HR community | 26 July 2019
- The Journey towards an Agile HR Function | Alberto Loyola
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