Over the course of the previous ten or so years, there has been a great deal of discussion around agile HR, with most participants adopting one of two extreme stances: they either believe it to be complete rubbish or the greatest thing ever.
As is frequently the case, neither of the two extremes will likely adequately capture the essence of agile human resources. To put it another way, it will be a bit of a mixed bag, but given the correct circumstances, it can really be a terrific approach to handle HR, so we should at least consider it.
The Agile Method: What Is It?
The field of software development is where the Agile methodology first appeared. More specifically, when a group of developers convened in Utah to devise this novel approach to software development, agile software development became standardized in the early 2000s. Their new approach involved creating software incrementally, adapting to changing conditions, operating without rigid hierarchies, and generally being more flexible than the previous waterfall methods. This article is a fantastic place to start if you want to learn more about the definition of agile and the history of the movement.
Over time, a very high proportion of development businesses have embraced agile, and even the “dinosaurs” like Microsoft have come to realize that this methodology has too many benefits to be written off as a passing trend. It also spurred the development of a plethora of tools, including project management programs like Active Collab, to facilitate this method of developing software.
Naturally, it didn’t take long for others to begin attempting to “turn” other concepts into agile by placing agile in front of them. Among them was HR.
The (Irrational) Transition from Strategic
The primary transformation that the “traditional” HR procedures would need to go through to qualify as agile would be a significant increase in their level of reactivity compared to now. This also happens to be the main issue with agile HR.
In particular, a sound HR approach in any organization is based on the idea that activities should be carefully considered beforehand and then implemented through an all-encompassing, well-coordinated practice. Nonetheless, the agile methodology is based on a fundamental distaste for anything that is predetermined and tightly controls the ensuing practical process.
It would likely be hard to implement a fully reactive HR strategy, and maintaining 100% agility in HR would consequently be more of a mental exercise than anything realistic.
The Quality of Flexibility
There are several benefits to the agile approach’s adaptability, even though fully agile HR is probably not a feasible idea.
Particularly in large firms where employees leave at a more “industrial” pace and where some processes haven’t been revalued in years or even decades, HR has a tendency to get overly set in its ways. In such circumstances, HR loses focus and starts to see itself more as a hassle and burden than anything else.
Furthermore, due to the chaotic character of smaller enterprises, this type of HR practice is frequently implemented there, where it has no place. More flexible HR procedures may be just what the doctor prescribed in these kinds of businesses. Specifically, these smaller businesses frequently undergo abrupt changes, which also affects their HR requirements.
This more flexible HR will provide better outcomes, collaborate better with other departments, and offer solutions that will clearly and visibly improve the bottom line—even when dealing with giant organizations.
Greater Than Flexibility
Many individuals believe that making anything more reactive than strategic is the only thing that constitutes turning something agile. They are not correct. There is more to it, and we need to take these other factors into account as well while discussing agile HR.
For instance, better teamwork and project and team fragmentation are key components of agile. Since they will be the only ones with numerous HR projects and teams operating at any given time, the largest firms will likely be the only ones able to accomplish this. Agile HR will also involve a shift in the traditional HR responsibilities and place an emphasis on incremental improvements that add up to better HR procedures at the corporate level.
All things considered, agile HR is unquestionably something to take into account. While it should be noted that HR will probably never be completely agile, there are undoubtedly some characteristics of agile that HR practitioners should find interesting.
