Executives often talk about being 'agile' as the new leadership approach. But what does it actually mean for HR?
CEOs, consultants and senior executives often talk about being 'agile' as the new leadership approach. But what does it actually mean for HR?
“HR has historically been preoccupied with the individual more than the wider external and internal system, and fundamentally risk-averse, viewing humans as ‘resources’ in relatively low trust relationships,” said Alex Swarbrick, regional director, Asia Pacific at Roffey Park Institute.
However, the changing workplace is demanding a change in strategy.
For instance, time and location-based work is becoming “less the norm”; there is also “the demise of traditional notions of career” as younger workers especially change their attitudes towards the idea of work; and collaborative environments are no longer limited by traditional employment contracts, shared Swarbrick.
"The organisations that respond by becoming ‘agile’ are the ones that survive and thrive. Becoming an ‘agile’ organisation with an ‘agile’ approach to HR first requires a different mindset – the processes will follow from there,” he said.
The concept of agility is not a new one, but with disruption emphasising the challenges of a VUCA world, HR will need to rethink traditional organisational models to get the best out of the workforce.
Agile methodology refers to the use of shorter cycles, regular reflection and improvement. Applied to HR processes such as recruitment, professional development and engagement, for instance, it would mean regular assessments and quick responses to ongoing changes in the organisation.
“It’s more useful to see this as a re-imagining, not a re-engineering of processes – so it’s [updating] any processes which enable the organisation to flourish,” Swarbrick said.
Adopting agile methodology to HR’s practices however will not be easy as there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all approach”.
“There will be parts of the organisation where stability and predictability will remain vital and parts where elaborate hierarchy and high risk-aversion are damaging to the business.
“Part of the journey to becoming more intelligently agile is about managing the tensions and dilemmas – the ‘tight-loose’ tension,” he said.
Regardless, changing strategies and adopting new methodologies should always be done with purpose and not simply “improvement for improvement’s sake”.
“If HR can’t articulate to the organisation the compelling business purpose for the organisation being more ‘agile’, then it will feel like change for change’s sake, and [the transformation] will be costly and pointless.”
