6.1 How Do We Create Change?
Here are a few things you can do to start to get the conversations going and begin to implement AGILE HR in your organization:
- Explore the AGILE model with your team and your leaders to get them on board with the thinking and the possibilities of what you could create
- Be realistic with the scope and scale of what you are wanting to do differently, taking into consideration the overarching factors
- Pilot your changes with end users, selecting maybe just one team for a period
- Build your case for change using both qualitative and quantitative data
- Ensure that you are addressing the needs of your organization, not just those areas that are underperforming
- Build in regular sense checks and reviews
- Focus on building your leaders’ skills, knowledge, and abilities
- Look at the shape, size, and strengths of your HR function and see if you need to make changes to reflect a more AGILE approach.
6.2 The HR Function of the Future
What does an HR function of the future need to do?
There is so much discussion at the moment about the future of HR, and indeed, if HR even has a future. Personally, I am involved with groups online and in person, talking about not only about the structure, but about the skills that we need to have.
So, what are these conversations telling us about the future of HR? Here are the five most common topics currently:
Insight
We need to be skilled and more equipped at gathering, interpreting, and using data to help us inform the business on the strategic direction of the HR function. And we need to use this data to define what we will and will not be focusing on. Changing the name of the function with no change to the way in which we operate and with no real insight into why this will have a positive impact on the organization, other than because everyone else is doing it, is not going to help HR survive. Concrete data, greater insight into the people activities, costs, and how to implement efficiencies, cost savings, and drive performance improvements is what is needed.
Research and Development
We have talked about this before and we are becoming aware that innovation in customer activity is one thing; it gives your company a competitive edge and keeps the money coming in, yet when it comes to new thinking for your own people, innovation gets boxed, until evidence can be provided as to why something new should be tried (back to insight). But if you really want the edge when it comes to your people, and you want to be an employer of choice where the talented people want to work, then you need to stay one step ahead of the game. R&D will play a crucial role in this. What is on the horizon? What would give your company the edge? What new thinking or new ways of engaging, leading, and motivating people are taking place in businesses right now?
Embedded into the Business
Matrix management seems to be a hot topic of conversation at the moment. Business partnering, when it works effectively is great, yet in some cases, we have given the title of BP without the accountability of authority to go with it. Whether organizations move to self-managing teams or not, matrix management for HR and indeed other central functions, removes the one-size-fits-all approach and ensures that people solutions are right for the individuals, the business unit, and therefore, the business as a whole.
Human-Focused
Finally, let us actually get the Human back into Human Resources. The HR function of the future needs to stop being a police department and actually focus on the needs of the people in the business, while of course, still keeping an eye on strategic objectives and business needs. The HR team should not be limited in their contact with HR, that is, recruitment, disciplinary, grievance, and exit. If HR is truly interested in designing and implementing solutions that are right for the employees and the business, then positive, regular engagement needs to take place.
Agile
HR needs to be better at moving with technology, responding to the needs of the business and its customers. It needs to be able to flex, and adapt, and listen, and communicate, and be able to find solutions instead of thinking about why things cannot be done. HR needs to be able to work with minimum policies that are compliant, yet simple and flexible, yet understood. We need to throw away what worked 30 years ago, and speak to people to find out what they really need. Involved in these conversations are organizations, large and small, and the internal conversations that appear to be taking place are about more learning and OD and less HR.
Will these five things ensure there is an HR of the future, or have we left it too late?
What are your thoughts?
What is missing from the thinking?