The Agile Model of Human Resources
The "Agile Model of HR" states that Human Resource's job is not just to implement controls and standards, and drive execution—but rather to facilitate and improve organizational agility. This changes HR's mission and focus. Driving agility means driving programs that create adaptability, innovation, collaboration, and speed.
Examples of agile HR strategies include:
- Training leaders at all levels of the company to act as hands-on coaches, not "managers"
- Designing the organization into small, high-performance teams that set their own targets
- Creating customer interactions within all groups and functions in the company
- Delivering a strong, focused mission and values to keep everyone aligned
- Creating systems with lots of transparent information, i.e., what are our goals, who is working on what project, who are our experts
- Implementing "systems of engagement" not just "systems of record," i.e., collaboration, information-sharing, project management
- Building a focus on continuous learning and being a learning culture at all levels
- Implementing a strong external employment brand that attracts "the right type" of people
- Hiring and promoting experts, not general managers
- Encouraging and teaching people to give each other direct feedback
- Creating programs for peer-to-peer rewards and recognition
- Developing programs to foster diversity in teams
The Agile Model of HR represents a new, emerging way for HR to define its mission.
Source: www.bersin.com/Lexicon
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Personnel Management Versus Human Resource Management
Significant differences exist between personnel management and human resource management in terms of scope, approach, and application. Do you recognize your company?
| Personnel Management |
Human Resources Management
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| Takes a traditional approach towards managing people |
Represents the modern approach toward managing people
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| A predominantly administrative, record-keeping function that aims to establish and maintain equitable terms and conditions of employment |
Integrates the traditional personnel management functions to corporate goals and strategies, and performs additional people-centered organizational developmental activities |
Scope includes functional activities such as: manpower planning, recruitment, job analysis, job evaluation, payroll administration, performance appraisals, labour law compliance, training administration, and related tasks
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Has a much broader scope: includes all personnel management functional activities plus organizational developmental activities such as leadership, motivation, developing organizational culture, communication of shared values, and remains integrated to the company’s core strategy and vision |
Attaches much importance to norms, customs and established practices |
Gives importance to values and mission |
Concerns itself with establishing rules, policies, procedures, and contracts, and strives to monitor and enforce compliance to such regulations, with careful delineation of a written contract |
Tends to relax rules based on business needs and demands, and aims to go by the spirit of the contract rather than the letter of the contract |
Holds employee satisfaction as the key to keeping employees motivated, and institutes compensation, bonuses, rewards, and work simplification initiatives as possible motivators
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Holds improved performance as the driver of employee satisfaction, and devises strategies such as work challenges, team work, and creativity to improve motivation |
| Reactive in nature; remains aloof from core organizational activities, functions independently, and takes a reactive approach to changes in corporate goals or strategy, i.e., a reactive performance appraisal process |
Proactive in nature; remains integrated with corporate strategy and takes a proactive approach to align the workforce toward achievement of corporate goals, such as a comprehensive and proactive performance management system that aims to correct performance rather than make a report card of past performance |
| Is an independent staff function of an organization, with little involvement from line managers, and no linkage to the organization's core process |
Remains integrated with the organization's core strategy and functions. Although a distinct human resource department carries out much of the human resource management tasks, human resource initiatives involve the line management and operations staff heavily |
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Human Resources Management seeks to optimize the use of human resources for the fulfillment of organizational goals. This strategic and philosophical context of human resource management makes it more purposeful, relevant, and more effective compared to the personnel management approach.
Adapted from: "Are You an HR Manager or a Personnel Manager?" www.brighthubpm.com
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