How Agile HR is  Shaping a Better (Hybrid) Employee Experience

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

The combination of Agile HR techniques and new hybrid ways of working is transforming the employee experience. HR leaders who adopt Agile HR practices and embrace the benefits of hybrid work are creating a more flexible, autonomous, co-creative, and collaborative work environment.

In recent years, the world of work has undergone a massive transformation, accelerated by the global pandemic. As a result, organizations have had to adopt new ways of working to ensure business continuity while maintaining employee well-being. This has led to the rise of hybrid work, where employees have the flexibility to work remotely, on-site, or a combination of both. To support this new way of working, HR leaders have been combining Agile HR techniques with new hybrid ways of working to enhance and improve the employee experience.

Agile HR has been a priority for many leading organizations in the past few years. It is a people-focused approach to HR that aims to create an adaptive and flexible workforce. It involves using Agile methodologies to manage HR processes and practices, such as performance management, recruitment, and learning and development. Agile HR enables HR leaders to be more responsive to changing business needs and employee expectations. By combining Agile HR techniques with new hybrid ways of working, HR leaders can provide employees with greater flexibility, autonomy, co-creation, and collaboration – an overall better employee experience.

Novartis, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, is an excellent example of how Agile HR techniques and hybrid ways of working can enhance the employee experience. Novartis adopted an Agile HR approach in 2016 to improve the speed, quality, and customer focus of its HR services. As part of this approach, Novartis introduced an Agile Talent Management program that focused on developing employees’ skills and creating a more agile workforce. The program included Agile Learning Journeys, which enabled employees to learn new skills in a more flexible and personalized way.

Sanofi, another major pharmaceutical company, also adopted an Agile HR approach to creating a more flexible and adaptive workforce. Sanofi implemented a new Talent Development framework that focused on developing employees’ skills and competencies. The framework included Agile Development Plans, which enabled employees to take ownership of their development and career progression. Sanofi also introduced Agile Performance Management, which enabled employees to receive continuous feedback and coaching from their managers. More recently, Sanofi has also went through a transformation program as highlighted in our recent blog, whereby how HR leaders can transform their organizational culture to improve the overall employee experience and achieve business objectives.

Philips, a global technology company, used Agile HR techniques to create a more collaborative and co-creative work environment. Philips introduced an Agile Performance Management process that focused on continuous feedback and coaching. The company also implemented an Agile Learning platform that enabled employees to co-create learning content and share knowledge with their peers. Philips also introduced an Agile Innovation program that enabled employees to collaborate on new product development.

ABN Amro Bank, a Dutch banking and financial services company, adopted an Agile HR approach to create a more customer-centric and collaborative workforce. ABN Amro introduced an Agile Talent Management program that focused on developing employees’ skills and creating an agile workforce. The program included Agile Performance Management, which enabled employees to receive continuous feedback and coaching. ABN Amro also identified, that Employee listening and people analytics may drastically help to improve overall employee experience. By analyzing this data, companies can identify trends and areas for improvement, leading to better employee engagement and retention.

In conclusion, the combination of Agile HR techniques and new hybrid ways of working is transforming the employee experience. HR leaders who adopt Agile HR practices and embrace the benefits of hybrid work are creating a more flexible, autonomous, co-creative, and collaborative work environment. The case studies of Novartis, Sanofi, Philips, and ABN Amro Bank demonstrate that Agile HR and hybrid work can help organizations adapt to change, improve employee well-being, and drive business success.

To explore further, join the Pre-Conference Masterclass with Kevin Empey at the Employee Experience Impact Forum in Amsterdam.

Masterclass focus:

• Discover how AgileHR practices and tools are revolutionizing the Employee Experience in the Hybrid Workplace (and make HR’s job easier in the process!)
• Learn effective ways for HR to support managers improve hybrid ways of working and the Employee Experience
• Experience proven agile techniques that are helping to shape hybrid ways of working
• Learn how employees themselves and the skillset of Personal Agility also contribute to a better and more sustainable EX – and how it can be developed.”