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Agile HR: Deliver Value in a Changing World of Work
In the new world of work, agility is a business imperative. Agile HR is a practical guide written specifically for people professionals on how the HR function can develop agile processes and practices that save time, boost performance and support overall business goals.
From small tech start-ups or large traditional companies, organizations need to be fast, flexible and digitally empowered to succeed. However, too many companies are stuck with siloed, compliance-driven HR processes that work in opposition to the business rather than supporting it. This results in the view that HR is slow and out of touch. However, Agile HR shows that this doesn't need to be the case.
Covering every aspect of the HR function from people processes, ways of working and HR services to organization design, operating models and HR teams, Agile HR is an essential guide for all HR practitioners wanting to make their HR practices agile and drive business performance but don't know where to start. As well as guidance on how to deal with resistance, manage a backlog and deal with constraints, there is also invaluable guidance on how HR can prioritize effectively and assess which activities to pursue, which to develop, which to rework and which to abandon in order to achieve continuous business improvement. Supported by case studies from organizations who have seen the benefits of an agile approach to HR including Sky Betting & Gaming and MUJI, this is critical reading for all HR professionals in organizations of any size needing to adopt fast, flexible and evolving agile approaches to effectively compete in the new world of work.
From small tech start-ups or large traditional companies, organizations need to be fast, flexible and digitally empowered to succeed. However, too many companies are stuck with siloed, compliance-driven HR processes that work in opposition to the business rather than supporting it. This results in the view that HR is slow and out of touch. However, Agile HR shows that this doesn't need to be the case.
Covering every aspect of the HR function from people processes, ways of working and HR services to organization design, operating models and HR teams, Agile HR is an essential guide for all HR practitioners wanting to make their HR practices agile and drive business performance but don't know where to start. As well as guidance on how to deal with resistance, manage a backlog and deal with constraints, there is also invaluable guidance on how HR can prioritize effectively and assess which activities to pursue, which to develop, which to rework and which to abandon in order to achieve continuous business improvement. Supported by case studies from organizations who have seen the benefits of an agile approach to HR including Sky Betting & Gaming and MUJI, this is critical reading for all HR professionals in organizations of any size needing to adopt fast, flexible and evolving agile approaches to effectively compete in the new world of work.
328 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 12, 2021
A fantastic overview and toolkit to engage in the world of Agile within HR. Natal and Riina have written a great handbook, with plentiful examples, guides, references and engaging stories, leveraging their great experience and insight, and pioneering the way ahead for HR in this area!
May 20, 2023
Great stuff: clear, hands-on, … Next step: transform hr professionals in service designers and product owners!
March 16, 2025
This is a great toolkit for anyone wanting to bring Agile into HR in a structured, practical way. It covers key principles, frameworks, and step-by-step applications in an easy-to-follow format.
It’s best suited for beginners in my opinion. If you already know Agile, much of it may feel like a refresher. But even then, it’s a good reminder of the fundamentals and a chance to reflect on where you can apply Agile more effectively in your work.
If I’m being picky, I would’ve liked more case studies for inspiration and benchmarking. As a small detail, the hand-drawn, cartoonish illustrations gave off an “Agile for dummies” vibe, which I didn’t personally enjoy and felt didn’t contribute much to understanding the material.
But overall, it’s a solid read. A great starting point for those new to Agile HR and a useful check-in for those already familiar with it.
It’s best suited for beginners in my opinion. If you already know Agile, much of it may feel like a refresher. But even then, it’s a good reminder of the fundamentals and a chance to reflect on where you can apply Agile more effectively in your work.
If I’m being picky, I would’ve liked more case studies for inspiration and benchmarking. As a small detail, the hand-drawn, cartoonish illustrations gave off an “Agile for dummies” vibe, which I didn’t personally enjoy and felt didn’t contribute much to understanding the material.
But overall, it’s a solid read. A great starting point for those new to Agile HR and a useful check-in for those already familiar with it.
November 9, 2025
I think this is a great primer for HR professionals that are new to Agile frameworks and the mindset required. I wish the book spent more time discussing the organizational foundations needed for a framework like Scrum to work (team design, commitment of leaders against waterfall, etc.). Additionally, I wish that they were more transparent about types of teams that should definitely do Kanban instead. These are primarily teams that deal with both project or product work and must also deal with a heavy degree of transactional work. If you work in HR and are looking to use this book to encourage organizational change, I would definitely invest in a professional coach for yourself at minimum and an organizational/Agile Coach for your org at best.
November 13, 2023
Heureka'd literally at every page of this book. Packed with practical advice, and quotes that just hit the right spot every time. It took some time to process it through, as I was actually shifting towards working in a more agile way in my role simultaneously. I think that's the way this book should be taken - as a guide that will be put into practice asap. It has given all the confidence needed to start being agile, start small and work my way up to becoming fully agile in everything I do in people development. I will keep revisiting the 23491384 lines I've highlighted on a weekly basis.
November 14, 2021
One of THE best books out there for HR professionals that want to explore a world outside the outdated Ulrich model. Is practical, easy to digest and very thorough at the same time. While not prescriptive, is really good at providing paths forward to explore and experiment. Extremely lucky to have stumbled upon it.
October 19, 2023
Puiki knyga, išsami - nuo agile principų, procesų ir praktikų pristatymo ir jų taikymo HR komandoms, iki HR vaidmens diegiant agile organizacijoje ir įprastų HR procesų pritaikymo tokiai organizacijai; praktiška - patarimai, pavyzdžiai, toolkit'ai; įkvepianti - kurti daugiau prasmės ir vertės savo organizacijai ir sau kaip HR specialistui.
March 7, 2021
Very good understanding of lean and agile principles. Shows HR professionals the way how to think, transform and practice modern people operations positioning human in the center and getting away from administrative, pilicy driven, one-size-fits-all approach.
July 3, 2022
I wish this book followed the 'show, don't tell' advice more. Just because 'agile is great' is repeated a lot of times in different ways will not convince me agile is great.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews