A Guidebook For HRBPs Agile HR 101

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A Guidebook for HRBPs
Agile HR 101

1 © 2018 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates.
INTERNAL or RESTRICTED
Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are the
Benefits of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

Agile: Defined
“Agile” describes a
collaborative, flexible
way of working. Agile is a collaborative way of working that
embraces change, drives efficiency through iteration
and customer testing and measures success through
outcomes rather than inputs.
Agile principles grant teams more flexibility to make
decisions about how best to work in order to achieve their
goals.
Agile was originally used for software development but is
now more frequently being applied within other
business areas, including HR.
Source: Gartner

Lots of Chatter About Agile HR Around You
There are many, often
conflicting headlines in
the popular press about
applying agile principles to
HR’s work.
• Given its success within IT
functions, agile has
become a popular topic for
other business
professionals, including
HR professionals.
• Perspectives on the value
of agile for HR functions,
as well as how to apply
agile within HR functions,
vary significantly.
Sample Headlines on Agile HR
Source: Peter Cappelli and Anna Travis, March-April 2018, https://hbr.org/2018/03/the-new-rules-of-talent-management#hr-goes-agile. Jeff Gothelf, June 2018,
https://hbr.org/2017/06/how-hr-can-become-agile-and-why-it-needs-to. Barry Lawrence, 3 April 2018, https://www.hrci.org/community/blogs-and-announcements/hr-leads-business-
blog/hr-leads-business/2018/04/03/agile-hr. Steve Denning, 26 January 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2015/01/26/why-do-managers-hate-agile/#6709cb283a57.
The New Rules of Talent
Management: HR Goes Agile
Agile HR Likely to Transform How
We Manage People and Work
How HR Can Become Agile
(and Why It Needs To)
Why Do Managers Hate Agile?

n = 246 HR leaders.
Source: Gartner 2019 Future of HR Agenda Poll Survey.
There is Varied Use of Agile in HR Functions Today
HR leaders have varying
levels of experience with
using agile in their
functions.
• Twenty-nine percent of
HR functions have used
an agile approach within
the function at some
point.
Degree of Using Agile or Lean Product Development Methods Within HR
Percentage of HR Leaders
16%
Have and Will Continue to
Use Agile Within HR
13%
Have Used
Agile Within
HR
48%
Have Never
Used Agile
Within HR
20%
Plan on Using
Agile Within
HR
Of the 29% of
HR functions
that have used
agile within HR,
65% share
they have
seen entirely
positive
results.
3%
Not Sure

Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are the
Benefits of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

Agile Originally Came From Software Development
Most organizations were
originally structured and
worked according to the
“waterfall model,”
characterized often by a
rigid, vertical hierarchy
and a more bureaucratic
project planning process.
• Like most manufactured
products, software was
first developed by
creating a project plan,
designing and creating
the software product
itself and finally releasing
a product based on the
design over a period of
several months.
Source: Gartner
Traditional “Waterfall” Model to Managing Work
The “waterfall” structure and method has a rigid hierarchy where
leaders plan project requirements and must approve of all design
changes, slowing down progress if the original plan isn’t perfect.
Individuals
Boss
• Roles
• Rules
• Plans
• Reports

Their Traditional Approach to Work Had Limitations
Software developers
recognized that their
“waterfall” model of
managing work led to
several common
challenges.
Common Challenges Within a Traditional Waterfall Model
Rigid Process Steps
Business-Led, Not Customer-Led,
Process
The waterfall model expected developers
follow a rigid plan and series of steps,
which made it difficult to make slight
changes to the process depending on the
unique needs of the product.
The waterfall model prioritized outcomes
that benefitted the organization, like
efficiency, and were often at odds with the
needs of their external customers.
Longer-Term Process
The waterfall model used an end-to-end
development process with so many steps
that products were slower to market and
sometimes were even obsolete by the
time they were released.
Rigid Hierarchy and Process
Sign-Offs
The waterfall model required people at the
top of the hierarchy (i.e., leaders) to sign-
off on process changes and innovations,
often removing the ability of the workforce
to work creatively.
Source: Gartner

Agile Emerged as an Alternative Approach
Instead of the waterfall
model, software
developers created the
“agile” model in 2001.
• The agile method was
intentionally different
from the waterfall
approach and was
structured to maximize
the speed and flexibility
of its project teams.
Source: Gartner
The “Agile” Model
Concept Definition
and Business
Case Approval
High-Level
Requirements
Definition
Release-Scope
Planning Sprints Deployment
• Detailed Requirements
• Develop
• Test
• Integrate
• Reprioritize
• Gather detailed requirements.
• Prioritize capabilities.
• Front-load functionality for user reactions.
• Rescope or cancel requirements if effort to build exceeds benefits.
The Waterfall Model
A detailed requirements
definition specifies all the
technical functionality that
must be built.
Concept Definition
and Business
Case Approval
Requirements
Definition
Design
Development
and QA/Testing
Deployment
• No iterations; build to the specifications identified earlier.
• Submit change requests if needed.
• End-to-end functionality is delivered late
in the cycle.
Full quality
and value of functionality
are typically verified only
on release.

An Agile Approach Has Several Key Benefits
The agile model was
designed to address the
most common challenges
raised by the waterfall
model.
• Many of the benefits of
agile for software
development also have
potential positive
implications for HR
functions, including
allowing HR to create
solutions that reach the
workforce more quickly,
are more relevant to
employees, and can
more readily adapt to
changing workforce
needs.
Source: Gartner
Common Outcomes of a Shift from a Waterfall to Agile Model
Deployment
Rigid Process
Steps
Business-Led,
Not Customer-
Led, Process
Longer-Term
Development
Process
Rigid Hierarchy
and Process
Sign-Offs
Flexible Process
Steps
Customer-
Informed and
Centric Process
Shorter-Term
Development
Process
Fluid Network With
Frontline “Decision
Rights”
The Waterfall Model The “Agile” Model

Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are the
Benefits of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

Implementing an agile
approach can drive a
number of positive HR-
related outcomes.
Agile Can Improve HR Outcomes
HR Solution Responsiveness HR Solution Relevance to Employees
An agile approach allows HR solutions to be
released more quickly, allowing faster
responses to employee needs and concerns.
An agile approach focuses on treating
employees like actual external customers,
ensuring that employees want, need and use
the resulting HR solutions.
“For us, agile has unlocked the potential of HR that we always knew was present, but was often hindered
by the ways we typically worked. It’s been a win-win approach for us and our employees.”
- HR Leader, Consumer Products
Sample HR-Related Outcomes of Using an Agile Approach
An HR solution design process that evolves over time, in line with an agile approach, can improve
employee performance by up to 15%.
Source: Gartner

Agile Can Improve Business Outcomes
Implementing an agile
approach can also drive a
number of positive
business-related
outcomes.
Sample Business Outcomes of Using an Agile Approach
Source: Gartner. Steve Denning, March 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/03/11/can-hr-become-agile/#8a6765b4ae30.
Customer Satisfaction
An agile approach prioritizes
customer needs first, over all
other needs or interests, in order
to ensure customers are attracted
and retained.
“Agile to us means higher quality products, faster results, and more dedicated people.”
- HR Leader, Financial Services
Product Delivery Speed
An agile approach
prioritizes shorter project
increments, effectively
reducing a product’s speed
to market.
Long Term Growth
An agile approach prioritizes the
highest-value work, rather than the most
cost-effective work, with a goal of
remaining focused more on long-term
growth (and less on short-term goals).
“In truly agile organizations, everyone is passionately obsessed with delivering more value to customers. The
firm adjusts everything—goals, values, principles, processes, systems, practices, data structures, incentives—to
generate continuous new value for customers.”
-Steve Denning, Agile Advocate and Business Consultant

Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are the
Benefits of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

A True Agile Approach Has Three Main Elements
There are three main
elements to a true “agile”
approach: a project
management approach,
an organizational design
and a mindset.
• In order for an approach
to be fully considered
“agile,” aspects of each
of these three elements
need to be present.
The Three Elements of Agile
Source: Gartner
Project Management
Approach
Sample Components:
• Shorter work cycles
• Iteration
• Customer feedback
• Minimum viable products
(MVPs)
• Project-focused teams
• Changing requirements over
pre-planned requirements
Sample Components:
• Fluid decision-making
network
• Less hierarchical
• Cross-functional teams
• Internal stakeholders treated
as external customers
• Product owners as primary
project stakeholders
Sample Components:
• Customer centricity
• Embracing change
• Failing fast and learning
quickly
• Collaborative attitude
• Openness to feedback
Organizational
Design
Mindset
Agile

It’s Good to Be Familiar With Some Basic Terms
While agile-related terms
have proliferated over the
past several years, there
are a select few agile-
related terms that are the
most common and that
HRBPs should be familiar
with.
Glossary of Common Agile-Related Terms
Source: Gartner
• Lean Development: A set of software development principles and tools designed to eliminate project
waste by focusing on completing projects efficiently; often seen as equivalent to agile.
• “Agile Lite”: Applying some principles of agile without applying a full agile approach (i.e., one or two, but
not all three, of the three main elements of agile); can often be a precursor to a fully agile approach.
• “Waterfall” Method: The traditional model of business with bureaucratic hierarchy, planning
from the top and responsibility to shareholders, which agile was originally meant to correct.
• Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): A framework for scaling agile practices, typically at the organization-
wide level; provides guidelines for leaders to govern operations across an entire organization.
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A product or resource that is released to customers or employees
when partially (and not fully) designed and subsequently tested by its users and evolved over time.
• Design “Sprint”: A type of short, intensive and immersive project experience designed to expedite the
product design and iteration process.
• Retrospective: A meeting held at the end of an agile project or “sprint” where team members reflect on
successes and failures to plan for the next iteration.
• Scrum: A type of agile approach often used in software development, where typically cross-functional
teams of 3-9 people work in sprints to create a new or updated product.
• Stand-Up: A daily or weekly informal team gathering to discuss progress and project next steps.

You Can Also Learn About Agile From Your Peers
HRBPs can also use
internal conversations,
with senior HR leaders or
even colleagues in IT, to
further clarify what agile-
related knowledge would
be useful within their own
organizations.
Agile Introduction Discussion Guide
Source: Gartner
HR Leader or
IT Colleague
HRBP
Key Questions to Clarify What Agile Means at Your Organization
• Does my organization offer any training in an
agile approach or agile techniques?
• What foundational agile-related terms should I be
familiar with?
• Is there any information I could review to improve
my understanding of what agile means at our
organization (and even in our HR function)?
• Have any HRBPs or other HR leaders within the
function applied agile techniques in the past?
• Do any parts of our organization’s IT function use
agile techniques?
• Are there any internal “experts” on the topic of
agile who I could speak with?
• How do you think our organization would define
“agile”?

Roadmap
Question 1
What is Agile?
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
Question 3
What Are
the Benefits
of Agile?
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

Agile Can Be Applied in Several Ways Within HR
There are a number of
different ways in which HR
leaders and HRBPs can
apply agile within their
functions and
organizations.
Sample Options for Applying Agile Principles Within HR
Source: Gartner
Agile Pilot
Project Teams
Create project teams that apply an agile
approach to discrete projects, likely targeting
areas of HR where improvement is needed,
where experimentation would be valuable and
where HR staff are available.
HR and Non-HR
Transition Toward Agile
Partner with senior business and
HR leaders to enable other non-HR
parts of the business to transition
toward using agile techniques.
Small Scale, “Agile Lite”
Practices
Apply smaller scale (i.e. “agile
lite”), often one-time practices
that can be implemented fairly
independently within a client
group or business unit.
Agile HR Solution
Development Process
Apply an agile approach to the
design of all (or a majority of)
HR solutions, such that most
HR staff are involved in agile
techniques in some way.
“Agile Lite” Highly Agile

Your Role in Agile Can Vary as a Result
HRBPs’ involvement in
agile-related work is highly
dependent on whether
their organizations have
already started to adopt
agile.
Potential Agile-Related Responsibilities of an HRBP
Source: Gartner
In this context, HRBPs are likely:
• Overseeing a one-off or standalone pilot
program for a particular HR solution
• Running tailored focus groups with
employees about HR solutions
• Deploying pulse surveys to collect
employee feedback about HR solutions
In this context, HRBPs are likely:
• Acting as dedicated “product managers” for
different HR programs or solutions
• Working as part of an agile team within
an HR function
• Partnering with colleagues in IT to train
others on use of agile techniques

• Deliver learning content as
quickly as possible with a
series of MVPs for individual
L&D solutions.
• Adjust L&D solutions
frequently in response to
employee feedback.
• Prioritize building the core
functionality needed for the
development solution, rather
than a “perfect” solution.
• Partner with HR analytics
team to analyze trends in
employee feedback about
their development needs and
interests.
• Reduce the burden on
people managers to identify
and communicate emerging
skill needs for their teams.
Core Elements of DXC Technology’s Agile L&D Approach
Example: Agile in Learning and Development (L&D)
The L&D team at DXC
Technology uses an agile
approach to scope, initially
design, release and evolve
development solutions in
real time for its workforce.
• By applying this
approach, the DXC
Technology team
experienced reduced
time to create L&D
solutions, increased
reach of their L&D
solutions and greater use
of L&D solutions.
Project Design Organizational Design Mindset
Source: DXC Technology; Gartner
• Recognize and accept that
employees’ development
needs will change at a rapid
pace.
• Emphasize identifying and
understanding emerging, not
traditional, skill needs of the
workforce.

Prioritize Timely Delivery
Deliver learning content to the business at the earliest stage
possible.
Focus on Functionality
Build working end-to-end learning solutions without worrying
about look and feel.
Stick to Core Features
Prioritize functionality by making the learning solution work
for employees without extra, unnecessary features.
Iterate at Any Stage
Make learning content easy to edit and revisit so you can
welcome new learner needs and business requirements.
Reflect and Adjust
Ensure the L&D design team reflects frequently on how
to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Principles for Building Minimum Viable L&D Solutions
Example: Agile in Learning and Development (L&D)
HR leaders at DXC
Technology use a set of
five principles to guide
how minimum viable L&D
products are created by its
staff.
• HR leaders intentionally
did not set a standard
MVP design process;
instead, they allowed
their L&D teams to
determine how best to
manage their design
process and MVPs in line
with agile principles.
Reach out to your Gartner Account
Director for more information about the
full Agile Skill Development case study.
Source: DXC Technology; Gartner
Minimum Viable Product: A core set of features that enable a product or solution to be deployed
and deliver customer value.

Example: Agile in Performance Management
Vistaprint applies an end-
to-end agile product
management approach to
the design of one of its
core HR products — the
Performance & Feedback
product.
approach, the Vistaprint
Talent + Experience (HR)
Team saw significant
increases in the
proportion of employees
who agreed that they
receive useful feedback
from their colleagues and
that they could achieve
their career goals at the
organization.
Core Elements of Vistaprint’s Agile Performance Management Approach
Source: Vistaprint; Gartner
• Begin each project with a
kick-off meeting where a
problem statement and
series of hypotheses are
discussed (in order to identify
multiple potential directions
for the HR solution).
• Release minimum viable
products (MVPs) to the
workforce.
• Hold employee feedback
sessions, where employees
are asked to test and
provide feedback on specific
MVPs.
• Assign product owners
to oversee the HR solution
design process for each of
their five core HR products.
• Split formal product design
ownership between the
product owners and selected
employee “feedback
champions.”
• Appoint employee
experience specialists, who
are charged with applying an
employee lens to all of HR’s
work.
• Establish the expectation that
HR solutions should address
employee needs, but that
they don’t need to be
perfect.
• Approach every project stage
and touchpoint from the
perspective of what would be
most valuable to the
employee, not HR.
• Encourage all members of a
project team to ask
questions and challenge
assumptions about how HR
solutions are designed.

Example: Agile in Performance Management
Product teams document
hypotheses identifying
multiple potential ways to
meet an employee need
with the Performance &
Feedback product.
• The team builds multiple
hypotheses to address
ways the product could
potentially solve the
problem and returns to
them over time to assess
whether any beliefs
about the product have
changed.
full Employee-Powered HR Design case
study.
Sample Hypothesis Design
Problem Statement
Employees’ hesitancy to and challenges with
sharing feedback don’t align with our key value of
authenticity.
Sample Hypothesis Value Discovery (HVD)
Statement
We believe that: Building a feedback toolset and
community of practice for this key capability will
result in a higher adoption of a feedback mindset
and more employee ownership of their own growth.
We succeed: When all teams are equipped
with feedback tools and establish a standard
practice “norm” for this capability.
The HVD Statements:
• Focus on a concrete action HR can
take to address the problem,
• Are testable and debatable,
• Have a clear definition of outcomes
and success measures, and
• Aim at challenging HR’s conventional
wisdom about what HR solutions
should look like.
The Problem Statement:
• Is not so high-level that HR can’t
influence it, and
• Is not too specific that solving it
wouldn’t result in an improvement in
employees’ day-to-day experiences.

• Release new “People
Practices” (i.e., HR solutions)
in parallel with agility skills
training for members of the
HR team.
• Change aspects of the
execution of all People
Practices in response
to employee feedback.
• Involve business leaders
early and often in change
management and
communication plans for all
People Practices.
• Ensure all levels of the
organization are aware of
HR’s upcoming agile-
related changes (and the
rationale for those changes).
• Give HR staff the authority
to make project-specific
decisions independently.
• Educate HR teams on what it
means to apply an agile
“coach” mindset on the job.
• Establish agile-related
values across the HR team,
including a comfort with not
having all of the answers,
willingness to experiment and
ability to be flexible and
autonomous.
• Reinforce this mindset
continuously with training
sessions, webcasts and
online platforms.
Example: Agile Across the Entire HR Function
As part of an HR
transformation initiative,
HR leaders at Roche
introduce and
continuously reinforce
new agile behaviors
across all parts of the HR
function.
approach, the Roche HR
team experienced
significant improvements
in the quality of their
business partnerships.
Core Elements of Roche’s Agile HR Approach
Source: Roche; Gartner

Example: Agile Across the Entire HR Function
Roche focuses on
developing HR’s agility
skills in parallel with the
People Practices design,
rather than at the end of
the transformation
journey.
• The parallel process
design and skill
development reinforce
one another. Process
design provides HR with
the opportunity to
experience the new skills
and start applying them.
full Mindset-First Agile HR
Transformation case study.
HR Agility Skill Development and Agile People Practices Design
Source: Roche; Gartner
People Practices Design HR Agility Skill Development
1 4
2
Build the change leadership
foundation in every activity.
Collect employee
feedback.
3
Distill feedback
into key themes.
Run
simulations.
Change Support Labs
provide just- in-time
skill refresher modules.
6
HR community platform
enables agile
organization.
7
Collect additional
feedback.
People Practices website provides
full overview of new approach.
9
Continually reinforce expectations regarding
new mindset shift and need for change leadership.
10
8
Introduce the
People Practices.
5

HR Functions Are Also Using “Agile Lite” Practices
Some HR functions are
also seeing positive
results by introducing HR
products and programs
that have some, but not all,
elements of an agile
approach.
• Each of these
approaches meets one
or two, but not all three,
elements (i.e., project
design, organization
design and mindset) of a
full agile approach, which
makes them an “agile
lite” approach.
Sample “Agile Lite” HR Practices
Source: https://hbr.org/2018/03/the-new-rules-of-talent-management#hr-goes-agile.
Shorter Succession Cycles
A large soft drink company shortened the length
of their succession planning cycles to allow
potential talent to be assessed more often and
appoint successors closer to their start dates for
their new roles.
Motivation Monitoring
A manufacturing organization uses an
anonymous feedback mobile app to monitor
real-time employee morale more closely via
ongoing mood indicator questions, with the goal
of catching and responding to motivation or
morale challenges sooner.
Spot Bonuses
A large retail chain enhanced its spot bonus
program to recognize smaller, day-to-day
contributions more frequently, rather than just
awarding bonuses in the year-end performance
review process.
Multidirectional Feedback
A large technology company introduced a mobile
app that allows employees to leave comments
about their managers and team members over
the course of a workday, allowing employees to
receive developmental feedback on more of a
real-time basis.

Clarify What Your Involvement Should Be
In partnership with their
managers, HRBPs can
clarify what their own
specific agile HR-related
work could – and should –
be.
• In preparation for this
type of conversation,
HRBPs should be
informed about agile-
related work already
being done within the HR
function, so that they are
able to advocate for what
their role should be in
future agile projects.
Sample HRBP-HRBP Manager Conversation Guide
What Should My Role in Agile Be?
• Is our HR function planning to initially apply
and/or expand how we apply agile techniques
to our work?
• If so, how do you expect me and my peer
HRBPs to participate in our function’s agile
approach (if our organization has one)?
• What agile techniques would be more
important for me to be familiar with?
• Are there any agile-related responsibilities that
align to my development areas?
• Based on my involvement in agile, do any
changes need to be made to my objectives?
What Do I Want My Role in Agile to Be?
• Does being familiar with agile techniques seem
like it’ll be increasingly important for HR staff?
• Are there particular skills that agile techniques
allow me to develop that will prepare me for a
future role of interest?
• Do I want to be seen as an expert in agile
techniques relative to my other peers in HR?
• How challenged do I feel right now in my role?
If I’m looking for a greater challenge in my role,
could increased participation in agile
techniques satisfy that wish?
Source: Gartner

Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are the
Benefits of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR
Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

“We’re getting so many questions
from across the organization
about agile. The first thing I say
is that people have to be realistic
about where it likely will work —
and where it likely won’t.”
VP IT, Software
Not All Work is a Good Fit for Agile

Project Characteristics Stakeholder Characteristics Resourcing Levels
Look For:
• Projects with uncertain
requirements (that are
clarified through iterations)
• Projects occurring at a
medium scale (where the
potential impact and risk are
balanced)
• Projects with limited
regulatory requirements or
constraints
• Projects that are largely
independent or would not
set off a “chain reaction”
if changed
Look For:
• Stakeholders who have prior
experience with agile
techniques
• Stakeholder who are
comfortable with higher
degrees of ambiguity
• Stakeholders who have
decision making authority
and make decisions fairly
quickly
• Stakeholders who are open-
minded and receptive
to change
Look For:
• Cost of the project is
reasonable based on the
potential impact of the project
• A project team can be formed
that has a diverse and
balanced set of skill profiles
• Members of the team are
willing and able to
collaborate effectively
Good Projects for Agile Meet Three Criteria
A project’s suitability for
applying agile can be
assessed with three main
criteria: project
characteristics,
stakeholder
characteristics, and
resourcing levels.
• While not every single
bullet on the page needs
to be met in order for a
project to be a good fit
for agile, HRBPs should
ensure that aspects of
these three key criteria
are met in some way.
Key Criteria for HRBPs to Assess a Project’s Agile Suitability
Source: Gartner

Internal Barriers Can Jeopardize Agile’s Success
HRBPs should also be
aware of common internal
barriers that can limit the
effectiveness of agile
techniques.
• The presence of any of
these barriers does not
automatically mean that
an agile approach to a
project cannot work.
• However, the more of
these barriers are
present, the more difficult
the project may be to
manage using an agile
approach.
Common HR-Related Barriers to Effective Agile Implementation
Company Culture Organizational Structure Project & Process Changes
• Ceding Control: Senior
leaders may resist giving more
day-to-day decision-making
authority to employees.
• More Autonomy: Employees
may not be prepared to work
with less direct management.
• Agile Skeptics: Select
employees or employee
segments may be skeptical
about the value of using an
agile approach in an HR
context.
• Project Interdependencies:
Agile projects may be delayed if
their start and execution is
highly dependent on other
related work being completed
on time.
• Internal Tension: Tension may
result if an agile approach
and/or team is interacting with
a non-agile approach and/or
team.
• Securing Effective Project
Owners: Agile projects could be
delayed if there are a limited
number of people who have the
capacity and ability to be
effective agile project owners.
• Reinforcing Process
Changes: Limited
communication mechanisms
may prevent impacted
employees from becoming
aware of process changes.
• Project Funding & Budgeting
Process: The budgeting and
resource allocation processes
may not be able to
accommodate uncertain agile
project costs.
Source: Gartner

Roadmap
HRBP
Question 1
What is Agile?
HRBP
Question 2
Where Does
Agile Come
From?
HRBP
Question 3
What Are
the Benefits
of Agile?
HRBP
Question 4
What Are the
Core
Components of
Agile?
HRBP
Question 5
How Are Other
HR Organizations
Using Agile?
HRBP
Question 6
What Are the
Keys to Success
and Challenges
With Agile?
HRBP
Question 7
How Can I Use
Agile Techniques
in My Day-to-Day
Work?

HRBPs Can Apply Agile Techniques in Many Ways
There are a variety of ways
in which HRBPs can use
agile techniques within
their client groups.
Source: Gartner
Top Five Opportunities for HRBPs to Apply Agile Techniques Day to Day
1. Create
Project Plans
That Adapt to
Change 2. Manage
Work
Execution
in Shorter
Cycles
3. Engage
Employees
At All Project
Stages 4.
Communicate
Early About
Upcoming
Changes
5. Reinforce
Agile
Principles
Internally

1. Create Project Plans That Adapt to Change
HRBPs can own and
influence changes to how
projects are scoped and
planned (prior to any
project work actually
beginning).
Range of Potential Techniques
Run Multiple “Experiments”
for Potential HR Solutions,
All at Once
Go beyond piloting individual
HR solutions and consider
maintaining a portfolio of HR
solution “experiments” within
your client group at a given
time. Good potential
experiments are projects where
results will emerge more quickly
and in a clear way.
Set Guidelines for
Success and Failure
on Projects
Ensure teams know how and
where they have room to
innovate on individual projects
– set clear success and failure
criteria at the start of each
project and revisit them over
time.
Use Hypotheses During
HR Solution Design
Don’t assume you know what
an HR solution will look like
prior to beginning the project –
use hypotheses to identify
multiple potential ways to meet
employee needs with a product.
Source: Gartner
*Flip to the next slide to see an example of this technique.

1. Create Project Plans That Adapt to Change
Setting guidelines for
success and failure
provides criteria for which
projects should continue
and which are not viable.
• These are sample
guidelines for project
success and failure – prior
to starting any project,
HRBPs should work with
their managers and key
project stakeholders to
adapt and add to this list.
Set Guidelines for Success and Failure on Projects: Sample Guidelines
Source: Gartner
Success Failure
We have succeeded if:
• A Majority of Employees, But Not
Necessary All Employees, Are Satisfied:
Approximately 80% of employees report
they are satisfied with the solution.
• Employees Intend to Actually Use the
Solution: Employees say they would
actually use the solution, not just that they
would value the solution.
• The Project Can Be Scaled to Some
Extent: There are other segments of the
organization where the solution would
apply; however, the solution does not need
to apply to the entire organization.
We have failed if:
• We Under-Utilize Employees During the
Process: Employees (though not
necessarily the same group of employees)
should be providing feedback in some way
at every stage of the process.
• We Have Not Reduced the Amount of
Time it Takes for Us to Release the
Solution: The agile design process should
take less time between identifying an
employee need and releasing a solution.
• We Could Not Assess the Right
Resourcing Level: We should never feel
like we have too few or too many HR staff
working on an agile project at a given time.

2. Manage Work Execution in Shorter Cycles
HRBPs can own and
work is executed over the
course of the project.
Release Minimum Viable
HR Products (MVPs)
Release HR solutions that are
partially, not fully designed, at a
more frequent pace, with the
goal of testing directly with
employees the features of the
solution that would be most
valuable to them.
Host HR Design Sprints
Invite a small group of relevant
HR colleagues to participate in
a design “sprint”, or a short
workshop-like experience
designed to generate new and
different in-kind variations of
potential HR solutions.
Break Longer Term Projects
Into Smaller Pieces
Identify longer term HR projects
that you have more control over
and assess where and how the
stages of that project could be
adapted to allow for faster
completion.

2. Manage Work Execution in Shorter Cycles
Minimum Viable Products
(MVPs) are used frequently
in agile projects to release
and iterate on products at
a faster pace.
• Vistaprint’s Talent +
Experience (T+E) Team
uses MVPs to give
employees earlier and
repeated opportunities to
test and shape potential
HR solutions.
• Vistaprint provides these
guiding principles to
assess when an MVP is
ready to be released to
employees for testing.
Comparison of MVP and Traditional HR Design Approaches
Not Viable Fully Viable
HR’s Traditional
Approach:
Release fully designed HR
solutions less frequently
via a “big bang” approach
MVP
Approach:
Release partially designed HR
solutions faster to test the features
that are most valuable to employees
Guiding Principles for Assessing an MVP’s “Readiness”:
• Feasible: Is this product something that our HR organization could reasonably deliver on?
• Valuable: Does this product align with what our employees are telling us they want and need?
• Usable: Is this product easy for employees to use in their day-to-day work?
• Delightful: Does this product address a challenge that will positively impact employees’ day-to-day
experiences?

3. Engage Employees at All Project Stages
HRBPs can own and
employees are involved in
each stage of an agile
project.
Continuous
Employee “Listening”
and Feedback Collection
Use a variety of “always on”
data collection methods to
gather employee feedback on
any relevant HR-related topic
or solution.
Test Potential HR Solutions
Directly With Employees
Convene the same group or
multiple groups of employees
on an ongoing basis to test HR
MVPs or other HR solutions
that are in their early
development stages.
Use Existing Employee
Surveys for Specific
Feedback on HR Solutions
Use new or existing employee
surveys to ask for specific
feedback about individual HR
solutions and even features of
individual HR solutions.

3. Engage Employees at All Project Stages
Employee “feedback
sessions” can provide a
great opportunity for
employees to be involved
directly in the testing of
potential HR solutions.
• Vistaprint’s Talent +
Experience (T+E) Team
uses feedback sessions
to source feedback that
is authentic (true to
employees’ day-to-day
experiences), specific
(gets feedback on
individual product
features) and simulated
(asks employees to
directly test HR
solutions).
Employee “Feedback Session” for the Performance & Feedback Product
Discussion
Leader
Sample Session Discussion Questions
• How does this product fit with the culture
we’re trying to create?
• What would prevent you from using this
product?
• Are there things you thought early on should
be included in this product but aren’t?
• Did you struggle to understand any parts
of the MVP we were discussing?
• Could we run any A/B tests with different
MVPs?

4. Communicate Early About Upcoming Changes
HRBPs can influence
changes to how the HR
function communicates
with the workforce about
HR’s objectives and ways
of working.
Source: Gartner
Communicate Openly – Via
Senior Leaders – With All
Employees
Engage senior business
leaders to help communicate
upcoming agile-related changes
that employees can expect from
all functions, including HR.
Communicate Openly With
All Employees
Send central communications
from HR and reinforce the
communications via ongoing
interactions with all employees
about HR’s upcoming changes.
Communicate Selectively,
Only to Impacted Employees
Share select information,
largely via informal settings and
only with those employees who
will be impacted by HR’s
upcoming changes.
Key Questions to Answer When Communicating to Employees About HR’s Use of Agile:
• What changes is HR making to how it works and why?
• What benefits can employees expect to receive as a result of these changes?
• How will employees’ ongoing interactions with HR change?
• How will HR know if the changes are successful?

5. Reinforce Agile Principles Internally
HRBPs can influence
changes to how agile-
related principles are
embedded within their HR
functions’ work
(depending in large part
on HRBPs’ authority and
the extent to which agile is
being used more broadly
internally).
Source: Gartner
Lead Formal “Employee-
Centric” Coaching Sessions
Likely in partnership with your
L&D colleagues, coach other
HR colleagues about how best
to apply an employee-centric
lens to their day-to-day work
via formal training sessions.
Act as an Agile
“Ambassador” Within
the HR Function
With the approval of your
manager (and as a
development opportunity),
nominate yourself as a formal
coach or ambassador of the
agile techniques that your HR
function is applying to its work.
Hold Informal “Lunch-and-
Learn” Sessions About Agile
Lessons Learned
Hold informal gatherings with
other HR colleagues for
everyone to share details about
their experiences applying agile
techniques within their work
and discuss potential strategies
to make more progress.
*Flip to the next slide to see a quote from an HR leader
about how to successfully apply this technique.

“In our early stages, we created agile ambassadors
to understand the frameworks and to be able to drive
some of the initiatives. We learned you have to be
very intentional about continuously communicating
the benefits of this work and why we are doing so
people don’t revert to their former way of doing
things. There is a lot in agile about being an
empowered team member, working face to face,
and transparency. We find our teams are holding
each other accountable.”
Angie Freeman, CHRO, CH Robinson
Hear from an HR Leader About Agile Ambassadors

Agile 101 for HRBPs: Key Takeaways
As HRBPs improve their
basic familiarity with agile
as a concept and
approach, they should
begin by reviewing these
key points.
Agile’s History Begins in IT: The agile approach was developed within the software development
industry to address common breakdowns in their traditional ways of managing work.
Agile Has Three Main Elements: In order to be a truly agile approach, three main elements must be
met: an intentional project management approach, organizational design, and internal mindset. If an
approach meets one or two of these elements, but not all three, they would be considered “agile lite,”
which is often a popular starting place for HR functions.
Effective Use of Agile Drives Measureable HR and Business Outcomes: An agile approach can
drive positive HR (e.g., HR solution responsiveness and relevance) and business (e.g., customer
satisfaction, product delivery speed) outcomes.
Using Agile Within HR Settings is in the Early Stages: Only 29% of HR organizations have applied
agile principles to date, and 20% plan on using agile principles in the future. Of the 29% of HR
functions that have used agile within HR, 65% share they have seen entirely positive results.
Not All Projects Are a Good Fit for Agile: There are certain conditions or factors that make an agile
approach better and more challenging approach to use, which HRBPs should be aware of.
HRBPs Have Five Top Opportunities to Apply Agile Techniques Within Their Day-to-Day Work:
While an agile approach can take many forms, there are five key techniques that HRBPs are uniquely
positioned to apply as they manage their ongoing work.
Source: Gartner
1
2
3
4
5
6

Agile 101 for HRBPs: Reflection
As HRBPs become familiar
with the agile approach,
they should also reflect on
these key questions.
Sample Reflection Questions for HRBPs
• Do I have any outstanding questions about what agile is? Are there any colleagues I could seek
out to share additional detail on those points?
• Has any part or team within my HR function used an agile approach before?
• How could I help build a business case within my function for using an agile approach?
• Across my current responsibilities and projects, what could benefit most from an agile approach?
• Where do I have a greater level of authority for experimenting with agile principles and
techniques?
• Are there any potential barriers to successfully using agile in my function?
• What agile strategies would be the most promising to implement at my organization?

Appendix

Your Existing Role Has Already Prepared You
Many of HRBPs’ existing
responsibilities and
related skills will prepare
them well for using
dedicated agile techniques
in their roles.
Four Common Roles and Related Responsibilities of an HRBP
Source: Gartner
Strategic Partner
Sample Responsibilities:
• Developing the next generation of leaders
• Redesigning organizational structure based
on strategic objectives
• Adjusting HR strategies to respond to changing
business needs
• Prioritizing HR needs
• Creating a vision for talent strategy in the business unit
• Assessing the HR implications of strategic options
Operations Manager
Sample Responsibilities:
• Communicating organizational culture to employees
• Assessing employee attitudes
• Tracking trends in employee behaviors
• Designing HR programs to support workforce needs
• Communicating policies and procedures to employees
• Keeping the workforce updated on HR initiatives
Emergency Responder
• Quickly responding to questions and complaints
• Responding to employee and manager needs
• Preparing for different situations
Employee Mediator
• Managing competing personalities and conflict
in the organization
• Responding to organizational changes
• Resolving differences of opinion in the execution
of business plans
Responsibilities in bold are existing responsibilities of HRBPs that align well with the skills required to successfully apply
an agile approach.

It Is Challenging to Achieve a Full Agile Approach
Each aspect of an agile
approach has a different
level of prevalence today
and difficulty overall.
• The most prevalent
aspect of an agile
approach – how projects
are managed – is often
easiest to implement.
• Not surprisingly, the least
prevalent aspect of an
agile approach – the
mindset applied to the
work – is often the most
difficult to implement.
Summary of Trends in Today’s Use of Agile Within HR Functions
Source: Gartner
1 2 3
Project
Management
Organizational
Structure
Mindset
Prevalence
Difficulty

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