Agile HR - by Natal Dank & Riina Hellström (Paperback)

About the Book

Use this practical guide to develop an agile HR function that drives performance, reduces costs, saves time and supports overall business goals.

Book Synopsis

In the new world of work, agility is a business imperative. 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. It 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.

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.

Review Quotes

"Agile HR takes you from the sticky status quo to the future of work. It's a full toolkit, that's pleasantly practical, relatable and relevant. This is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about HR."-- "Arne-Christian van der Tang, Chief Human Resources Officer, TomTom"

"A great book by the pioneers of agile HR, Dank and Hellström! They were able to capture their passion in this book, and I am sure many readers will be eager to follow their guidance."-- "Tom Haak, Director, HR Trend Institute"

"Dank and Hellström have distilled years of Agile HR knowledge and experience into one practical book. This is the toolkit every HR professional of the 21st century needs. I wish I had this book years ago."-- "Tracey Waters, Director of People Experience"

"Introducing scientific thinking when evolving our next-gen organizations, is a gain not only to HR, but to everyone touched by them. This is more than a book, this is a mindset leap."-- "Mattias Skarin, Enterprise Agile Coach, Crisp"

"Never has the HR profession had such an opportunity to transform our workplaces and this is an essential read for anyone who has been looking for a better, more human way than traditional, legacy approaches. Natal and Riina provide inspiration along with practical tools and techniques to give everyone the confidence to take the next step on their Agile HR adventure!"-- "Charlotte Goulding, Director of People at Infinity Works"

"Powerful and complete. Hellström and Dank are speakers for our times. HR in Silicon Valley, or SpaceX, is nothing like company policies from any textbook, or any book, until now. Finally, Hellström and Dank guide us through nurturing an ever-evolving, lightning quick business that can keep up with tech giants, global shifts, and the chain of firsts required to get us to Mars and beyond, address climate change, be the next Google, and establish equitable psychological safety in an exhilarating, uplifting, profitable place to work."-- "Joe Justice, Agile Business Innovator"

"This book brings the best of Scrum into People Operations."-- "Jeff Sutherland, Founder and Chairman, Scrum, Inc"

"This book may become the foundational text for Agile in HR. It provides solid advice all the way through, accurate on Agile and HR, and easy to approach without prior experience in Agile. And while becoming an expert takes time and practice, this book will ease the process a lot, by connecting the dots to a coherent whole."-- "Petri Heiramo, Certified Scrum Trainer, Agile Enterprise Coach"

"This book should be mandatory reading for all HR professionals. Written by true experts in Agile who know exactly how to explain key concepts and facts in a way that makes them easy to apply in a commercial environment, this book will elevate your HR practice and will turn you into a raving fan of Agile HR. This book is a true game changer!"-- "Karen Beaven, Director - PXI, The Creative HR Agency"

"To see this book in print brings me more joy than I can fully express. The Agile HR movement has been growing organically for some years now and the more HR professionals and organizations can get onboard and inspired by this way of working, the more successful businesses will become. This is the book anyone curious about the Agile philosophy needs to read. It's also for anyone that's already taken a leap of faith to leave behind old hierarchical and traditional business approaches for something more effective, by providing inspiration on how to create a culture where the Agile mindset is lived and breathed by all. Once you start on an Agile journey you never go back."-- "Nebel Crowhurst, People & Culture Director and early Agile HR Adopter"

About the Author

Natal Dank leads learning, coaching, and community at PXO Culture. Based in Scotland, UK, in 2016, she hosted the first Agile HR Meetup in London, which has grown into a regular, global event. A co-founder of the Agile HR Community, she is focused on defining modern HR for the 21st Century.

Riina Hellström is an Agile Enterprise Coach and the CEO of the Agile HR Community, a global network focused on training the craft of Agile in HR. Based in Helsinki, Finland, she was one of the HR leaders starting the movement of Agile HR in 2010, and now works on executive Agile advisory and organisational transformation.