How to Futureproof Your Business with Agile HR

Over the past few years, many businesses have needed to make rapid changes to their organisations. They’ve had to find creative alternatives, such as offering digital solutions for customers or employees when face-to-face environments weren’t feasible. And as the world continues to change, so do the needs and expectations of employees, particularly those working remotely. It’s crucial for businesses to be able to adapt quickly, and why HR plays such a vital role in laying the groundwork for agility.

Recently, Atlas partnered with MyPass Global and Agile Analytics to deliver a webinar on the future of the remote workplace and to share the following tips for implementing agile HR to create a solid foundation for businesses to stay nimble and successfully retain talent.

What does agile HR look like?

An agile HR approach is characterised by its adaptability, responsiveness, and focus on employee empowerment. Agile HR provides organisations with a flexible framework to help teams prioritise work effectively so that they’re always aligned with the goals of the organisation. 

While traditional HR typically focuses on rules and standards from a hierarchical standpoint, agile HR acknowledges the dynamic business environment and makes adjustments to HR strategies accordingly. The emphasis is placed on how you respond to, manage and measure change, while prioritising innovation and feedback.

How do you implement an agile HR approach?

Establish collaborative meetings

To adopt this methodology you might guide your teams to run bi-weekly sprints, hold planning sessions to estimate the upcoming workload, and run weekly stand ups to track what went well or identify opportunities for improvement.

These meetings will help team leaders gather useful insights that help them optimise how they approach their workload and manage their priorities more effectively.

When managing remote teams overseas, you might consider holding global meetings for all teams to gather and share their business updates. This is a great way to ensure that regardless of location, no employees are left feeling siloed, and fosters greater understanding and camaraderie among different factions of the business. Off the back of these meetings, consider leaving 15-20 mins for a team building activity, such as creating a virtual appreciation wall together, to give employees the opportunity to connect with their coworkers on a deeper level.

Gather continual feedback

It’s important to create positive emotional connections with your employees, and a great way to establish this is by conducting regular 1:1’s to gather feedback. Keeping in touch with your employees will help personalise their experience while giving you a clearer understanding of what’s happening with remote teams. When you establish regular contact with employees, you’re better able to show the heart of the organisation. In turn, employees will feel more inclined to stay with the company as they feel appreciated.

That being said, be mindful of balancing your attention between high performers and managing underperformers. High achievers can easily get overlooked, but one strategy to avoid this may be to create a process (such as a Slack channel) for your team members to receive "shout-outs" or praise for their efforts. This will help to celebrate the team's victories, no matter how large or small they may be.

Train and invest in your employees

According to HR feedback, lack of growth training is a leading reason for employees to leave a company. SEEK research found that 70% of employees won't think about leaving as long as they feel engaged at work, most often bolstered by maximising autonomy and opportunities for development. This especially applies to first time leaders or senior managers, as it’s crucial they are well equipped to manage and train other team members. 

With a traditional HR approach, businesses may offer employees annual or fixed learning and development initiatives. However, an agile approach is responsive to the needs of the current moment - meaning learning and development is easily accessible whenever it’s needed.

One example of this might be to hold a monthly senior leaders training session, whereby every executive team member presents a topic they’re passionate about and introduces a skillset they believe will be useful for future or young leaders.

How an EOR can support agile HR 

As a Direct Employer of Record (EOR), Atlas provides a local business entity in your target location, simplifying the process of managing an overseas team by taking on all legal responsibility, and advising on compliance and local laws. 

Atlas ensures that HR practices align with local labour laws, tax requirements, and employee regulations, allowing HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives and employee engagement rather than getting bogged down in complex legal matters. 

For those who missed the live event, be sure to watch the recording of the webinar now available on our website, where we delve deeper into Agile HR and how to utilise Atlas’ broad range of services.

Want to learn more about global expansion?

Schedule a time to meet with our team to learn more about how Atlas can support your global growth goals, we invite you to book a free consultation with one of our experts. During this call, we can discuss your specific needs and provide tailored recommendations for how Atlas can support you.