Agile Workforce Evaluation - Report Example

Business of the of the The concept of training and education of employees in an organization is extremely important for long-term development of an organization. It has been argued that this process is equivalent to that of investment in human capital, which endows an organization with competitive advantage. This paper has analyzed the relatively new Agile concept in training and development of employees within an organization and potential benefits to be derived after implementing the same. It has been realized that current procedure pertaining to employee training is not being able to adequately help employees in order to reach their full potential. Introduction of this change in organizational culture might face considerable resistance. However, potential benefit that is to be derived from application of this method outweighs the skepticism on part of the employees and the management. This report highlights the positive changes in an organization that can be witnessed through application of this process. Contents Contents 3 Introduction 4 Need for Culture Change 5 Agile Concept in Training and Education 6 Benefits 8 References 11 Appendix 12 Introduction It has been identified that implementing change in organizational culture is one of the most significant challenges, which has to be managed by leaders of an organization. The rationale behind this complexity arises from interaction of a number of parameters involved in the culture change, namely roles, values, attitudes, assumptions and communication practices. The existing literature indicates presence of various Quality Initiative Schemes that are undertaken by organizations to improve performance. However, implementation of these practices remains a complex issue (Islam, 2013). There is an urgent need to change organizational culture of the company as it has been suffering from a number of discrepancies. This is because current practices followed by the company is inadequate in propelling organizational efficiency as waterfall method of defining HR practices appears to be no longer sufficient for supporting or managing organizational goals and this is causing inefficiency in organizational performance. There is a need to change the organizational culture because more transparency is necessary. Also, it has been found that the organization requires an external orientation of the members, while organizational culture is characterized by internal orientation. It is accepted that organizational change is not a very easy task and implanting the change is equally challenging. This paper attempts to suggest a process by which training and educational needs of employees in the organization can be met in a better way so as to facilitate higher degree of efficiency (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Need for Culture Change Change in the organizational culture is integral for survival in the long-run, especially when external environment wherein an organization operates is changing frequently. If the organization does not keep pace with the change that is occurring, then failure is inevitable. The rationale behind this sea of change is evolution of the disruptive technology. The information explosion, which has occurred in the latest decade, has created an environment, which does not support status quo (Cobb, 2011)). The last two decades have experienced three major categories of organizational change initiatives that have been adopted by organizations across the globe, namely Total Quality Improvement, reengineering initiatives and downsizing initiatives. These practices have been adopted by companies according to their specific needs and have been subject to varying degrees of success. Even so, one of the major aspects requiring attention before implementing the change is that if parameters of an organization’s culture like, goals, attitudes and assumptions, do not change with the practices and strategies, then the condition of status quo will never alter. This makes the role of senior management extremely integral in implementing the change (Denning, 2011). It has been observed that the company is presently using software based on “Waterfall” model in order to manage practices of leadership and human resource. This traditional model of employee management is a year-long rigid model, which is unable to adjust itself to rapid changes in the organizational goals. Under the current process, managers set the goals either annually or quarterly by using the cascading principle. The yearly approach makes this model a stringent one. Organizational goals are dynamic and needs constant monitoring by the managers. Moreover, feedback that is provided is piecemeal and there is a tendency for old information being lost. The main reason behind opposition by the senior management is that few of the employees may not be able to adapt to the change when implemented, which may create discomfort among all employees. However, it is responsibility of the management to convince employees about the benefits that can be obtained from this process on its implementation. This is bound to remove their skepticism and help them to view advantages that can be enjoyed from this process. Agile Concept in Training and Education Agile model is basically a model for software development, which is a big departure from the traditional waterfall model of building software. Introduction of the Agile model has revolutionized the software development process as it saves time required to perform tasks and reduces the risk. The concept of this model is nowadays widely used in development of human resources in several organizations. Though this model had originated in the computing industry, yet logic that is applied for its usage is now being considered in case of management and human resource development for facilitating rapid improvement. The present model that is employed by the organization is a formal training and education model, which is quite redundant. Moreover, new changes that are incorporated by the organization cannot be incorporated in the printed modules and employees are often not updated with latest information. This is seen to affect organizational performance adversely. With implementation of the Agile model, e-learning can be practiced in the organization, which will be helpful in providing all relevant information to employees in a timely manner. The traditional model that is used by the company is highly cumbersome as it involves a number of related steps that are to be followed. Analysts of the company spend a considerable time in identifying problems of the organization to determine the learning solution. Following that, the same has to be presented in a report format to business partners for their approval. This step in turn is succeeded by another review and approval process. The teams finally agree upon a set of features and divide responsibilities among the members according to priority in order to accomplish the work. The Agile model for training and development of individuals is highly useful because in this approach, individual and personal interactions are valued more than process and tools. The application of software always proves advantageous over the process of manual documentation and also builds the ability to quickly adapt to changing situations. The functioning of Agile management requires qualified trainers to conduct the work. The presence of well-trained individuals is absolutely essential for success of the project. It has to be understood that Agile method of project management and training requires a considerable amount of commitment on part of the management. This is because these programs are more difficult to manage than normal training programs. This is because these involve training and engagement of individual team members and not only managers. This implies that there must be a cross-cultural collaboration between employees and each team member needs to have some knowledge about work of the other members. This is the reason for which this approach requires elaborate training. It is difficult for all members of the organization to adapt to this process of transition without proactive engagement of their part. The corporate training system has undergone a sea of change in the past few years. The importance of “on-job” training has become almost as important as the presence of formal education and training program. Most of the training companies are trying to implement informal learning solutions for quick education and training of the employees. Some of the common tools of informal learning are Sharepoint, Chatter and Jive. All these processes help in better development of an organization and help to achieve both personal and organizational growth (Kong, 2007). Benefits Employee participation in the training and development process improves organizational performance. Six Sigma and Lean production techniques are used by a large number of organizations in contemporary times to enhance their process of production and manufacturing as well as better management of the inventory for reducing operational cost and wastage. Nevertheless, the Agile model of employee learning is different from these processes. This is because the Agile Learning focuses on strategic work and leveraging of resources in a cost effective manner. The most important aspect is that the Agile model customizes learning practices of the company by improvising the process to suit individual needs (Owusu, 1999). There are numerous benefits that can be obtained if the Agile model of Quality Initiative is applied for training and development of employees (Hopp & Oyen, 2004). Firstly, with this type of an approach, individuals are highly motivated. This process proves more engaging to the employees compared to the traditional system of organizational presentation like, that of PowerPoint. Secondly, this process has been identified as one of the most effective approaches for promoting sustainable development. Effective training of the employees and their proper education regarding organizational goals is integral for creation of intellectual capital. Such initiatives also help in the creation of competitive advantage over the rivals. Thirdly, increasing focus on technical excellence, learning outcomes and training methodologies and employee education creates a more dedicated workforce who understands job responsibility in a better manner. The element of self-organization among team members in this approach enables employees to take concrete decisions even if overall organizational environment is a strict regulatory one. Fourthly, this process is dynamic as it allows employees to reflect on their behavior and in turn become more efficient. This type of training is ideal for achieving organizational excellence. Fifthly, employee development through the process of better training methods like, using Agile model of learning, is not a sunk cost, but an investment. Most of the traditional classroom training that is provided in organizations is not utilized to the full extent in job. This is true even for this organization, which is why employees are unable to deliver best performance. The Agile model can impart training to the employees strategically and selectively and facilitate long-term development for the organization. Finally, not only does this technology help in development of employees through better training practice, but this also helps in predicting the return on investment from employee development. Hence, it is implied that investment in talent management can provide lucrative return on investment. Therefore, it can be commented that if the organization alters its employee training and educational methods from the traditional approach to that of Agile, then greater organizational efficiency can be achieved. Conclusion This paper has analyzed the importance of introducing a quality initiative process in training and education of employees. It is observed that presently, management of employees and current method of training are inadequate in context of helping employees realize their full potential. So, it has become important for the organization to reconsider existing system of employee development strategy and apply the Agile technique, thereby supporting better engagement of employees and articulating learning and education among organizational members. The potential benefits that could be derived from application of this technique in employee management have been discussed in details. The organization is likely to achieve sustainable advantage if this model is applied while training the employees. In addition, this program can be considered as an investment for the company, in terms of human resource development, that provides competitive advantage over rivals. References Cameron, K. S. & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: based on the competing values framework. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Cobb, C. G. (2011). Making sense of agile project management: balancing control and agility. New jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Denning, S. (2011). How Do You Change An Organizational Culture? Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/07/23/how-do-you-change-an-organizational-culture/. Hopp, W. J. & Oyen, M. P. (2004). Agile workforce evaluation: a framework for cross-training and coordination. Iie Transactions, 36(10), 919-940. Islam, K. A. (2013). Agile methodology for developing & measuring learning: Training development for today’s world. Bloomington: AuthorHouse. Kong, S. (2007). Agile Software Development Methodology: Effects on Perceived Software Quality and the Cultural Context for Organizational Adoption. New Jersey: ProQuest. Owusu, Y. A. (1999). Importance of employee involvement in world-class agile management systems. International Journal of Agile Management Systems, 1(2), 107-115. Appendix Read More