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CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL EVALUATION

CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL EVALUATION

Submitted By: Rhoda Poku Darkoh

Word count: 2986

Table of Contents
CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL EVALUATION.......................................................1
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
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CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL EVALUATION

1.1 Organizational overview........................................................................................................3

2. Role of Agile in Different HR areas............................................................................................3
2.1 Talent selection......................................................................................................................3
2.2 Employee performance managing.........................................................................................5
2.3 Coaching and training employees..........................................................................................6
2.4 Employee pay structure establishment...................................................................................7
2.5 Employee development and learning for future success........................................................9
3. Recommendations......................................................................................................................10
4. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................12
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1. Introduction

Agile mainly stands for an approach for managing any software or project by utilizing its
significant methodology. On the other hand, the agile process also helps in enriching the
collaboration within an organization in the context of improving its effort. Besides, the agile
process also helps in the formation of a cross-functional team within an organization to maintain
a relationship with its customers. The study emphasized the application of the agile process
within an Australia based famous retail organization, named Woolworths to develop various HR
functional areas of the organization. The core aim of the study is to critically evaluate the roles of
agile in the selected organization for various HR areas.

1.1 Organizational overview

Woolworth is a supermarket within Australia which mainly deals with the selling or
delivering of various grocery store chains. The mission and vision of the organization is to
provide fresh food to the peoples through its proper delivery chain and service (Woolworths,
2019). Now the study is going to apply the agile process or methodology within the
organizational HR function to develop the organizational performance in the future.

2. Role of Agile in Different HR areas

This section helps to understand how the Agile can follow the below mentioned five
functions of the HR department of Woolworths. The below mentioned HR functional area helps
an organization to push its performance towards the apex of success (Horney, 2016). It has been
found that agile methodology within the organizational human resource department influences its
various functions which may result in future improvement of the particular company. The agile
process mainly works on the principles of a software process that works smoothly and faster than
manual approaches. Moreover, it easily detects all the strong and weak points of an organization
to make them profitable for organizational growth (Cappelli & Tavis, 2018). It has also been
analyzed that agile methodology easily influences a project to be successful based on its
significant approaches to handling the employee activity.
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2.1 Talent selection

Talent selection mainly stands for the recruitment process of the human resource
department for any particular organization. The function helps the HR department to find out the
right peoples for observing the right responsibilities of the selected post by an organization. One
of the famous recruiting processes is known as the agile recruiting or agile HR which stands for
the recruitment process for an organization by utilizing the concept of the process of agile
(Cappelli & Tavis, 2018). It is one of the most significant trends which are being used in the
hiring process of an organization. In this process, the agile methodology helps to entail a short
task in the validate task by getting agreements to form the stakeholders. Therefore, it can be
understood that it helps to move forward any big task easily. Likewise, by applying the
mentioned concept an organization can move forward their hiring process in the context of
finding potential candidates. Within the agile process, the recruiting manager remains in the
agreement for testing each step for the hiring process. The significant approach of the agile in the
context of the hiring process is known as the perfect fit where the recruiting manager able to
achieve the utopia related to hiring high-quality candidates by investing low time and minimal
cost (Rigby, Sutherland & Noble, 2018). However, Woolworths also can follow the agile
technique in the context of hiring their employees to maintain the supermarket chain which
includes

 Definition of job

Agile methodology or process asked to define any job roles first before explaining the
candidate qualification. The brief explanations of the job roles help the candidates to understand
what kind of job roles they need to perform (Patel et al., 2017). It would help Woolworths to
avoid the investment of more time and money for recruiting the perfect candidates because the
analysis of the job description helps the candidates to understand which applicant is perfect for
it.

 Test out of a perfect fit

Before recruiting any candidates, the agile process suggested that the HR departments
must review the profile of the candidate. It helps the HR department of an organization to
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understand the potentiality of a candidate to maintain the responsibilities provided by the

organization (Myklebust, Stålhane & Haugset, 2015).

 Review conducting

After recruiting any potential employees within an organization agile process advised the
HR team to follow him up with the process of his or her work. On the other hand, agile methods
also advise reviewing each and every task of newly hired employees to understand the
potentiality of their effort (Patel et al., 2017).

2.2 Employee performance managing

This study is going to describe how the employee performance of any company can be
managed using agile methodologies in this regard. An Australia based company; Woolworths is
taken into consideration to enhance such management related to employee performance. An
organization is always likely to be improved in terms of revenue objectives. In order to fulfill
this purpose, some organizational changes must take place within a company to achieve the
proposed goal. It is also applicable in terms of providing better customer service in order to
escalate the revenue of the company. This is the main objective of why proper management in
employee performance is considered as a prime requirement for the betterment of any
organization (Zavyalova et al., 2018). This study demonstrates step by step agile methodology
applied to evaluate employee performance and how such an entire process can be managed using
a pre-defined scientific approach.

Initially, the employer and the employee of a particular concern both need to understand
the reason why any transition should take place in an organizational environment. The effects
and benefits of such changes due to having any transition within the company should be properly
addressed. Proper communication plays a vital role in this case. In a nutshell, transparency is the
other term that should be considered as a primary concern to enhance employee performance.
Lack of communication in the business environment originates from confusion, resistance in
business growth as well (Ghaneckar, 2015). An organization should take care of its employee-
employer relationship and should maintain transparency to escalate employee performance.
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A right methodical training approach is the key factor that may lead any organization to
have efficient and effective workers to procure the best possible results for the company and for
its customers as well. Arrangements of meetings at regular intervals, specifically proper
interaction with the managers will enhance the workforce (Bermperi, 2015). This is a proven
way through which the managers, workers feel supported in their workplace. Proper interaction
in problem-solving surely boosts up their confidence and this also reflects in their performance
as well. The workers and managers of any organization should know about the goals and
objectives of any organization apart from the revenue in terms. The associates of any
organization should be aware of the future aspects and prospects of the company.

This can be considered as a key approach following which the delegates of any
organization set their short-term goal in a short time span in order to obtain better results. The
word short term is very much significant while agile methodology is under discussion. Short
term goal-oriented approach is much productive than setting a 12 months annual goal instead.
The workers, managers are needed to be motivated to prioritize setting a short-term goal in a
given time span instead of setting continuous long-term objectives (Rigby, Sutherland &
Takeuchi, 2016). Some extensive scientific research including agile methodology reveals how
short-term goal-oriented objective procures much better results than the long-term aspects. The
Australian based company Woolworths has also applied all these methods to enhance its
employee performance and to manage necessary impacts in this regard as discussed above.

2.3 Coaching and training employees

Woolworth can implement an agile coach within their organization to train their
employees properly in the context of supplying the ordered product to their customers.
Moreover, the implementation of an agile coach within the organization helps the HR department
to train its employees to track the customer's order properly along with their shipment activities
(Holbeche, 2015). However, an agile coach is mainly responsible to provide feedback along with
significant advice to the new agile project teams. Moreover, it also influences the willing team to
be motivated who wanted to perform a high level of performance. The core role of an agile coach
is mentoring the other employees of an organization towards the proper way. The agile coach can
act as a leader with respect to guiding an entire employee team towards their work (Cappelli &
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Tavis, 2018). It helps to make the other employees understand any specific project along with its
terms and condition for handling properly which may result in success.

In addition to the above function of an agile coach, it has been found that the agile
coaches also help the employees to understand corporate terms in respect of any particular
project. Therefore, it has been understood that if Woolworths takes any kind of customer service
process through the organizational changes, the implementation of the agile coach within the
company helps employees to understand the terms and conditions of it. Therefore, it can be
understood that it would help in ensuring an effective outcome from the entire team
performance. However, the goal of agile coaching generally lies in the arming of an agile team
with proper knowledge along with training and tools in the context of increasing organization
potentiality (Huzooree & Ramdoo, 2015).

It has been found that an organization holds a different type of employee who holds a
different type of nature was benefited by the agile coaching. In the business terms, these types of
employees were known as

 Mavericks and cowboys

 Crisis manager and Heroes
 Brilliant hermits

The above-mentioned employees can be fully benefited from the advice or training
process of an agile coach. It influences the employees to maintain their work and report daily
basis. Moreover, the training session also helps in identifying the issue related to any work
project based on the role of crisis managers properly (Ahmed & Glasgow, 2016). Besides, it also
helps in developing the social working skills within employees which results in proper CSR
practice within an organization. Therefore, it can be understood that by implementing the system
of agile coach Woolworth can sharpen their corporate social responsibility practice within their
organization. On the other hand, it has also been analyzed that proper training through evaluating
significant objectives of an organization helps the training session to be successful by sharpening
the skills of employees.
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2.4 Employee pay structure establishment

The establishment of employee pay structure is recognized as the agile compensation

which helps to develop the pay structure of each employee. In the agile compensation plan, all
characteristics and job responsibilities along with the working effort of the employees have been
analyzed. Its analysis report helps the agile manager to make a compensation structure for their
employees in respect of their time off work along with potential reports (Ahmed & Glasgow,
2016). Moreover, this agile compensation method also helps to build the pay grades of other
employees by ensuring the future growth of the organizational employees. On the other hand,
within the operational process of an organization agile process helps in introducing the
incremental approaches towards the compensation changes (Rigby, Sutherland & Noble, 2018).
It helps the organization to build manageable ways for reflecting a positive impact within your
organization. The agile process helps to make compensation plan by following some steps such
as

 Stocking of entire organization related items

These steps help to find out the crucial business aspects which are legally required for the
company. This requirement helps in identifying the core changeable areas which can be
developed by the requirements. Moreover, it also helps to set up business goals along with the
identification of employee expectations (Ahmed & Glasgow, 2016). Therefore, Woolworth also
can identify business requirements and employee expectations both by stocking entire
organization related items which result in payment scale development.

 Working process analyze

The agile process helps in analyzing the entire working process of any particular
organization. Therefore, the analysis report helps in understanding the core resources of the
particular organization along with its outcomes. Likewise, Woolworths also can use this step to
analyze their whole working process which helps to identify both strong and poor characteristics
of the organization. Therefore, they can develop their online delivery process which increases the
organizational performance and high pay scale structure of the employees.
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 Internal movement

The internal movement mainly helps in analyzing the internal structure of an organization
by which they can understand their future opportunities and threats both. It helps in making a
preventive strategy for future threats which helps in developing profitability increase (Huzooree
& Ramdoo, 2015). Likewise, Woolworth also can use the agile steps to develop its internal
structure for pay scale development.

 Brand positioning

The agile process advises an organization to make potential strategies in the context of
providing value to their organizational brands. It also helps attract most of the stakeholders
which increases the capital investment also for their organization (Cappelli & Tavis, 2018).
Therefore, it understood that it would automatically push the organizational growth which helps
to restructure the employee pay scales also.

2.5 Employee development and learning for future success

Employee development and further learning for future success are considered as the core
subject that is to be discussed in this study. Apart from this, the implementation of agile
methodology in an Australian based company Woolworths is going to be revealed in this study.
Employee development and learning have their own impacts on the organizational change of any
organization. Employee development is considered as a continuous process. It is a step by step
scientific approach implemented for the purpose of the betterment of any company. Employee
development is a continual process that can be achieved through motivating employees in a
consistent manner. Naturally, motivated employees are beneficial for the progress of any
company to procure better results (Carter & Varney, 2018). In the workplace, Employee learning
enriches the efficiencies among the workers, the employees overall. The importance of effective
learning enhances knowledge.

Such efficiencies and knowledge can be treated as a positive input for the growth of any
concern. Through learning may enhance the strategies of any business organization and product
development can be done by implementing this acquired knowledge. Thus, continual learning in
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CAPSTONE ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL EVALUATION

the workplace for future success escalates the economic gain of any company. There are also
some points which can be listed as the benefits of employee development and further learning.
Continual step by step employee development increases the capacity to get familiar with new
technologies and necessary methodologies to enhance the business (Piano et al., 2017). Agile
methodologies play an important role to address this development among employees. Agile
methodology can be considered as a focused, result-oriented approach. This is the reason why
this Australian based company Woolworths has implemented an agile methodology to train its
employees gradually.

Some step by step approach is found in agile methodologies, such as communication,

feedback, faster, smaller, adjust, trust, etc. Employee feedback is another prime concern which
needs to take care of while their development is under process. Proper evolution of the comments
received as feedback is indispensable for the learning process for further growth. This plays a
vital role in employee development as such feedbacks can be treated as inputs. In the process of
continual learning, employees need to adjust a lot. In this way, their adjustment power can be
uplifted which is one of the basic and integral attributes of any workers and very much important
to work in a greater workplace (Carter & Varney, 2018). Agile methodology is a faster approach
for short term objectives. The success rates of short-term goals are quite high as compared to the
long-term approach.

3. Recommendations

Based on the above-mentioned function analysis of the HR departments helps to

understand that agile can properly improve each and every function of an organization.
Therefore, this study helps to understand that which kind of processor aspects can help
Woolworth to apply the concept of agile process successfully such as

 Providing myriad opportunities to the employees in the context of learning or stretching

independently themselves regarding any specific jobs or job-related goals.
 Investment of employer brand along with the cultivation of an ongoing relationship with
multiple channels and social media
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 Implementation of talent management which can empower all the employees for their
self-improvement
 The entire jobs of an organization need to be supported by the values and mission of that
particular organization based on the performance of the employees. Moreover, employee
performances must hold cultural activity to sustain the business of an organization.

4. Conclusion

The entire discussion regarding the agile process role within the HR function of an
organization helps to summaries that an entire organizational growth primarily lies in the proper
HR approaches. Moreover, it has also been concluded that if an organization would be able to
choose proper recruiting approaches for hiring potential employees can save both the time and
money of their organization. Employee development along with future learning of the employees
also lies in the agile process approaches. In addition to this, the entire description related to the
role of agile methodology with an organizational process also helps in concluding the significant
steps for restructuring the employee pay scale along with the handling of employee performance.
Besides, the study influences the conclusion regarding the proper process of agile coaching
towards the employees in the context of make them understand organizational goals. Apart from
these, it can also be concluded that the implementation of talent management within the human
resource department helps to hire talented individuals for developing organizational
performance.
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