How it works

This practice shifts the focus from what HR delivers to how the function organizes itself to provide its full range of services. Structuring for Lean does not always require new organization charts or titles; instead, it emphasizes building small, cross-functional HR teams that act as internal consultancies, use agile ways of operating to respond to changing business needs, and treat continuous improvement as part of their regular responsibilities.

The aim of restructuring the function in a Lean environment is to replace traditional HR silos (e.g., recruitment, compensation, employee relations) with fluid, cross-functional, and adaptive teams that:

• Align around employee experience or lifecycle stages (e.g., “Attract,” “Grow,” “Retain”).
• Are empowered to diagnose problems, test solutions, and iterate quickly.
• Use Lean and agile tools to visualize work, prioritize effort, and reflect on outcomes.