Exploring the Potential of HR and Scrum: A Growing Trend in Agile Practices

Event Report: Exploring HR and Scrum Potential

On May 29, 2025, Trustyyle held an enlightening session titled "HR Needs to Know: Exploring the Potential of HR and Scrum" at the HR Library in Tokyo. The event aimed to unravel the synergies between the agile methodology of Scrum and human resource management, featuring insightful presentations and discussions from various experts in the field, including Kazuhiko Niwa, Osamu Ogasawara, Takamitsu Dobashi, and nekoyanagi.

Background and Objectives: Why Scrum for HR Now?

Scrum, a methodology widely adopted in software development, might initially seem distant from the HR domain. However, its core principles—iterative planning and execution, continuous feedback, and enhanced teamwork—are highly relevant to the challenges HR professionals face in an ever-changing landscape of human resources and organizational dynamics.

The central question was: can Scrum offer valuable insights for HR amidst complexities where traditional approaches fall short? With this hypothesis, the HR Library curated an event aimed at sharing the ideas and experiences of practitioners who are already applying Scrum principles to foster better organizational development.

Event Highlights

Event Name:

Exploring the Potential of HR and Scrum: How Agile Principles Transform Organizational Building

Date:

May 29, 2025 (Thursday)

Location:

HR Library and online streaming

Theme:

Utilization of Agile and Scrum in HR

Featured Speakers:

- Kazuhiko Niwa (Scrum Inc. Japan HR Scrum Master): Promotes Scrum's societal implementation following his HR experience at Cybozu.
- Osamu Ogasawara (Nobi): CHRO of Creation Line, with a track record in numerous tech companies, leading agile culture from the executive perspective.
- Takamitsu Dobashi (KDDI Agile Development Center): Participated in KDDI's Agile development organization, leading HR perspectives in system and organizational creation.
- nekoyanagi (IT company HR): Implements Scrum practices in collaboration with the Agile Promotion Office as an HR professional.

Participant Feedback

The event garnered substantial positive feedback from participants. Questions of feasibility and applications emerged frequently in discussions.
Participants expressed that they felt empowered to start implementing Scrum methods more casually without being restricted by rigorous frameworks. Comments included:

- “The session motivated me to understand that we can easily adopt these practices. I want to start small and incorporate what I can.”
- “Learning the fundamentals of Scrum was significantly valuable and provided insights into the compatibility with our HR systems.”
- “I noticed the potential for Scrum not just as a cycle for PDCA but as a common language within the organization.”
- “I realized how trapped in the waterfall model I was before attending this event. I wish to keep learning about agile methodologies.”

Achievements and Future Directions

One of the main achievements of this event was establishing a collective understanding among HR professionals that Scrum is not solely a tool for engineers. Many shared that they discovered practical hints that could be applied within their organizations and felt the potential for breaking down departmental silos.

Importantly, the goal isn’t to adhere rigidly to specific frameworks; it’s about how to adapt the underlying ideas of "value creation through teamwork" and "continuous dialogue and improvement" to fit one's organizational context. Starting with small initiatives—like visible task management or weekly reflections—can set the foundation for building an agile organization.

The HR Library plans to continue offering study sessions and workshops centered around Scrum and Agile themes to enrich the learning and networking opportunities for HR professionals focused on organizational transformation.

About the HR Library

Opened on April 1, 2024, in Ningyocho, Tokyo, the HR Library is a co-working space that serves as a community for HR-related professionals. Equipped with over 2,500 HR books and a membership exceeding 600 individuals, it operates with the tagline, "Learning with Friends to Open the Future."