At Seedbox Technologies, we use agile development and scrum in all our engineering teams and have the vision of becoming a fully agile company one day. To support this vision, some of our non-engineering teams are starting to adopt and adapt agile principles that will help them deliver more value for our customers, partners, and team members. Here is a kickoff presentation we created to start this transformation with one of our HR teams, responsible for driving our company culture projects. We hope this can inspire other technology (and non-tech) companies to make a similar change in their organizations.

2. Seedbox
Taking HR to the Next Level

3. Our Focus:
1. Why we’re here today (3 BIG reasons)
2. Seedbox’s HR Department: Focus and Functions
3. Hybrid Team: Identity, structure, roles, responsibilities
4. Adoption (and adaption) of Scrum
5. Next steps

4. So …
Why are we here today?

5. FIRST BIG REASON:
“Because HR’s strategic plan is very ambitious …
AKA we have a ?#@*&%! load of work to do!!”
• Complex Projects (micro-details, different skills needed, must work together)
• Prioritization (juggling multiple projects, different phases, defining value)
• Multiple Stakeholders (many people implicated, everyone affected)
• Revolutionary (what we are doing literally changes our way of life at Seedbox)
IMPORTANT & EXCITING & A LITTLE SCARY!

6. SECOND BIG REASON:
“All eyes are on us .. so it is REALLY important to
deliver our projects effectively and consistently!”
• We Affect Everyone (they know it, they feel it, they are watching us…)
• Momentum (so much is changing, people want more and fast)
• Consistency Builds Support (deliver continuous value, people will believe in us)
Balance of quantity & quality!

7. THIRD BIG REASON:
“We have already formed an alliance between
traditional HR and Marketing ... and it’s working …
so let’s take it to the next level!”
• Results So Far (our website, social club, communications program, Jobvite, etc..)
• Support From the Top (Our objectives = our company’s strategic objectives)
• Creation of Dedicated Team (HRMARKETINGCULTURECOMMUNICATION team)
• Marketing Director’s Goal and Commitment is to help this team…
BUILD Seedbox from the inside out!

8. HR at Seedbox
Focus & Functions

9. HR DEPARTMENT:

10. HR DEPARTMENT:
This unit is not just about “HR PROGRAMS”

11. HR DEPARTMENT:
IT’S A HYBRID!

12. HR DEPARTMENT:
With a Real Mix of Responsibilities

13. HYBRID TEAM: responsibilities
• HR Programs (onboarding, performance, retention, recognition)
• Recruitment Strategies
• Internal Communications
• Event Planning
• Online Marketing (Website, Blogging, Social Media)
• Seedbox Branding
TO use an agile term, we have one big backlog!

14. Hybrid Team:
How can we Structure?

15. HYBRID TEAM: how to structure
• The team is currently small (and mighty) … 2 full time staff
• Mix of backgrounds / skills (HR, Marketing, Communications)
• It will be a challenge to funnel all the projects into one backlog

16. HYBRID TEAM: how to structure
• To structure this team, we believe in the following:
• This team should be recognized as a unique unit at Seedbox
(aka: not just part of traditional HR practices)
• This team should support our vision to become a fully agile company
• To focus on delivering value for employees, our Marketing Director will
work directly with the team to build a framework using SCRUM.
• SCRUM will help us organize, prioritize, deliver, evaluate, improve and …
speak the same language as our peers!

17. HYBRID TEAM: roles & responsibilities
Roles:
• HR DIRECTOR – HR Sponsor & Stakeholder
• MARKETING DIRECTOR – Product Owner / Scrum Master
• 2 FULL TIME STAFF – Dedicated Scrum Team
Responsibilities:
• Building and prioritizing the backlog (HR & MARKETING DIRECTORS)
• Facilitating all the Scrum rituals and sprints (MARKETING DIRECTOR)
• Planning, committing, delivering, evaluating tasks (TEAM)

18. HYBRID TEAM: roles & responsibilities

19. HYBRID TEAM: scrum rituals

20. HYBRID TEAM: scrum tools

21. Hybrid Team
Next Steps

22. DISCLAIMER:
The transition of the HYBRID team to a SCRUM team will
not happen overnight. It will happen gradually over the
next few months … as we adapt and apply these
principles to our team.
SO WHAT ARE THE next STEPS?

23. NEXT STEPS:
PHASE ONE:
• Team Identity (unless we want to get stuck with using HYBRID forever..)
• Governance (objectives, ground rules, definitions of READY & DONE)
PHASE TWO:
• FAKE Sprints (slow integration of scrum rituals into how we execute projects)
• Daily Stand Up Meetings
• Creating the BIG BACKLOG (this will be a fun challenge for the Directors!!)
PHASE THREE:
• Preparing for Sprint 1 (actual planning and committing to first sprint)
• SPRINT 1 (first official sprint using rituals)

24. Always Remember…