Lean–Agile Toolkit for Industry 5.0: advancing human-centric continuous improvement in digitalized organizations

Purpose This study aims to explore how Lean and Agile principles can sustain human-centric continuous improvement (CI) and employee engagement in digitally transformed organizations, responding to the human-centricity, resilience and sustainability imperatives of Industry 5.0 (I5.0). It addresses the growing tension between automation and human learning in the age of AI and IoT, clarifying the roles of Agile HR and the Agile Coach within the I5.0 framework. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review consolidated theoretical insights on Agile HR and Agile Coaching. These informed a qualitative, work-applied study involving twelve semi-structured interviews with professionals from digitally transformed multinationals and a practitioner focus group for validation. The resulting Lean–Agile Toolkit integrates the A3 method as a CI backbone, personas for learning design, journey maps for engagement analysis and FMEA for risk management. Findings Results show that combining Lean and Agile practices enhances adaptability, engagement and organizational learning while maintaining structured, data-informed improvement cycles. This integration fosters psychological safety and supports resilient, human-centred CI systems that balance technological efficiency with human agency. Practical implications The study offers a practical toolkit for embedding continuous improvement in technology-driven organizations, guiding HR and operations leaders to connect digitalization, engagement and continuous learning. Originality/value By bridging Lean, Agile HR and Industry 5.0, this study advances continuous improvement theory for the digital era and contributes a validated model aligning human factors, agility and technology to prevent automation complacency and foster employee engagement.