Engaging people in the change process

Citation

Smith, T. (2008), "Engaging people in the change process", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 7 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr.2008.37207faa.002

Engaging people in the change process

Article Type: Strategic commentary From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 7, Issue 6

Thought leaders share their views on the HR profession and its direction for the future

It is not difficult to think of examples of companies that are undergoing change – Porsche has won control of VW, JPMorgan Chase is set to buy the troubled Wall Street bank Bear Stearns and India’s Tata has taken over two of Britain’s most famous car firms, Jaguar and Land Rover. Whether companies face external changes, such as fluctuating markets, or internal changes, such as those associated with M&As and restructures, HR departments need to devise a strategy to ensure the change process is a smooth one.

The challenges

However, change management is not easy to get right. This is because too often it is imposed on people. Business leaders will tell employees what their plans are and everyone from the top down, from the most senior managers to the shop floor worker, will be concerned about “what’s in it for me?”

There will be a burst of activity. Consultancies will be employed to help with the change management process and detailed project plans will be prepared with a list of actions. Often, the employee aspects of the change become another work stream in the action list – e-mail to make the announcement, an employee intranet page, a glossy brochure, etc.

These formal communication methods do not engage employees or address their concerns as they do not give staff the opportunity to participate in open, two way conversations. Unfortunately the people following the plan (including the HR department) believe that they are doing the right thing. As long as they are executing the actions within the timelines given, they can tick the box, move forward with the program, and worry about engagement later.

How to ensure success

HR teams generally want to ensure change is a success, but they are not always in the right position in the organization. Their role often tends to be confined to a transactional one. When this happens they become involved in drafting memos and writing speeches or PowerPoint presentations for the CEO in order to help senior managers to communicate the change. However, where HR has a significant position in the organization and is held in high regard, the change is normally successfully introduced.

Learning from the successful models is important. For example, HR can play a role in measuring whether the change process is going smoothly. This can be done by undertaking short, sharp and regular pulse surveys or running focus groups to understand how employees perceive the change. It is important that HR professionals build stronger relationships with the management team so that they can influence the change agenda through the content of workshops aimed at helping employees manage the personal transition associated with the change. Ultimately, HR needs to move away from its transactional role and work towards being the barometer of mood on the one hand, and a driver of change on the other.

Another way in which to ensure a successful transition is to involve staff. Whether you like it or not, employees are involved in the change process. They have their own opinions about the recent company developments and will voice their views at the drinks machine, kitchen, smoking area, pub, etc. So it is vital that employees are actively engaged because they will simply insert themselves anyway. Companies that allow employees to participate in the change process will find that productivity is not affected as much as it would if they were not involved. Naturally staff will have concerns about how the changes will affect them, but employee engagement levels will be higher in firms where they are involved in the process.

About the author

Tom Smith is a chartered occupational psychologist and head of organizational development at Lane4. Prior to joining Lane4, Smith had a varied career, including working for the prison department in the assessment of dangerousness and risk in offenders and the development of the national hostage negotiation program. Most latterly, he was the global head of learning and development at HSBC and was also previously managing director in human resources at JPMorgan. Smith presents regularly at international conferences within the field of occupational psychology, specifically focusing on assessment and organizational change. He can be contacted at: tom.smith@lane4.co.uk

Tom SmithChartered occupational psychologist and head of organizational development at Lane4