One thing is sure, change is here to stay, and the consequences of not reading it correctly can be disastrous on productivity, morale and retention. Alan Jones, Managing Director at Cascade, taps the dial as the arrow points to “Change, potentially stormy later”.

A recent survey we carried out revealed that although most thought they handle change quite well, the majority still felt that they need more guidance and support to better deal with change management in the future. Some key statistics from the survey revealed the rate at which change happens and how it’s currently dealt with internally: Over 90 percent said they had experienced some sort of change over the last 12 months; Only 11 percent felt they handled that change very well; Over 90 percent think they will experience change again over the next 12 months; Only 27 percent said they were adequately equipped to deal with it. More worryingly, nearly 40 percent said they didn’t think their employees would react very well to any upcoming major change. This identifies a gap that HR Directors need to consider seriously.

Technology can have a very important role to play when managing change. Today’s systems are tools that help organisations, for example, create unified teams that work better together, they help companies comply with legislation, support best practices, give staff better services, and reduce HR administration processes to allow HR staff to focus on helping the company through changes more effectively. Over 90 percent in the Cascade survey believed that technology can play a vital role when managing change. This is perhaps, not so surprising as most companies now have at least a basic HR system in place. The question, however, is whether those systems are used to their maximum capabilities, and if companies are truly experiencing the benefits that technology can bring. With the right technology in place HR directors free up their time from administrative tasks so that they can build the confidence that’s needed for a company to go through periods of change successfully. Regarding change as an opportunity rather than a disturbance, it can help organisations take advantage of the situation and turn it into a positive influencer.

The survey identified the greatest challenges to change, revealing that: 42 percent said ‘differing leadership styles’ was the biggest challenge; 30 percent said ‘organisational culture’. Other challenges included ‘likely employee resistance’, ‘lack of appropriate HR resources’ and ‘inconsistent HR processes and procedures’. So what can be done to face and overcome these challenges? If faced by the leadership issue, for example, best practice procedures can be established within workflows to ensure that processes and policies are followed correctly. This helps to rationalise management styles and ensure that a more equal approach is adopted.

To be successful, HR Directors need to build in the potential aspects of change into their plans before it happens. Some of the key best practices that companies need to consider include the need to: Identify as many hurdles as possible and be proactive in how to address and overcome them; Do not underestimate human variables, communicate even when there’s nothing to say and be open to people changing their minds and acknowledge the assistance that technology can provide and use it to its maximum capacity. Identify vocal signals that can highlight whether the change management process has been successful or not. Not be afraid of asking questions and working with external experts when required, a fresh pair of eyes can provide much needed support when the going gets tough. There is no denying it, change is here to stay and we have to change our attitude towards it, embracing it as an opportunity for improvement rather than a nuisance. By learning to live with it, plan accordingly, using the tools that are available and building it into the business change can become a powerful force for the good of the business, helping it develop rather than stunting its growth.

Alan Jones, Managing Director
Cascade
www.cascadehr.co.uk