What can HR do to achieve a successful change process?

The role of Human Resources in organizational transformation efforts is an important one. HR acts as a powerful change agent and advisor to company leaders. According to Gartner research, 66 percent of organizational change factors relate to talent, requiring the full involvement of HR to pull together the people and resources needed to make transformation efforts a success. Though it may be tempting to think of HR as the prime driver of organizational transformation, senior leaders are responsible for establishing the vision and championing organizational change, with HR acting as a critical enabler of change. Here are four key areas in which HR plays an important role in supporting organizational transformation and helping to make it a reality.

Employee Training and Development

The role of HR is to understand the unique learning needs of the workforce. During an organizational transformation, HR ensures that leaders receive the necessary training to be more effective in leading change and that all employees have opportunities to expand their skills in relevant areas, such as teamwork, communication, or customer service, just to name a few. Employees need new skills and knowledge to change their behavior, and HR can identify training partners and solutions that will address learning requirements as the organization evolves. With a culture transformation, for example, HR can evaluate and identify an enterprise-wide solution that incorporates coaching, targeted skill-building, and training reinforcement to ensure lasting behavior change.

Workplace Communication

Effective communication is necessary for any initiative to take hold within an organization, and HR is an important catalyst for ensuring that all individuals involved have the information they need. HR also supports workplace communication by ensuring that the appropriate feedback loops are in place so that individuals have opportunities to express their views and ask questions. HR can enhance two-way communication in support of organizational transformation in the following ways:

• Helping to craft employee communications from senior leaders
• Participating in town halls and team meetings
• Advising leaders, from the CEO to the frontline, and helping them to deliver consistent messages at every level of the organization

Tracking Progress and Sharing Feedback

HR helps to develop, drive, and monitor the agenda for change, keeping leaders informed and helping those who derail get back on track. Different functions and teams will have different experiences as organizational transformation gets underway, and HR is well-positioned to monitor each team’s success, making sure that implementation across departments and functions is consistent. Because HR is often central to transformation activities, HR professionals are able to see each team’s progress with clarity and can deliver feedback that will help managers guide their teams more effectively.

Linking Talent Management Programs

During an organizational transformation, HR needs to ensure that each stage of the HR Cycle—including recruitment, rewards and recognition, and performance management—aligns with the goals of the transformation. When talent management programs are aligned to the new state of the organization, people have greater clarity regarding performance expectations and opportunities for growth. Some examples of how HR can link talent management programs to organizational transformation efforts include:

• Ensuring that recruitment efforts and job postings incorporate the skills and competencies required for success in the new organizational culture
• Revising succession plans to ensure individuals who embody the new company culture are positioned for leadership roles
• Integrating new organizational values into the performance review process

As business partners and advisors, HR is at the heart of any initiative that impacts the mindset and behavior of employees. Therefore, the role of human resources in organizational transformation should be to ensure that individuals have the necessary tools and resources to understand the need for change and take ownership of their role in making organizational change a success. On an ongoing basis, HR helps leaders instill new values across their teams and supports employees along every step of the HR Cycle.

Managing through change is a complicated process. Whether it's a merger and acquisition or a change in the company's core leadership, big changes can lead to directional shifts, personnel turnover, and other challenges for businesses.

When HR takes a leadership role during periods of change, it's possible to gracefully navigate the challenges that come with such a situation – achieving both the organization's goals and ensuring your team feels confident about the company's future direction. Here are four steps for HR leaders to consider when supporting companies and teams through a change process.

Align with Management

Successfully supporting change management begins by understanding the vision. Align your efforts with management and take a deep dive into their long-term vision for the company. Ask yourself:

• What changes are occurring?
• How will this ultimately bring the company closer to its long-term goals?
• Are there any areas of concern in terms of human capital management?
• What do other leaders expect from HR during the change management process?

Once you understand the vision, you can help ensure all communications align back to the company's bigger vision, and you can build on your understanding of the organization to suggest ways HR can help lead through change.

Prioritize Communication

Change is a constant in every organization, and many professionals are accustomed to dealing with it. However, the ambiguity that is often associated with change management can make it harder for people to navigate the process. For example, does hiring a new vice president of sales mean that people's jobs could be on the line, or that the company will be adopting a new sales strategy?

Take the time to establish lines of communication with employees at all levels of your organization. Share information when you can about the changes that are occurring, how it will impact employees’ day-to-day situations, and the steps being taken to help ensure the changes are for the overall good. Make time to listen, and identify the issues that most concern your team. There are many times when employees may be worried about things that are not even on management’s radar. By understanding what issues your team deems the most important, it is possible to quickly and effectively address them.

Assess Readiness and Risk

Understanding your organization's readiness levels for change is an important part of designing a change management implementation strategy. For example, if you work in a company where mergers and acquisitions are common, key members of your team are much less likely to be affected. However, if you are acquiring a company where most of the employees have worked for decades without facing major organizational changes, there is a separate set of risks and concerns on the table. HR can lead the way in assessing change management readiness and identifying areas of risk that need special attention from executives.

Provide Special Support Where Needed

HR can provide specialized support during the change process where it is needed. For example, in a company acquisition scenario, employees may have never been through a merger or acquisition. HR leaders can craft a training program to help employees understand what the acquisition process will entail, how they will be integrated into the new company, and what areas of their day-to-day business lives are unlikely to change. By investing this extra support where needed, much of the concern around the changes can be mitigated.

Special needs can often arise – especially in the area of human capital management – during periods of change. By having your HR department on board and focused on providing support, it is possible to help employees at all levels of the organization successfully move through the transition.

Leading through change can be a challenging process. However, HR can play a critical role in bridging communications between management and employees, ensuring information is shared in a timely and transparent way, and identifying and addressing any specific concerns or risks before they potentially become long-term problems.

How can HR contribute to effective change management?

How can you improve the process of change?